SINGAPORE - Participants at a ST Wine masterclass and exclusive wine dinner held at the St Regis Singapore over the weekend learnt how to appreciate a fine selection of wines from the Burgundy region in France, which produces some of the best wines in the world.
Both events, organised in collaboration with wine distributor Asia Wine Network, featured wines from Burgundy's leading winery, Patriarche. The registration fee was $198.
The masterclass held on Saturday (Sep 23) was attended by over 30 participants who each took home $135 worth of goodies, including two bottles of wines - the Patriarche Chablis and the Patriarche Beaujolais-Villages.
Wine director of Asia Wine Network, Mr Roderic Proniewski, 50; and Mr Vincent Goyat, 57, export director of Patriarche, led the masterclass in identifying the different categories of Burgundies, understanding the wine region's different styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, how to read Burgundian wine labels and pair them with food.
During the two-hour session, participants tasted six wines from Burgundy, including three not yet available on the market, including premium Pinot Noirs - the Gevrey-Chambertin 2014 and Nuits Saint Georges 2012.
Mr Bryan Chew, 48, a civil servant, found the masterclass informative and said it gave him a better idea on how to appreciate the differences in red Burgundies coming from different parts of Burgundy.
Mr Chew said: "The speakers were very good at explaining the technical aspects of wine appreciation in layman terms which made understanding Burgundies very approachable and easy to understand."
Mr Goyat, who is based in Burgundy and flew in specially for the event, gave a geographical overview of Burgundy and spoke on how the vineyards' terrain, climate and soil impart unique qualities upon the wine produced.
Mr Goyat said: "Wine appreciation is not a science, it is a pleasure that anyone can enjoy. These two events are opportunities for us to share more information about Burgundy wines which are famous but seem complicated.
"At both events, the participants got to taste a selection of Burgundies so they can draw comparisons and decide which type of Burgundies suit their palate. When you understand the details of Burgundy wine, you can enjoy it much more and learn how to select those you like."
Mr Proniewski also shared tips on identifying the characteristics of each wine and how to pair them with food, including local dishes. He recommended dim sum and laksa to pair with the Patriarche Chardonnay 2014.
The two French experts also the Les Vins de Patriarche et Gastronomie wine dinner on Friday at the hotel's French restaurant, Brasserie Les Saveurs. Seven courses of French food were paired with six wines and a liquor from the famed vineyards of Burgundy's Patriarche. Participants who signed up through the ST Wine site enjoyed a discounted price of $198 per person, originally priced at $238.
Ms Low Siew Khee, 46, a homemaker and wine enthusiast, who signed up for the wine dinner with her husband through ST Wine, said: "The food and wine were very well-paired and of top quality. I am not a fan of Chardonnay as I prefer red wine, but the premier cru Chardonnays featured surprised me and changed my mind about white Burgundies."
