News

I popped into the Raffles last week for dinner and to present Stephane Soret (middle) with a copy of 100 Top Chinese Restaurants of the World 2020 for the library of their Butcher’s Block Restaurant. When I did that, the Frenchman whipped out a copy of the same publication of the 2019 edition. As such, Butcher’s …

Domaine de Long Dai – part of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) – will be taking part in ICCCW 2021. To be held in Singapore, the dates of International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine are 26 to 28 November 2021. Being 10 months away, I am hopeful ICCCW 2021 will be a reality. My optimism will be tested …

CEO & Executive Vice President of Air France Anne Rigail Air France Chief Executive Officer Anne Rigail made an important announcement on Tuesday 12 January 2021. The Executive Vice President of France’s national carrier emailed customers to inform: “ All our tickets are fully-modifiable and refundable, whatever the reason until the day of …

We did not expect the response to be so overwhelming. Chateau Petrus 1996 Dinner 28 January 2021 was fully booked even before the menu (and the other wines) were made known. Only 5 seats were available, but 8 of you made reservations. Which meant three were unsuccessful. Then also followed another three …

Just as you would never drink a red cold – cool is fine but no colder than that – the same goes for rosé. Otherwise, the fruit will be locked up and numbed. And, like a polar bear, goes into hibernation. Temperature per se is not enough. The wine should …

From left, NAH Li Wee, Albert Toh, Johnny Heng, CH’NG Poh Tiong, and Jimmy Yim SC* & Cynthia Yim (*Senior Counsel is the Singapore equivalent of a Queen’s Counsel in the UK) Albert Toh hosted dinner for friends at la Dame de Pic last Saturday 9 January 2021. Apart from an unforgettable meal, …

Chateau Le Crock St Estephe 2018 Chateau Le Crock became a Bourgeois Exceptionnel in 2020 and has been owned since 1903 by the Cuvelier Family (proprietor also of St Julien Chateau Moulin Riche and Second Growth Chateau Leoville Poyferre). A neighbour of Chateau Haut-Marbuzet, it is just over 1 km north …

Champagne Joseph Perrier was the favourite champagne of Queen Victoria Benjamin Fourmon is the great great-grandson of Paul Pithois, who purchased Champagne Joseph Perrier in 1888. The house had been founded in 1825. Pithois had worked with Louis Pasteur in his research on the fermentation of wine. Pasteur was born in the Jura (famous for its …

Regarded by many as New Zealand’s finest Pinot Noir sub-region, Bannockburn is home to wineries including Bald Hills, Felton Road and Mount Difficulty. Lesser known today than in the past (the winery also having changed hands since then), in 2007, Bald Hills caused a sensation in two of the world’s top wine competitions. Bannockburn – home to Bald …

Penfolds Bin 111A 2016 Released in October 2019 to a recommended retail price of US$1,000 a bottle, 1,000 cases or 12,000 bottles of this pure Shiraz (54% from the Botanic Vineyard in Clare and 46%  from the Gersch Vineyard in Barossa Valley) were produced. Although fruit from both vineyards have …