Participants at an ST Wine masterclass and exclusive wine dinner held at the St Regis Singapore over the weekend tasted and learnt how to appreciate a fine selection of wines from Burgundy, 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 masterclass held yesterday 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. The registration fee was $198 per person.
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 and understanding the wine region's different styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
During the two-hour session, participants tasted six wines from Burgundy in France, including three not yet available on the market, and premium Pinot Noirs - the Gevrey-Chambertin 2014 and Nuits Saint Georges 2012.
Mr Bryan Chew, 48, a civil servant, said: "The speakers were very good at explaining the technical aspects of wine appreciation in layman terms which made understanding Burgundies very approachable."
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 resulted in the wine's unique qualities.
"Wine appreciation is not a science, it is a pleasure that anyone can enjoy," Mr Goyat said. "These two events are opportunities for us to share more information about Burgundy wines which are famous but seem complicated.
"Through tasting the wines, participants can decide which types of Burgundies suit their palate."
Mr Proniewski recommended dim sum and laksa to pair with the Patriarche Chardonnay 2014.
The two French experts also hosted 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.
