Issues 2023 Q1
EDITOR

KIM YEUNG
Marketing Manager | Altaya Group

THE YEAR OF RABBIT IS COMING

This year, the Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, January 22, and continues through early February. 2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit, the fourth animal sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. According to Chinese astrology, Rabbits are predicted to be gentle, quiet, elegant, and alert as well as quick, skillful, kind, and patient.

Traditionally, Chinese New Year is celebrated for sixteen days (from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Chinese Lantern Festival). On Chinese New Year’s Eve, a reunion dinner is a “must-do” dinner with all family members reuniting. Big families including several generations sit at round tables and enjoy food and time together. And during Chinese New Year, people visit friends and family with presents, gift red packets to the younger generations, indulge in traditional festive treats, and so on. And now we are going to look at how wines can be a major game changer during Chinese New Year.

It can be difficult for many people to pair traditional Chinese food with wine, especially when it comes to CNY feast. We will have your back and help you out.

POON CHOI (BIG BOWL FEAST)

Poon Choi is frequently served at CNY family dinners. This dish consists of all kinds of meats and vegetables layered in a large clay pot. A variety of premium umami-rich ingredients is always used, including braised abalone, sea cucumber, Chinese mushrooms, dried oysters, and fresh prawns. Poon Choi will always have roasted duck and goose, poached chicken, and stewed port belly as top layers in their CNY feast. A Rosé Champagne that works well with poultry, seafood, and gamy meat is an excellent choice. Its rich, full-bodied, vinous and incisive character, along with its tangy acids and mineral finish, underscores the umami and savoury notes of Poon Choi's rich ingredients.

LOH BAK GAO (TURNIP CAKE)
Loh Bak Gao is prepared with plenty of dried shrimps, mushrooms, scallions, and Chinese sausage. This delicious fried cake is both salty and savoury. It is full of umami flavours, while the texture is fluffy and slightly gelatinous on the inside and crisp from pan-frying on the outside. Wines with a savoury backbone and acidity like Pinot Noir will highlight the flavours of the dish. Despite the oiliness present in this pan-fried cake, it can be cut through with a good balance of acidity from Pinot Noir.

STEAMED WHOLE FISH
A proper CNY dinner includes a whole fish dish. The traditional Cantonese recipe calls for white fish such as sea bass, tilapia, red snapper, or pompano with soy, scallion, and ginger. A Bordeaux blanc that is crisp, has wonderful acidity, and has a medium body will complement soft and light fish dishes perfectly. It is adept at handling the oiliness in a dish without overpowering the delicate flavour of steamed fish.

SIU MEI (CANTONESE-STYLE BARBECUED MEATS)

Siu Mei, which is a variety of Cantonese-styled roasted meats, is a CNY favorite. It showcases flavours of a winning combination of sweet, salty, and umami. A mature Bordeaux is usually well-balanced in terms of tannin level and fruitiness. A wine with elegant tannins and light fruitiness would be perfect with Siu Mei, which could be a bit sweet or served with a thick sauce. The delicate smoky finish and the ripe blackberry aromas truly complement most of the Siu Mei, especially the Roasted Baby Pigeon.

NIAN GAO (RICE CAKE)
Nian Gao is a sweet rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and brown sugar. It delivers complex flavours like almonds, dates, and vanilla, with a touch of caramel and toffee. It would be ideal to match wines with similar characteristics. A Tokaji Aszú that offers a nose of toffee, butterscotch, rum, and raisins, will do the work. It’s delightfully sweet but balanced by pleasant acidity that keeps it crisp and refreshing. The ripe fruit finally gives way to a spicy finish, and the length just carries on and on.
The first vines appeared on the gravel hillsides of Haut-Brion in the first century AD. In 1521, Château Haut-Brion became the first Bordeaux vintage to be named after its terroir, not after the owner or the parish, the first luxury wine brand in the world, obtaining the rare distinction of Premier Grand Cru Classé (Classified First Growth) in the 1855 classification, the only vintage not in the Médoc to receive this prestigious title.

THE CLASSIC FRENCH LEGEND

The success of Château Haut-Brion’s wines lies in its respect for tradition, its values, its unique expertise acquired over the centuries, and its innovative, modern vision. Through the wines, the estate aims to reveal the quintessence of our exceptional terroirs.


Handsome color with rather dazzling nuances tending towards orange. The power and complexity of the nose are surprising in the 1997 Haut Brion rouge where one finds whiffs of cedar and cigar alongside the other particulars of the vintage. A slight aroma of wood first envelopes the fruit then goes on to finish with a hint of fresh grapes. An excellent approach, both soft and supple. A good harmony for this millésime. The expected tannin is present rendering the finish a bit shorter and slightly bitter. This wine can wait for several more years.
GREAT ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE BY GROWERS AND HOUSES |
7 Jan 2023 @ 1500 - 1545 | $800 per person
Ippinkan x Champagne Festival Shop 2, 2-4 Kingston Street, Fashion Walk, CWB
BOOK NOW


HKSAR 25TH ANNIVERSARY
EX-CHÂTEAU GIFT SET

Bordeaux, France
Red | Bordeaux Blend | 750 ml x 2


The nicely design box set with Château Haut Brion 1997 & Château La Mission Haut Brion 1997 is the perfect gift idea for CNY. With these mature Bordeaux, you can easily pair with Siu Mei and wok-fried Cantonese dishes.  

NOW $6,500 / Set
CHAMPAGNE FLEUR DE MIRAVAL
EXLUSIVELY ROSÉ NV

Champagne, France | 750 ml

When young Pinot Noir is blended with mature Chardonnay, enchanting notes of redcurrant and raspberry embrace and entwine in an immensely subtle salinity. This first edition abounds in charm.

was $2,800
NOW $2,090 / bottle
*Offer valid until 28 Feburary 2023, while stock last. For orders of 1,000 HKD or above, delivery is complimentary.
ORDER NOW
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Altaya Wines Limited
2/F., Cheung Tak Industrial Building, No. 30 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong
t: +852 2523 1945 | f: +852 2523 1399 | e: info@altayawines.com
Under the law of Hong Kong, intoxicating liquor must not be sold or supplied to a minor in the course of business.
根據香港法例,不得在業務過程中,向未成年人售賣或供應令人醺醉的酒類。
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