＜袁大文 2011 法國 11 天遊學團＞
Chambord, Chateau de la Renaissance
自由自在、無拘無束、
慵懶自樂的十數天完結了！
終於返回殘酷的現實世界！！
整個旅程的天氣實在好得令人咋舌，
蔚藍一片，
仿如把一塊全粉藍的佈景布掛起，
給大家作攝影背景。
踏足 DRC，Bourgogne 窮奢極侈的世界！
這個旅程獲益良多，
也感受不淺！
要分享點滴 就留待有緣與好友
在把酒談心時再回憶吧！
在這裏簡單的分享一些旅途相片…
說真的：
每年重回故地，
做其悶蛋，
再踏旅途的熱刺心給猛然挑起了，
要再來一次轟轟烈烈的旅程 ……
詳細行程，請看好朋友網誌：
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/Saint-Julien/article?mid=4279
星期六便跟隨大文老師起行到法國遊學團，
月尾回來再與大家見面！
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/mariawan-blog/article?mid=5701
祝大家有個歡樂的復活假期！
Cheers！
France wine tour 16 April – 26 April 2011
法國11天葡萄園遊學之旅 16–26 April 2011
由村鄉葡萄園、袁大文及法國各區釀酒師合辨 ,遊 6 大產區，包括: 香檳區、盧亞山谷、亞爾薩斯、布根地、保祖利及侏羅黃酒產區及巴黎一天遊…….探訪各友好葡萄園, 並由資深葡萄酒講師及專欄作者 袁大文 Damon Yuen 親自領隊及現場演繹, 邊學邊飲 …. 享樂…. 學習……旅遊…. 更多……
人數只限十五人, 先到先得 費用: HK$33,800
報名日期: 17 Dec 2010
報名費用 Hk$7,500 餘下費用需在2011年3月1曰前全數繳交,逾期作棄權論.所有費用一經報名,决不發還.
報名及查詢電話: 2395 1293 村鄉葡萄園(國際)有限公司
Damon Yuen 袁大文
Wine & Spirits Writer, Certified Sommelier, Educator
Wineblog http://damonyuen-wine.blogspot.com
Tel: 852 90379589
Photos of 2010 tour ~
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/mariawan-blog/article?mid=4464
Don't be fooled by the headline.
Sommeliers don't really hate you (well, maybe they do), rather, they wish they could simply tweak the way some customers behave in order to enhance their wine experience. A good sommelier is there to make your dinner date a memorable one, not to make you feel inferior. They love nothing more than to encounter an adventurous drinker -- someone who lets them drive the booze boat for a night. After all, they've tasted everything on the menu and know what's good, right?
Follow these little morsels of goodwill and you and your sommelier will be on the path to Happybuzzville, USA. Who wouldn't want to visit that place? Know that we have nothing but your best interests in mind when you read the following seven reasons why your sommelier hates you.
7. You don't ask for help. "It's like people who don't pull over and ask for directions when they're lost. I think there's a level of not knowing about wine that some customers want to disguise. Some people kind of disregard what I may or may not know about wine because I work in a restaurant. It's the opposite of the snooty sommelier -- it's the snooty customer. My favorite customers are those that ask what I think is really good; what I've tried lately that I really like." - Jason Crume, wine buyer for Toulouse Petite.
6. You kill your tastebuds. "I hate it when people ask for a huge, meaty red like a California Cabernet or a Southern Rhone to go with something delicate like fish; it just kills any chance that they have of enjoying either component of their meal. Totally depressing. But the thing that annoys me the most is when customers ask for my advice or guidance and then the first thing they do is start setting up all these rules, like: 'We only like wine from California' or 'I hate sweet wine.' If you already have all these ideas, what the hell do you need my help for? As a sommelier, I want to be able to enhance your meal and open your mind to new wines the same way a chef hopes to open your mind to new food. It's very hard to do when people are unwilling to go out of their comfort zones." - Niki Parrish, certified sommelier and server extraordinaire at Tilth.
5. You're unwillingness to try something new, to have that new experience with wine and food. "Some customers would rather have their filet mignon and the big Napa cab rather than experience what the chef has going on and what the sommelier thinks would complement it. A perfect example is Riesling. No matter how much I thought it would work better with the food the customer ordered, they could never let themselves experience it. I even remember when Pinot Noir was difficult to sell." - Brennon Leighton, former sommelier; current winemaker for Efeste.
4. You're annoying. "I once saw a sommelier at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans hang up on a guest who called room service for a White Zin." - Terresa Davis, co-owner Steelhead Diner and Blueacre Seafood.
3. You're a braggart. A cheap braggart. "I get annoyed by the guy (it's always a guy) who tells me about their 1,500 bottle cellar which includes Quilceda Creek, Leonetti, etc., then complains about the pricing on my list and asks for the best value around the $40 range. I really don't give a shit how big your cellar (or penis) is. I don't want to hear about it. Just tell me what kind of wine you want at what price point. I also hate the customer who knows just enough about wine to be dangerous. They learned the term malolactic fermentation and want to use it every time wine is discussed. There is actually one more: the people who make a blanket statement like 'I hate all Merlot.' I will find a Merlot and taste them blind on it and they will love it." - Jeffrey Dorgan, wine director at Sullivan's.
2. You're a sheep. "You don't like Riesling, Chardonnay or Merlot because a movie or publication once told you not to. I also hate it when people try to be helpful and move their glass as I am about to pour the wine. I damn near pour it on the table! It's also irritating when people start off by saying they don't like sweet wine, but what's even more anoying is when they say they like a dry white wine and have nothing else to describe. So, you don't want White Zin -- great! That doesn't help me!" - Jen Schmitt, sommelier at Seastar Seattle.
1. You don't know what you're talking about. "I bristle when a guest tells me that, 'according to my vintage chart, '07 was a bad year. Do you have anything from '98?' Also, I get edgy when somebody declares the utmost disdain for any one region or grape. 'I hate Chardonnay/Merlot/Washington wine' -- it's the opposite of wanting to discover and enjoy. It's not the curious that annoy, it's those that believe/act as if they know everything that drive me to drink. (And that group includes some sommeliers, by the way...)." - Chris Horn, wine director for Purple Wine Bar & Cafe, Seattle.
Source: By Julien Perry, Wed., Aug. 25 2010
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/voracious/2010/08/6_reasons_why_your_sommelier_h.php
好朋友上了第一堂葡萄酒初班 (外籍人仕教的)，告訴我學了...
Ø Petit Verdot ~ a white grape and used for making champagne ??
Ø Entre-Deux-Mers ~ Merlot-based district AC
心想：是否朋友仔放工太倦聽錯吧？
才不是呢！上堂 notes 也是這樣印的。↓
今夜自己親身體驗第二堂（位置在荔枝角某工業大廈內）。
導師說這個課程是其酒行與工聯會合辦。
帶著一顆對葡萄酒完全不懂的心情，靜心地聆聽導師 (酒行老板) 說話 …..
導師先叫大家合資每人二十元斬料，以作佐酒用途。
上堂開始了…
頭十分鐘他告訴我們“紅酒”如何有益，跟著便斟第一杯酒,
邊飲邊說，因為氣氛會好得多云云 …
不知不覺，我開始以為自己去了某酒舖的試酒會，因為試每一支酒，我都聽到導師強調↘
『這支酒十分好飲，是我們的鎮店之寶！』
『沒騙你，這支酒很好賣，大部份人飲過都一定喜歡！』
『現在買我們的酒有七折，十分超值，明天回來便不是這個價錢啦！』
『如與朋友火鍋或 BBQ，這支酒最好不過，價錢又低，只是百餘元，好介紹吧？』
『我們這支 Eiswein 也只賣 $xxx，因為所有酒都是直接入口的，才可以賣咁平！』
還有... 還有...
至於教育性的內容嗎？
東扯西扯的學了...
Ø Eiswein (Ice wine) – (Frozen grapes) 一般作餐前酒 (Aperitif)
Ø Barolo 是意大利酒王，而 Barbareco 就是差一級的...
OMG！
嘻嘻哈哈的到放學時間，導師說：『如想繼續飲，大家可以合資再開酒，這裡多多都有…』
還有再次強調叫大家記住報中班，及有一些專飲靚酒班，有 Lafite, Latour 等八大酒莊飲，超值的！
跟著下來的，就是〝買平貨〞時間。
而我與好友參觀完店內貨品也打道回府了。
後記：
與兩位同學仔同行，問他們上完兩堂覺得如何，學到什麼？
認識了那幾隻較大路的提子？知道剛才試的酒是那裡的？什麼葡萄品種嗎？只見他們一臉茫然地搖頭，無奈地說：「不知道，只是吃喝了一晚，也不知自己喝的是什麼！」還說真的很想學葡萄酒，問我們在那裡可以認真的學一些基本知識？...唉！！！
寫這篇網誌，並沒有什麼居心，只是不吐不快！
自從零酒稅後，大小酒行如雨後春筍，葡萄酒課程也因應需求大行其道，各大小酒行不甘後人開班授課，莨莠不齊 ...
當中借教授期間為其 [正職] 增利益，實意料之事，但無論如何，也應把教學先行，給予人家應得及想得的知識，後而再推廣閣下的商品吧！
有 Blog-friend 問我想報讀這個課程好不好？
自己沒有親身體驗前不敢莽下判斷：現在只想說，大家自己衡量吧！
有位酒界前輩也有一篇有關此酒行的討論，有興趣可參閱：
http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/oldcap-oldcap/article?mid=743
說實話，如果說這晚三小時是一個試酒會，我會給很高評分呢！
臨行出酒舖時，還隱隱聽到同學說：「呀Sir，買3支鎮店之寶再有折嗎？」， 「我也要那支火鍋酒呀！」……
法國十一天葡萄園遊學之旅
11-day Cantonese language France Wine Tour
26 June – 6 July 2010
Dear Wine Lover,
Cottage Vineyards and Hong Kong Wine Instructor Mr. Damon Yuen will be partnering to hold a 11-day France Wine Tour covering Alsace, Jura, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Loire, and Champagne with a final stop in Paris. This tour 26 June – 6 July, 2010, will be conducted in Cantonese language, although our future tours will also have English.
Below is our Cantonese language invitation. If you do not read Chinese, we apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Yours sincerely,
Ada Leung
Managing Director, Cottage Vineyards (International) Limited
Tel. 2395 1293
各位好朋友:
法國11天葡萄園遊學之旅 26 June – 6 July 2010
由村鄉葡萄園、袁大文及法國各區釀酒師合辨
暢遊 6 大產區，包括: 香檳區、盧亞山谷、亞爾薩斯、布根地、保祖利、侏羅黃酒產區及巴黎一天遊…….探訪各友好葡萄園, 並由資深葡萄酒講師及專欄作者 袁大文 Damon Yuen 親自領隊及現場演繹, 邊學邊飲 …. 享樂…. 學習……旅遊…. 更多……
人數只限十五人, 先到先得。
報名日期: 7 May 2010 截止報名日期: 31 May 2010
費用:HK$ 32,000.00
報名需預繳費用 HK$ 7,000.00
餘下費用需在01 June 2010前全數繳付
(一經報名，費用一慨不會發還，如報人數不足而不成行，所有己繳付費用會全數退回給己報名之人仕)
費用包括:
(一)來回法國直航客机經濟客位 CX或法航 (連机塲稅及燃油附加費)
(二)酒店住宿: 雙人房 (單人房需加HK$ 5000.00)
(三)饍食: 全包每天早餐、午餐及晚餐，全程享用各區地道法國餐(包括一餐1星米芝蓮午餐及一餐1星米芝蓮晚餐)
(四)全程旅遊巴士接送費用
(五)參觀名勝的全部入塲卷費用
(六)葡萄園內全部試飲葡萄酒的費用
不包括費用:
(一)航空公司調整的燃油附加費及机塲調整稅項
(二)旅遊及入境簽證費
(三)自費活動項目
(四)延期逗留机票附加費
(五)酒店客房內之一切之私人使費如: 洗衣、電報、電話、汽水、酒類及收費電視等
(六)旅遊保險費
(七)超重行李費及煙酒課稅
(ハ)因罷工、颱風及一切令航机延誤所引致之額外費用
而領隊袁大文不需要收取任何導遊小費, 並在出發前免費為各團友提供三小時的品試葡萄酒 (輕談淺斟小聚) 及介紹將探訪的葡萄園及其特式
報名及查詢:
村鄉葡萄園(國際)有很公司 Tel. 電話: 2395 1293
E-mail. 電郵: tasting@cottagevineyards.com
或聯絡: 袁大文 Damon Yuen 9037 9589
E-mail: damon_yuentks@yahoo.com.hk
梁雅婷
村鄉葡萄園(國際)有很公司董事總經理
Attended the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) Inauguration Ceremony Dinner.
Really admire those for their exceptional effort in promoting wine education in Hong Kong .
Wishing them a great success in future development.
WORLD TRADE CENTRE CLUB HONG KONG
菜譜
茶樹茹元肉炖竹絲雞湯
碧綠杉斑球
*Torres Sauvignon Blanc 2007 “Fransola”
薑葱爆鳳尾大蝦
*Torres Chardonnay 2006 “Milmanda”
玉帶薄燒乳牛
*Torres Celeste 2006
生扣鵝掌海參
*Torres Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 “Mas La Plana”
脆皮乳香鷄
Torres Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 “Mas la Plana” 3 L
芝士海鮮焗飯
薑葱撈生麵
鮮時果拼盆
美點雙輝映
*Torres Moscatel Oro NV
About the Society of Wine Educators (SWE)
Established in 1977, headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society of Wine Educators (SWE) offers individuals the opportunity to receive certification of their professional expertise through two offerings: the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) programs.
The SWE exists to promote accurate and professional wine education and to support those who provide that education by:
Ø Helping wine educators gain and maintain current and reliable information and resources for conducting wine education.
Ø Providing a neutral ground for all wine professionals to meet and exchange information.
Ø Providing professional development standards for the industry, and setting ethical, professional and certification standards for wine education.
The Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam is recommended for beginning and intermediate level wine professionals seeking to master a core body of knowledge.
The Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam tests advanced wine professionals to build upon their understanding of wines of the world, wine service and storage, and sensory identification of wine components.
The Society of Wine Educators (SWE) is the hub of the vast network of wine learning that encompasses everyone who writes, reads, or talks about wine, and those who produce, sell, or drink wine. Membership in the Society is open to individuals and organizations all over the world who share in the Society's dedication to wine knowledge and learning.
It is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering knowledge of wine among wine educators, consumers, and all levels of the wine trade. Since its formation, SWE has supported the efforts of those who teach about wine in structured educational programs or who otherwise seek to spread knowledge of wine.
mw 07-06-2009
