[Portugal] Portuguese wine in Macau

Mutio Bom!!

Last month, I spent few days’ holidays at Macau. Historically, Macau was a colony of Portugal since 18^th century, until the handover to China in 1999. Since Macau has a significant relationship with Portugal, it is very easy to find Portuguese wine in local supermarkets and restaurants. I haven’t drunk too much Portuguese wine besides port wine, it would be an nice opportunity to try out this time at Macau. The easiest way is to find in local supermarket. I was shopping in Royal Supermarket, and there were plenty of choices for Portuguese wine. I random picked one to taste that night. I chose the one with a “Portuguese Top Wine Selection” label on the bottle, the wine name is Bellus. The price is around $100 MOP, that label makes me feel the wine will have quality guaranteed. Unexpectedly, this wine is quite good. Portuguese Top Wine is a wine export company which sources different range of Boutique type (Small Production) Portuguese wine and promote to Asia market. It could be easier for us to taste Portuguese wine with good quality.

                                                  Wine Menu in restaurant

This wine Bellus is from Península de Setúbal region, classified as Vinho Regional, Equivalent to Vin De Pays in France. It blends with Aragonez (known as Tempranillo) and Trincadeira (This grape is very common to make Port wine). It fermented both type of grapes together in an open vats and partly aged in barrels for 3 months. The production is 6,000 bottles per year.

My Taste note : I tasted it in 2 - 3 hours, the strength can last to the end. It shows purple color with red fruit, plum, leather and little tobacco aromas. On the palate is fruity, medium body, dry, mild acid and chewy tannins, after taste has plum flavor coming out. Overall, this wine fleshy and accessible to drink, it could be a good daily wine for relaxing at night.

    

Food @ Macau Clube Militar

                                                      食物 ＠ 澳門陸軍俱樂部

上個月我有幾日假期, 去了澳門吃喝玩樂了幾日. 從歷史上來看, 在18世紀澳門是葡萄牙的殖民, 直到1999年葡萄牙將澳門移交回中國. 也許澳門跟葡萄牙有重大的關係, 在澳門是很容易找到葡萄牙的葡萄酒, 例如本地的超級市場, 餐廳, 等等. 除了葡萄牙砵酒(Port), 我都不是品嚐過很多葡萄牙酒, 這是一個很好的機會來嚐試葡萄牙酒. 最容易找到就是在本地超級市場, 我去了來來超級市場, 這裡有很多葡萄牙酒選擇. 之後我就隨便揀了一枝來嚐試. 我揀了一枝在酒瓶上 有一個“Portuguese Top Wine Selection”的標籤, 酒名是Bellus. 價錢大約$100 MOP, 這標籤給我感覺上會有一些保證, 但是估不到它的酒質是不錯. Portuguese Top Wine 是一間葡萄酒出口公司, 它們專找一些不同等級的小型酒莊葡萄牙酒, 推廣到亞洲巿場.

Bellus 這枝酒是來自Península de Setúbal產區, 分級為Vinho Regiona, 等於法國的Vin De Pays (地區酒). 這款酒用上以碡兩款葡萄Aragonez (跟西班牙出名品種 Tempranillo同名) 和Trincadeira (這款葡萄經常來釀造砵酒). 釀酒過程是把兩款葡萄壓碎後放在開放式大木桶一齊發酵, 之後一部份在木桶裡3個月.

我的品酒筆記 : 我用了大約兩之三小時這來飲這枝酒,它的力度可以維持到最後. 這款酒顏色是紫色, 帶有紅色水果,李子,皮革和有少少煙草香氣.口感上是fruity,中等酒體,乾型紅酒,溫和的酸,單寧比較高有點咀嚼的感覺,After Taste有少少李子的味道.整體這款酒有豐滿水果味道和較平易近人,可以例為日常飲用的葡萄酒.

[USA] Rogue Ales

When I started to have interest in craft beer, I read books about it and the books always mention Rogue Brewery from USA - Oregon. They use unique ingredients in their beer (for example using Sriracha spicy sauce for “Rogue beer Sriracha“), and it has very creative label for each type of beer. Those labels attracted me to try out their beer. I searched where I could buy or taste Rogue in HK. They are sold in few shops in HK including IC Beer HK, City’Super and a bar in Central called “Craft Brew & Co.”. At the bar I ordered a beer tasting plate with 4 different styles of beer, included 3 types of Rogue, Dead Guy Ale, Brutal IPA and 7 Hop IPA, and the last one is from Belgium Früli Strawberry beer. This bar also provide tasty hot dog for pairing with beer.

Dead Guy Ale, Brutal IPA and 7 Hop IPA, and the last one is from Belgium Früli Strawberry beer (From Left to Right)

I bought 2 different styles of Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Juniper Pale Ale and a bottle of Dead Guy Ale in a local beer shop. I have tasted 5 different styles of Rogue, the most impressive ones are Dead Guy Ale, Hazelnut Brown Nectar and 7 Hop IPA. Rogue plants their malt and hop in their farm, all the beers are made with no chemicals and additives.

Dead Guy Ale 6.5% ABV: This is a German Maibock / Hellerbock beer, it has amber color with rich toasted malt, chocolate and caramel aromas. The beer tastes like strong honey and biscuits, the palate has bittersweet. After taste shows more hoppy, this beer is rich and fruity with medium body. If you like mild beer style with littler bitterness, Dead Guy Ale will be a good chose.

7 Hop IPA 8.02% ABV / 90 IBUs: This IPA is blended with 7 kinds of hops from Rogue Farm. It is an American IPA style beer with strong hop bitterness. The color is reddish amber. On the nose it has citrus, flora and hop, it tastes complex with light caramel sweetness and aggressive bitterness.. I like this one so much; it is a very nice hoppy beer and very powerful IPA.      

Hazelnut Brown Nectar 6.0% ABV: This is a Brown Ale beer. Not sure if it is blended with hazelnut, but for sure this is a nutty beer. The color is dark brown with hazelnut, chocolate and malt. It tastes bittersweet and chocolate, with medium body. This Brown Ale didn’t show too much bitterness, the style is quite mild with nice chocolate and hazelnut flavors.

當我開始品嚐手工啤酒時,我經常都會看一些有關啤酒的書,有些書本經常都有提及到來自美國-俄勒岡的Rogue Brewery. 他們會用上獨特的材料來造啤酒(例如是拉差辣椒醬Rogue beer Sriracha), 他們的啤酒Label都很有創意. 這些啤酒Label很吸引我去飲他們的啤酒. 我尋找過香港哪裡可以買或品嚐到Rogue 啤酒. 有幾間本地啤酒鋪,包括 IC Beer HK, City’super和中環有一間酒吧“Craft Brew & Co.”都有出售.我在這間酒吧點了一個beer tasting plate, 有4杯不同風格的啤酒,其中3杯是Rogue,包括Dead Guy Ale, Brutal IPA and 7 Hop IPA, 最後一杯是來自比利時的Früli士多啤利啤酒. 這間酒吧有提供一些美味的特色熱狗, 可以用來配啤酒.

之後我在一間啤酒鋪買了兩款Rogue, Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Juniper Pale Ale 和一枝Dead Guy Ale. 到現在我總共品嚐5款Rogue啤酒, 印象最深刻是Dead Guy Ale, Hazelnut Brown Nectar和7 Hop IPA. Rogue有個自家農場, 種植他們釀啤酒的麥芽和啤酒花. 所有啤酒都沒添加化學製品和添加劑.

Dead Guy Ale 6.5%ABV : 這款是一款德國Maibock / Hellerbock 啤酒. 它帶有琥珀顏色有複雜的麥芽香, 巧克力和焦糖香. 味道方面是有強烈蜂蜜和餅乾味帶出少少甜,和藹的苦味. After taste有多一些苦味, 這啤酒是很豐厚和Fruity, 中等酒身. 非常好飲, 如果喜歡溫和型啤酒帶少少苦, 可以選擇這款.

7 Hop IPA 8.02% ABV / 90 IBUs : 這一款IPA用了7款來自Rogue Farm的啤酒花來釀造. 它的風格是美式IPA,帶強烈啤酒花苦. 顏色是琥珀偏紅色.香氣上有柑橘類(Citrus),花香,和啤酒花.它的味道是很複雜帶焦糖甜味,有力的啤酒花苦味.啤酒花苦味不是只感覺到苦, 它會帶有一些花香,草藥等等的味道. 這款啤酒的苦度是90, 如果喜歡一些啤酒花的味道或口味較重的啤酒,這會是不錯的選擇. 

Hazelnut Brown Nectar 6.0% ABV: 這是一款 Brown Ale. 不清楚是否有加上榛子的成份.不過我可以肯定這款是堅果般的啤酒.顏色是深咖啡色帶有榛子, 巧克力和麥芽香.味道方面是先甜後苦,有巧克力和咖啡的味道. 這款Brown Ale 不是太苦, 它的風格是比較溫和和有一些不錯的巧克力和榛子味道.

[Hong Kong] Bistro Du Vin

                                                       French Onion Soup

The MTR west island line is operating in less than a week. It will become much more convenient to visit Kennedy Town. There are a lot of fine small restaurants to dine in, for example Bistro Du Vin at Davis Street, a traditional French restaurant with vintage decoration. The place is small, it is better to make reservation in advance. 

This restaurant is not very fancy, but they provide excellent and traditional French dishes and wine. This is the 2^nd time I dined in Bistro Du Vin. We order…

French Onion Soup and Home Salted Brandade with Soft Egg, Espelette Hollandaise as starter.

They have the best onion soup in HK. The soup has rich sweet onion flavor, with chewy cheese on top.

It is not too salty and the soft egg is perfectly cooked. Before eating, we cut in the middle of the egg, let the yolk leak on brandade and eat with Hollandaise sauce together.

                                   Brandade with Soft Egg, Espelette Hollandaise

Baby Squid A La Plancha. Baby squids are fresh with strong garlic and lemon sauce. The sauce is so tasty that we ordered more bread to eat with the sauce.   

Escargots on Bone Marrow. It has Pesto sauce on top. I don’t like the bone marrow, the flavour is too heavy for me. I just had escargots. It is better for people who like to eat both of it.

                                               Escargots on Bone Marrow

Crispy Suckling Pig Confit, Choucroute (Leg). You can choose Belly and Leg from the menu, I have already tried both. I found belly is tastier than leg because it has more fat and the meat is tenderer. Leg is less fat and greasy, the meat is firmer. But, both have most favorite crispy skin. 

Stewed beef cheeks

Beef cheeks is very smooth and tender, the sauce is rich and thick with rich flavors. 

                                                  Baby Squid A La Plancha

港鐵西港島線還有大約一星期就開幕, 以後大家可以很方便就去到堅尼地城. 那裡有很多特式小型餐廳, 很值得嘗試, 例如位於爹核士街的Bistro Du Vin. 這是間比較傳統的法國菜館, 以懷舊佈置為主題. 這間餐廳位子比較少, 如果想來用餐, 記得要預早訂位.

這間餐廳提供的都是比較傳統和典型的法國菜,和葡萄酒 沒有太多華麗的裝飾. 這已是我的第二次在這裡用餐. 我們點了..

法式洋蔥湯和Home salted Brandade, soft egg, Espelette Hollandaise 作為頭盤.

這裡有全香港最好飲的法式洋蔥湯,帶有濃郁的洋蔥甜味. 面層的芝土很香.

Home salted Brandade, soft egg, Espelette Hollandaise 這不是很鹹,糖心蛋煮得剛剛好. 食之前最好在蛋中間切一下,讓蛋汁流出來,和荷蘭醬一起食.

Brandade, soft egg, Espelette Hollandaise

類似香蒜汁炒墨魚仔,墨魚仔很新鮮彈口, 有很重蒜頭味和檸檬汁. 這個汁很好食,可以用來沾麵包.

在田螺併牛骨髓上有一些香蒜汁,我不是太喜歡牛骨髓,因為有很重羶味. 我只是食了一些田螺.不喜歡食骨髓的人最好不要點.

脆皮燒乳豬配酸菜,在餐牌上可以選豬腩或豬腿,這次我點了豬腿. 兩款我都吃過,我覺得豬燒豬腩比豬腿好食. 因為豬腩脂肪會多一點食起來比較香,肉質比較淋. 豬腿就沒有這麼油膩, 但肉質都比較實. 不過兩款的皮都是很脆.

Crispy Suckling Pig Confit, Choucroute (Leg)

 紅酒煮牛面頰,牛面頰肉非常柔軟,醬汁很濃厚濃郁.

                                                      Stewed beef cheeks