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CH’NG Poh Tiong is acknowledged internationally as an authority on the wines of Bordeaux (and China and Japan, particularly Koshu). The Singaporean is South-East Asia’s most experienced wine judge having served on the same judging and tasting panels as Hugh Johnson, Steven Spurrier, Johnnie Hugel, Julian Brind MW, Gerard Basset MS …

‘I am resistant to the use of new oak barrels whose addition of an “oak” taste … comes neither from the terroir, or from original grapes. I consider that the barrel is only a way to oxygenate the wine by respecting its ageing cycle.’ Laurent Ponsot, “High Priest of Burgundy” Laurent …

South Africa’s coveted Veritas Gold and Double Gold medal winning wines and brandies will now be available for easy ordering and – if you live in South Africa or has a friend there – delivery on your/their doorstep thanks to a new, specially developed app for online wines sales. The initiative is …

Rudy Kurniawan – the world’s most famous rotten grape – was released from a Texas jail last week. Rudy Kurniawan was released from a Texas prison last Friday 6 November 2020. The wine cheat is now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On 18 December 2013, a …

The Imperial Treasure Group has one of the best wine lists particularly for Champagne and Bordeaux. Their top restaurants in Singapore are offering some of these wines at special prices. Chateau Talbot 2000 is drinking deliciously now. The Saint-Julien Classified Growth should be decanted 60 to 90 minutes.

Domaine du 1er Juin Riesling 2017 The vineyard was planted in 2008 from vines cloned from French clones first planted in the 1970s and 1980s in Helan Mountain Winery (belonging to Pernod Ricard) which had imported the cuttings from France. Because of the poor soil, grapes only appeared in 2015. …

Basile Guibert turned 36 on 4 November 2020. Dinner a day later at their home in Singapore was hosted by the Frenchman and his lovely other half Marie-Alix de Grully Basile Guibert – whose family are proprietors of famed Mas de Daumas Gassac – went home to Aniane in the south of France …

Road Block in China Chinese wine importers have been receiving verbal directives from authorities to stop importing Australian wine. To emphasize the seriousness of their message, Chinese customs will not clear incoming Australian wine from tomorrow Saturday 7 November 2020. Wine is not the only product targeted. Imports of Australian lobster, …

 From left: 5-year bottle age, 6-month bottle age, and all-new Champagne cork Wine – like people – also ages. Again, like people, some wine improve with age while others just become nasty and grouchy. Growing older without becoming better or more interesting is, literally, a waste of time. In the …

From left, CH’NG Poh Tiong, Jessica Tan, NG Siang Ping, Marcel Bertaud and TAI Yew Seng She is the Arts, Wine & Spirits Columnist for zbNOW, the lifestyle section of Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore’s most widely circulated Chinese daily. NG Siang Ping holds a Master’s degree in Social Anthropology from the …