Matter of Taste

MATTER matter OF of TASTE taste | BARRELS
Barrels
PHOtO Getty ImaGes
to drink, like 2011, 2007, 2004 and
2001, or the greater vintages that
have mellowed down or have gained
complexity with age, like 2003, 1998
and 1996. I would also add some
champagnes as the perfect aperitif, as
well as Burgundy white wines to the
collection to match seafood.”
Li’s Hong Kong Wine Vault will
be mirrored in Singapore this spring
with the opening of Loi’s Singapore
Wine Vault. Located along Fishery Port
Road in West Singapore, the facility
is set to be one of the largest wine
storage facilities in Southeast Asia.
Once completed, the US$159m vault
will cover 750,000 square feet. It will
also feature state-of-the-art security
systems, individual temperaturecontrolled
cellars and be designed to
restrict any light penetration. Such a
major investment is a sure indicator
that wine collecting is more than a
passing fad In Asia.
Finally, many nascent wine
collectors find an organized wine
tour makes for a great way to pick
up in-depth knowledge about their
new pastime. Based in England,
Arblaster & Clarke run tours to both
the old and new worlds, and catering
to both old and new wine fans.
“Asia is one our major overseas
markets and primarily our top-level
wine tours of Bordeaux and Burgundy
appeal the most, though our wine
cruises and opera and wine tours have
also been popular,” says Emma Pike,
the company’s marketing manager.
Seeing and understanding the
actual locations where wine is made,
and talking to guides, growers and likeminded
drinkers, lays the foundation
for laying down a great collection,
Pike adds. And while undoubtedly of
practical use, the information gleaned
is surely also a whole library’s worth of
bottled poetry.
simple truths
Seasoned wine collectors,
having learned from experience,
are quick to point out a few
things to take heed of while
building up a healthy collection
* The temptation to hoard is great, but
there will always be more wine, so crack
open a bottle or two if you feel like it.
* Buy wine that suits your personal
lifestyle and not necessarily always what
the experts recommended.
* There will be disappointments. Just
as you can’t judge a book by its cover, a
bottle’s label isn’t always a 100 per cent
guarantee of perfection.
* While there is a tendency in Asia to go
for reds, also pay attention to whites.
German Riesling, Australian Semillon
and fine white Burgundy are
all well worth investigating.
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