With Christmas around the corner, we might find themselves overwhelmed with wine choices for either gifting or hosting dinner parties at home for this festive season.
Instead of wandering in the wine stores scavenging for wines, why not ask the experienced wine insiders? We turned to six veteran wine merchants in Hong Kong and Mainland China and ask their wine choices in two scenarios:
1. What would be your wine choice for this year’s Christmas?
2. What would be your wine gift of choice to your dearest friend for this Christmas season?
Food matching, gifting needs, a wine label’s auspicious design and even weather could affect wine choices for your Christmas parties, according to the merchants.
Champagne of course emerges as a common theme. The top executives from ASC Fine Wines, Torres China, Links Concept and Northeast Wines and Spirits all included a bottle of fine bubble in their picks, while Nick Chan from Enoteca and Morten Filipsen from Vivino opted for top rated Rhone and more varied choices. Find out more here.
1. Alberto Fernandes from Torres China
Hailing from Barcelona, Alberto has worked in China for Torres China since 2000 and is currently the managing partner of one of the country’s leading wine merchants, Torres China.
On Christmas eve, Alberto likes to be surrounded by the warmth of a full-bodied wine that can pair well with the offerings on table. This year he would pick a magnum of 2015 Mas La Plana, a Mediterranean Cabernet from Familia Torres, which can bring him closer to his hometown.
The Cabernet has a 14.5% abv alcohol level and was bottled in 2017 after being aged for 18 months in 85% new French oak. The wine is described to have “good freshness on the finish as well as the ripe fruit” by renowned wine critic Jancis Robinson.
But when it comes to selecting a wine for a dear friend for this festive season, Alberto would pick 2008 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, “[The wine is] probably the best made ever by the Taittinger family. Epic bubbles to start a great year!” he enthused.
The Taittinger family is one of Champagne’s most famous producers. The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is made with 100% white grapes from five villages with Grand- Cru Chardonnay vineyards. This wine is created using juice from only the first press. A mere 5% of the blend is aged in fresh oak barrels to create the balance of toasted notes.
Scroll through the pages to read all the top wine merchants’ picks.
