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, …

Mathias Camilleri became a Master Sommelier in 2017 Mathias Camilleri plays a mean bass guitar.  Singapore’s first Master Sommelier thrills his followers – including this one – on Instagram just as he inspires us with his kickboxing at mathias_camilleri_ms.  Prior to becoming an MS, Camilleri was already chalking up successes, including the UK Young Sommelier …

Friday and the weekend are a great time to celebrate after a long week. Black Mussels Casserole (S$17++) comes in a vegetable ragout and is served with garlic bread. Sweet Potato Waffle Fries (S$6.5++) is a Chef’s Recommendation. Both are irresistible with Geyerhof Ried Hoher Rain Kremstal Gruner Veltliner 2020 (S$85++). This Austrian white has peachy/tropical …

Grand Frais is a chain in France that has vegetables – including mustard green – most other supermarkets do not carry. Some seafood too including particularly fresh scallops when the shellfish is in season. They have a nice selection of mozzarella and burrata too. Last January, I chanced on this from …

Finbar BOYLE • General Manager Brown-Forman Southeast Asia Finbar Boyle arrived in January 2018 to Singapore as General Manager of Southeast Asia for American drinks giant Brown Forman Q: When did you become based in Singapore?  A: I arrived in January 2018, to be General Manager for Brown-Forman across the Southeast Asia …

WELCOME TO EDITION 835 of GRAPEVINE  My last three flights on SQ336 to Paris in the last six months, every flight has taken off late resulting in arriving to CDG Airport 45 to 60 minutes late Travel to France for Singaporeans and residents is now practically like in pre-Covid days. Departing on …

Family-owned, family-managed, and with the same family producing the wines, CHAMPAGNE GAMET has vineyards located on both the Right Bank and Left Bank of the Marne River. The fourth-generation is in place today, making wines that are fruity, deliciously accessible, dry – even very dry – and textural because of their high percentage …

Treaty Port winery in Shandong has sold its vineyards to its neighbor Domaine de Long Dai, the Chinese winery owned by DBR Lafite for an undisclosed amount, Vino Joy News has learned. The deal was completed last week and the sale includes Treaty Port’s 18 ha vineyards (268 mu) in …

There’s no better time to dine at COLLIN’S than NOW! To begin, there’s a 20% discount on all wines until 30 April 2022. At the same time, one of their bestsellers, Dry Aged Black Angus Tomahawk has a promotional price of just S$88++ (normal price being S$160++). The Tomahawk is delicious with Domaine La Grande Bellane Cotes …

AXA Millesimes’ Managing Director Christian Seely launches new wines Sauternes First Growth Chateau Suduiraut is launching new dry wines. Chateau Suduiraut Vieilles Vignes Grand Vin Blanc Sec and Chateau Suduiraut Pur Semillon Grand Vin Blanc Sec were created in 2020. Crafted in small quantities from a terroir ranked as a Sauternes Premier Cru in 1855, …