GrapeVine

Origins of a New Year

WELCOME TO EDITION 845 of GRAPEVINE A New Year is decided by the calendar. Not race nor nationality. There is, for example, no such thing as “French New Year”, “Spanish New Year” or “British New Year”. That new year is the Gregorian New Year, named for Pope Gregory XIII who had introduced …

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Last Chance to Visit Lafite

WELCOME TO EDITION 844 of GRAPEVINE Greetings from Charles de Gaulle Airport before catching the flight home. I had arrived in France on December 6th which means I have been away 45 days. This has been the longest trip I have ever made. All of that has been in France except …

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Paralysed

WELCOME TO EDITION 843 of GRAPEVINE Since losing my phone on 28 December 2022 at Chatelet Les Halles station in Paris, I have discovered several things. I won’t bore you with too many except the following discovery. You might like to know that with Singtel, American Express and Kris Shop, you can sign into …

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Pickpocketed!

WELCOME TO EDITION 842 of GRAPEVINE Last year ended on a whimper for me.  Just after 9 pm in Paris Wednesday 28 December 2022. I had just texted I was boarding the RER B at Les Halles Chatelet station to Roissy CDG Terminal 2. As soon as I got onboard, …

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Three Times More Costly!

WELCOME TO EDITION 841 of GRAPEVINE Off to Cognac for the 2022 harvest Last 31 March 2022, when I flew to Paris on Singapore Airlines, the return ticket was S$1,305. Next month, 20 September 2022, I will be heading to France again. If I had booked on SQ, the return ticket would …

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Payment is Confirmation

WELCOME TO EDITION 840 of GRAPEVINE PAYMENT IS CONFIRMATION We have started promoting ICCCW Masterclasses. All six will take place Saturday 26 November 2022 at the Tudor Ballroom, Goodwood Park. International Congress of Chinese Cuisine was founded in 2008 – the inaugural edition took place in Beijing – and then had lapsed for a few …

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Our Best-Seller

WELCOME TO EDITION 839 of GRAPEVINE Two years ago during Covid lockdown, a handful of distributors got in touch. “Could you help sell our wine?” As I write about wine, I replied I should not be involved in also selling it. There was a conflict of interest. They then informed their business …

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New Rating System

WELCOME TO EDITION 838 of GRAPEVINE You may have noticed – this past week – a new Rating System. There are several reasons for the change. I love samurai movies – particularly the classics – and ninjas. Another reason is because we tend to light-heartedness when we have a glass of …

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My Apologies

WELCOME TO EDITION 837 of GRAPEVINE When travelling, I neglect the website. But post on Instagram and Facebook daily, and weekdays, on China’s Xiao Hong Shu or Little Red Book (translated for me by our Business & Marketing Manager YU Kayan). I apologise for the neglect. When travelling on assignment, the schedule is relentless.  Driving and darting from one chateau/winery to …

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Blown Away

WELCOME TO EDITION 836 of GRAPEVINE Greetings from Lorgues in the south of France.  Last Saturday, I bought a new coffee machine – €99 – at Carrefour. I decided on the model not just because it was the cheapest but because I don’t need all those other options and silly buttons. After all, …

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