[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.

[France] Clos des Lunes "Lune Blanche"

The major wine produced in Bordeaux wine regions is red wine. However, Bordeaux also produces both sweet and dry white wine. Sweet white wine from Sauternes is very well known and some dry white wine is also worth to try. The Wine region Pessac-Léognan makes the top dry white wine, for example Château Pape Clément, Château Haut Smith Lafitte Blanc, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, etc. But the prices for those wines are not cheap; it is not easy to drink too often. At a lower price, we can try Clos des Lunes 'Lune Blanche', the price is around HK $ 110. This winery is owned by the same owner of Domaine de Chevalier with the same winemaking team. Normally, low price AOC Bordeaux dry white wine is made from Entre-Deux-Mers but this one is from Sauternes.    

 

The terroir of Clos des Lunes has deep gravel on clay-limestone, which gives the wine power and freshness. They produce 3 different grades of white wine; it is classified as Clos des Lunes D’Or (Gold), D’Argent (Silver) and Blanche (White). All 3 wines use the same blend, 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc and the grapes are from the same vineyard. The difference between these 3 wines are the aging period, aging style and different of production volume. This time, I tried “Lune Blanche”, this is the lowest grade one, it is aged in small thermostat vats for 6-7 months. The other 2 grades are aged in barrels.

My Taste Note: This wine isn’t aged in barrels; it shows freshness and clear pale yellow color. It has pineapple, tropical fruits and honey aromas. The palate shows light body, not too much acid and dry but I can feel little honey-like sweetness. After taste can find Sauvignon Blanc acid, it keeps the wine lively. Overall, I found this wine is fruity with a lot freshness. 

波爾多的葡萄酒產區主要都是生產紅酒.但是它們都有小部份地區生產甜白酒和乾白酒. 來自Sauternes的甜白酒是眾所週知,但其實波爾多都有一些值得賞試的乾白酒.葡萄酒產區Pessac-Léognan 有生產一些頂級乾白酒,例如 Château Pape Clément, Château Haut Smith Lafitte Blanc, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc,等等. 不過這些酒的價錢都比較貴,很難可以日常品嚐. 如果價錢比較平的, 我們可以選擇Clos des Lunes 'Lune Blanche', 價錢是大約HK $ 110. 這個酒莊是由Domaine de Chevalier的莊主擁有,它釀酒團隊都是一樣的. 一般的低價AOC波爾多乾白酒都是來自Entre-Deux-Mers的產區, 不過這枝是來自Sauternes.

Clos des Lunes的葡萄園土壤是帶有深厚礫石在粘土石灰石之上,這可做出強勁和清新的葡萄酒. 他們有3個級別的葡萄酒, 分為Clos des Lunes D’Or (金), D’Argent (銀) and Blanche (白). 這3款酒都是用同一個調配, 70% Sémillon (賽美蓉) and 30% Sauvignon Blanc (白蘇維濃)和所有葡萄都是來自同一個葡萄園. 不同之處就是每款酒都有不同的陳年時間,陳年風格和產量. 這次我試了“Lune Blanche”,這款是級數最低,它是在恆溫桶內陳年6-7個月. 另外兩款都有在木桶進行陳年.    

我的品酒筆記: 這款酒沒有在木桶內進行陳年,所以它帶出清新的感覺和顏色是淡黃色.香氣方面有菠蘿,熱帶水果類和蜂蜜香.口感是輕身,沒有太多的酸和是乾型白酒,但是可以感覺到有少少的類似蜂蜜的甜. After Taste可以找到Sauvignon Blanc (白蘇維濃)的酸,這樣可以讓酒保持住它的活力.整體這款酒是Fruity在口腔裡帶有清新感覺.

[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] Happy New Year !!

Happy New Year 2015 !!