WELCOME TO EDITION 753 of GRAPEVINE Last Saturday 16 November, we co-organised an event where our readers and the public tasted Chinese wine from six wineries, two huangjius, and six baijius. Over 100 people turned up at The Tower Club. The Guest-of-Honour was China’s Cultural Ambassador Mr XIAO Jiang Hua. The media was also present …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 752 of GRAPEVINE Dogs are often referred to as “Man’s Best Friend”. The accolade is an acknowledgement of their loyalty. As such, I was affronted when Donald Trump – describing the assassination of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi – said he “died like a dog”. How does a dog …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 751 of GRAPEVINE Bellavista will be first Winery of the Week This is the last GrapeVine on a Friday. Starting November, GrapeVine will appear on a Monday. The change co-incides with the launching of new columns. Today, on our sister website www.100chineserestaurants.com, we are launching a new weekly report. Our first Restaurant of the Week column spotlights Imperial Treasure …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 750 of GRAPEVINE No Grand Marnier Here The most exalted salesman or saleswoman I know is a head of state. Whether a president or prime minister – even a reigning monarch – they are always trying to get businesses to invest in, or tourists to visit, their country. That is a …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 749 of GRAPEVINE Bianca, the most beautiful 12-year old feline in the Valdobbiadene hills. The Franco Family moves to a motivation that is hard to define. But easy to admire. Primo & Annalisa and their daughter Silvia cast their vision and minds constantly over the Valdobbiadene hills. Their heart strings are …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 748 of GRAPEVINE Originality is like style. It may be hard to define but when we come face to face with it, originality is incredibly refreshing. So it was that on Wednesday, visiting Carcassonne, I overnighted at La Maison Vintage, a house where the two owners also let out five B&B rooms. My …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 747 of GRAPEVINE Advertising is seduction. Its primary role is to attract our attention. To make us look at the visual. Yesterday, in a Metro station, I saw a beautiful advertisement for Kirin Beer. Its effect was immediate. I wanted to get a bottle. A while later, I saw an advertisement for Kweichow Moutai. Apart …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 746 of GRAPEVINE Singapore is the most expensive place in the world to own a car. The same vehicle we pay for easily buys two or three – sometimes four – cars in Europe and most other countries. Actually, we don’t even own the cars that we “buy”. When we …
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WELCOME TO EDITION 745 of GRAPEVINE Decanting is both a science and an art. It is a science because if a wine needs decanting and you do not do that, you will be tasting a “brick wall”. All you will “enjoy” is a solid core of structure. Especially if the red is cool or …
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Welcome to EDITION 744 of GRAPEVINE Today is the final day of judging for the eighth annual Decanter Asia Wine Awards. Six of us vice-chairs (one had to leave last night for Italy) will taste the Gold Medals harvested over three days of judging from 3, 4, 5 September. Judging flights of Chinese …
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CH’NG Poh Tiong