Well, it’s been a minute. In the past month, since my last post, I’ve been in Singapore, Bali, back to Singapore, Hong Kong and then a week home in California where my body simply failed to recognize that it was now on Pacific Standard Time. That I was on the road with my husband and son, raising money for our education charity U-Go, made it more than worth it. While we did miss our kitchen, there was a lot of great food and wine along the way to keep our mouths busy and stomachs full.
Since I’ve missed writing as much as I’ve missed my kitchen (and wine cellar!), I’m serving up two newsletters this week. The first, a planned spring wine guide. It is now a bit late to the season, but these are wines that will take you from the fresh, grassy tastes of asparagus all the way into grilling zucchini in peak summer. But before we get to that, some reflections on a month of imbibing in Asia.
When I lived in Hong Kong, people would often joke that it took five years for trends in the US to cross the Pacific. While that may be true for athleisure, when it comes to beverages, I often find Asia to be out ahead of the curve, even with high import duties continuing to frustrate wine appreciation in some locales. A few observations from these weeks of hydrating:
Bali
Though Bali can still be a sad and wallet-draining experience for a wine lover, they are finding some ways around the painful import duty. Brands like Two Islands are bringing in grapes from Australia and making the wine in Bali. Though this gets around the tax, one can imagine that keeping temperatures consistent on a tropical island is still a challenge. But if you are looking for a good sparkling in an ice bucket by the pool, theirs will do just fine.
Meanwhile, leading resorts like Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, have the buying power to scoop up whole allocations when they find something special. They also are pushing the envelope with wines outside of the mainstream, like this unusual find: Bel Milan Nestarec, a blend of Gruner Veltliner, Welschriesling, and Muller-Thurgau from the Czech Republic.* We found this wine on the menu at Telu, a new zero-waste bar constructed of upcycled materials. It’s the kind of concept one might expect to find in Brooklyn or Silver Lake, not tucked under the lobby entrance of a five-star beach resort.
Singapore
Unfortunately, pricey wine drinking continues in Singapore. Matsu, a favorite Spanish wine of our members during my time running TOASST, was on the shelf in at an upscale grocery store for about three times the cost of what you can find it for in a similar shop in the US (see below for Matsu in my line up of spring drinking recs). However, Singapore is still a lucrative market for those drinking at the top end. Which is probably why 67 Pall Mall, a wine club started in London in 2015, opened an outpost near Orchard Road two years ago. I had the pleasure of visiting the club for a lunch meeting. While we stuck with water to go with a satisfying dish of clams and chorizo, I happily drooled over the exhaustive wine list – a 6000 bottle dream cellar curated by Master of Wine Richard Hemming. I’m already dreaming of a return… and wondering where their first US outpost will land?
Hong Kong
It appears Hong Kong has reached peak Tasting Menu. This could be from a sluggish economy, grumblings I heard about from nearly everyone I talked to, or simply over-extension. After going all in on $300 – 500 per person tasting menu restaurants during the years of the pandemic, when Hong Kong was relatively COVID free to but closed to the outside world, you can now supposedly walk right in to these top-end restaurants on any night of the week and get a table. I didn’t try. I did, however, walk into a succession of mid-range restaurants in Wan Chai one Thursday and was turned away by five in a row for being fully booked. We grabbed an excellent margarita (made from scratch, none of this pre-mixed thing that seems to be everywhere in SoCal these days) at a new Mexican restaurant to hit the neighborhood. While we did eventually find cozy plate of lentils with duck confit at The Baker & The Bottleman, I did wonder where exactly, all this talk of the economy being bad was coming from.
Tea and Mocktails for the Win
Everywhere on this trip I was reminded that in East Asia, where many people do not drink or drink less due to alcohol intolerance, they are lightyears ahead of the rest of the world in non-alcoholic offerings. Every cocktail menu has several thoughtful mocktail selections often using a base of an alcohol-free spirit like Seedlip.
Everyday drinking, like the ubiquitous bubble tea, tends to tooth-ache sweet. Except here you can actually get a matcha latte from Starbucks unsweetened, something I sorely wish the American outposts would adopt. In matcha territory, I was made a fan of Hojicha lattes years ago at the wonderful Matchali in Hong Kong. Like matcha but made from roasted tea leaves, it has a rich, nutty taste with half the caffeine. There is a matcha latte on every hip coffee shop in the US now… I’m ready for the Hojicha craze to take hold.
Finally, I braved the sprawling, rambunctious aisles of the Takashimaya Food Hall in Singapore to hunt down a favorite Aged Ginger Tea from SpaFoods. Let’s say I got a little carried away. We ended up coming home with two extra duffle bags in part because of my tea haul – several bags of the unsweetened ginger tea plus Pandan, Blue Pea Flower, and Yuzu, Pink Sea Salt & Honey. I anticipate these to be on rotation for iced tea all summer long.
I’m hoping some enterprising US entrepreneurs pick up on these trends, meantime, next trip to Asia I’m bringing a larger suitcase.
*This seems to have fairly wide global distribution – stay tuned as I’m trying to track it down in the US via their importer. In Hong Kong they are imported by long time champion of natural wine, La Cabane.
2024 Spring into Summer Wine Guide
Kudos Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA 2022
When shopping at Total Wine, it pays to look for the shelf talkers marked “Winery Direct”. This is where you are going to find the best deals as Total Wine has exclusivity on these labels in the United States. On a recent trip down the aisles, this Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, jumped out at me for that reason. At just $15.99 a bottle, I was pleased to find it bursting with tropical fruit and lime zest. Pour this into your Yeti and drink it at your next picnic with a plate of pasta salad. If you are feeling more ambitious, this has enough body to pair with spring artichokes.
From 15.99 at Total Wine and Spirits
Domaine Zafeirakis Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece, 2022
Ever since prices skyrocketed on my favorite Assyrtiko from Domaine Sigalas, I’ve been looking for a more affordable alternative. This zippy bottling from Domaine Zafeirakis fits the bill. It has the telltale saline notes of these Greek island wines plus plenty of fresh lemon peel and white flowers. Fresh and fun, think asparagus salad, shrimp ceviche, grilled swordfish with lemon and oregno, or mussels in white wine sauce.
From $23.99 at Wine Connection and other online retailers
Denis Meunier, Vouvray Sec ‘Expression de Silex’, Loire Valley, France 2021
Is there ever a bad time for Chenin Blanc? Is there ever a better time than spring? Maybe it is because chenin boasts the same aromatics as the world around this time of year – fresh and in bloom with white blossoms and citrus. This dry style of Vouvray “Sec” is especially pleasing with flinty notes and good acidity. I would drink this with a lot of things, from a salad of spinach and strawberries to a fresh pea and spring onion risotto.
Note: I purchased this at Wine Connection for $21.99 a bottle. They are out as of this writing and tell me that the winery lost their importer. Sending some good vibes out in the wine universe that another importer picks this back up. It is still available from some other retailers online. In the meantime, if you can’t find this one, look for a Vouvray that has “sec” on the label for a similar experience. In the US, I’m also a fan of Chenin Blanc from Sonoma producer Leo Steen.
Matsu ‘El Picaro’, Toro, Spain 2021
“Who is that hot guy on the wine label?” That was the first thing I heard when I brought a bottle of this very drinkable red to a party recently. Answer: He’s a real-life grape grower in the underappreciated region of Toro in northwest Spain. Matsu, which means, “to wait” in Japanese, refers to the patience, care and time it takes to tend to vines in a sustainable way. While it is hard to miss the handsome, weathered faces of the grape growers who grace the labels of Matsu’s four bottlings, this is not just some marketing gimmick. Rugged, rural Toro, home to some of the oldest vines in Europe, is losing the youth to metropolitan areas. To save the livelihoods and carry on the traditions of this region, the winemakers behind Bodega Matsu decided to put the grape growers front and center on the labels – better to connect us wine drinkers with the humans behind the vineyard. “El Picaro”, the most youthful of their wines, is a great entry for easy drinking. Made from a selection of dry-farmed, young Tinto de Toro (a variant of Tempranillo), the result is an approachable, spicy red with notes of tobacco and blackberry jam. Drink this flipping lamb chops at the barbecue.
From $14.99 at Total Wine, Jimbo’s and other retailers
Pasquale Pelissero ‘La Ferma’ Freisa, Langhe, Piedmont, Italy 2020
If Barolo had a cool cousin, the kind who took a year from college to backpack through South America, then ten years later started a successful startup out of her garage while drums with her band on the weekend, her name might be Freisa. A relative of the more rarified Nebbiolo grape, Freisa, is starting to find more appreciation in Piedmont and beyond. A bit wilder, Freisa at its best offers a similar perfumed nose to Nebbiolo with medium body and balanced acidity. This bottling from Pasquale Pelissero is strawberries, violets and a touch of leather in a glass. I could drink this with a lot from pollo asado andTuscan barbecued pork ribs, to seared duck breast. Did I mention it is less than $20 a bottle?
From $18.99 at The Wine Connection and other online retailers
Bodega Garzon Single Vineyard Tannat 2019
When all you want is a steak… leave it to the South Americans to make meaty wine for meaty food. Inky and full-bodied with lots of dark berries and long-lasting, velvety mouthfeel, this is a wine that demands attention. From Uruguay’s leading producer, Bodega Garzon coaxes high tannin tannat into a lush, varietal expression at a fraction of the price of a top Bordeaux or Napa Cab. For your meatless friends, pair this with some roasted trumpet mushrooms.
Worth the minor splurge at $44.99 from Wine.com
Coming next … a recipe for “Bacon and Onion” risotto inspired by our recent hiking through from Bologna to Florence. Thanks for reading and see you in a few days!
Beautiful family and thank you for sharing your culinary adventures & travel!