That Special Wine

Wine is a very personal thing indeed so I decided to ask around our office to see what they would choose to have with family and friends this Holiday Season.

Lee Watson - Sales Manager

• 1996 Dom Perignon
• 2004 Valduero Reserva Magnum (Spain) 

Casey Chan - Assistant Sales Manager

"I would like to have the Van Zellers Rufo Douro Tinto 08

 Sweet nose, lovely plum fruit, slightly herbal. Versatile for matching both Chinese & Western dishes. Might go well with your Christmas Pudding too!"

Pierre Tam - Manager China

• Syunka Irdori Junmai Daiginiyo Sake
• 2005 Domaine Jacques Prieur Echezeaux Grand Cru 

Connie Fok - Sales Manager Spasa (Sake)

" I would like to select ' Hatsugokoro Junmai Daiginjyo '  which is full bodied with a little acidic sharpness in the flavor & a slight flower fragrance.

As this sake is on a premium level & packed in gift box, it is also good as a Christmas present as well."

 And for me? I would have to start the day sharing a bottle of 1997 Louis Roederer Cristal with my wife, then a bottle of 1990 Valduero Gran Reserva 12 year with lunch and finish the day sipping some 2006 Quinta Vale D. Maria LBV Port with my grand father.

On behalf of all of us at Saveurs I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Cheers!

Dean Aslin

Marketing Manager

Rebecca Leung Interviews Mathieu Deiss

Rebecca Leung took some time at the Vinexpo to talk to Domaine Marcel Deiss' 3rd generation wine maker Mathieu Deiss.

In English and Cantonese.

HKTDC - Wine Makers Confirmed

With the HKTDC International Wine & Spirits Fair being held in November comes an opportunity to have some of the wine industry's talented wine makers and owners come to Hong Kong. We are pleased to introduce them to you.

We hope that you will be able to meet all of them at the fair and we would be happy to make an appointment with any of them for you.

If you would like to have a winemaker host a function at your venue please feel free to contact your representative or send us an email and we will get back to you.

For More information Contact Lee, Casey, Kiki or Dean HERE

Meet The Wine Maker - Sandra Tavares de Silva

 

Portugal has some of the most sought after wine growing regions in the world and you will find the ladies of the Douro Valley are leading the charge. We'd like to introduce you to Van Zellers chief oenologist Sandra Tavares de Silva.

Sandra has a university degree in agriculture from ISA (Lisbon University) and a Master in oenology from Italy.

Sandra started her professional career as a trainee at José Maria da Fonseca (producers of Periquita and Lancers, amongst others) and with Cristiano Van Zeller in 1999. She became a full time oenologist at Vale D. Maria in January 2000 and has been the chief oenologist and wine partner since then.

Sandra is one of the star oenologists in Portugal, producing some of the top wines in the country and she shares her wine making passion with her husband, wine maker Jorge Borges (Pintas and others).

For more information on Sandra and the wines of Van Zellers call Dean at +852 9730 0781 or deanaslin@saveurs.com.hk.

Foursquare ........ are you in the game? Updated 13/08

Ok, so you are still trying to get your head around Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in etc etc etc and if you are using these Social Media sites for your business you are probably like every one else and not using them very effectively. In fact most companies have no idea how to use Social Media and treat their pages like they were electronic flyers with todays special and one sided conversations like who I had dinner with last night.

Well let me throw another one in the mix....foursquare! So why would I bring this one up out of all the Social Media applications that are out there? Because never before has Social Media been so directly targeted at our industry.

Here's how it works.... basically it is an electronic on line game where participants register every time they visit a business or a location and in return they can earn points and win awards.

Along the way they can earn badges but most importantly when you have visited the venue the most you become the Mayor of that location. 

This is one of the many elements that makes this really work. Human Nature brings out the competitive streak and when someone knocks you off as mayor the first thing you have to do is go back and regain your status.

So why is this so important for our industry? Restaurants, Cafes and Bars have the most to benefit from this game. The nature of the game rewards repeat business by itself but here is where it gets really good. By registering your business you can start to offer incentives. For example: every check in on foursquare gets a free snack with their first drink or 10%off the meal. 

Mayor programs can be even better: the Mayor gets free coffee until they are replaced or a free entree etc. 

Another benefit is that users can post tips on venues. So they can post a promotion that you are holding or a band or just how good the seafood buffet is. Instant PR

But this is just for kids and your customers wouldn't be interested right? WRONG!

Although I don't have accurate figures on current users and foursquare is in it's infancy, here are some interesting facts about social media:

• There are over 97 million Facebook users in Asia
• Hong Kong has 3.5 million Facebook users
• 34% (1.2 mil) Hong Kong Users are aged 25-34
• 14% (500,000) Hong Kong users are aged 35-44
• The split is 50/50 Male and Female
• World wide the average age of a Facebook user is 38
• World wide the average age of a Twitter user is 39

Personally I don't know anyone under the age of 25 that is using foursquare in Hong Kong.

Admittedly it is early days but social media has a special way of rewarding early adopters but a word of warning! You need to adopt a different approach to social media than your traditional advertising and PR in order to get good return on investment.

If you would like to know more about foursquare or social media send me an email at deanaslin@saveurs.com.hk

You can get more information and register your business here:
http://foursquare.com/businesses/

Thanks to facebakers.com and @noozeeland

Dean Aslin is Marketing Manager at Saveurs and is responsible for the the social media management for the company. Dean has over 20 years experience in Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and Retail.

Update: 13/08/10
For some good and bad examples of promotions goto http://ht.ly/2p3Wu

Special Release

 DOM PERIGNON 1996 

We have been offered a 40 case parcel (OWCx12) of the excellent 1996 Dom Perignon (in green gift box)

This item is very rare in Hong Kong and you will have to act quick if you would like to purchase.

But that's not all! We have also secured this at a price well below the market rate.

1996 Dom Perignon  $1,880 per bottle. 

Original Sealed Gift Box

Available for immediate shipment

No Minimum Quantity.

Tasting Notes:

The 1996 Dom Perignon is superb. Layers of roasted nuts, spices, tar, smoke, acacia blossoms and a light touch of honey emerge from the glass, adding complexity to the fruit. This large-scaled Dom Perignon is currently in a beautiful place where early tertiary notes have begun to appear, yet the wine retains plenty of freshness. This is a terrific Dom Perignon that can be enjoyed today but that also promises much pleasure for the future. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2029

Wine Advocate 95pts

This features floral, candied citrus, pencil shaving and hazelnut aromas and flavors. It's fresh and focused, with a firm structure offset by a mouth filling richness and a lacy texture. 

Wine Spectator 93pts

To Purchase Call your Sales Consultant. 


Contact Details

Rare & Fine Wines

One thing that makes Saveurs a bit different to other wine suppliers is that we keep a large range of rare and special wines. In fact, we actually carry library stock of many of our labels.

We have compiled a list of over 60 Rare and Special wines that we have to make it easier to find them. Of course these wines are very limited so they are allocated on a first come basis and are available as direct sale only.
Here are a few examples for you.


Champagne
1997 Louis Roederer Cristal            IWC90   750ml       2 Available
1998 Moet Chandon Rose                WS90   750ml      2 Available

Spain
1990 Vega Sicilia, Unico (Artist Label)     WS95      1.5l       6 Available
1990 Valduero, Gran Reserva 12 Years    N/R    750ml      6 Available


Rhone Valley
1999 E Guigal La Torque, Cote Rotie                     WA100   750ml      3 Available
2006 Yves Cuilleron, Les Chaillets Vieilles Vignes    WS94   750ml       5 Available

USA
2000 Forman, Cabernet Sauvignon   WA89   750ml         3 Available

Very Rare Vertical - USA
Dalla Valle Maya Proprietary Red    89, 90, 91, 92   4 x 750ml      1 Only

Alsace
2001 Domaine Marcel Deiss, Burlenberg Pinot Noir      WS90   750ml       6 Available
2000 Domaine Marcel Deiss, Altenberg de Bergheim   WA98   750ml       3 Available
2003 Domaine Marcel Deiss, Gewurztraminer               WS91   750ml       7 Available

Burgundy
2002 Antonin Rodet, Mersault 1er Cru Perrieres   WA91   750ml    10 Available

IWC = International Wine Cellar, WS = Wine Spectator, WA = Wine Advocate, N/R = Not Rated

For a copy of the full list or to order any of the items you see here please contact your sales consultant HERE or leave a message.

90 Point Wines Under $500

We are often asked to recommend a good wine that is not too expensive. So we pulled out a selection of over 70 wines on our list that fall in to that category. 

Here is a couple of examples we chose from the list.

Burgundy

D. Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont, 2006         

BH90      750ml    

D. Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont, 2007         

BH91      750ml          

Alsace

D. Marcel Deiss, Gewürztraminer Bergheim, 2005                            

WA90     750ml       

Rhone Valley

D. Les Pallieres, Gigondas, 2003                                                     

WA90      750ml         

D. Courbis, (Les Eygats), Cornas, 1997                                           

WS90      750ml          

Spain

Valduero, Reserva, 2004                                                                  

WA91      750ml         

Australia

RockBare, Barossa Babe Shiraz, 2005                                             

WS90      750ml          

Portugal

Quinta de Roriz, Reserva Douro Tinto, 2004                                    

WA92      750ml   

For the full list contact your sales consultant HERE or leave a message and we will get back to you.  

Summerhouse 2010 vintage report

The team at Summerhouse wines in New Zealand have been working hard lately in some pretty cold conditions as well. Here is the latest information they had on the 2010 harvest and other happening around the vineyard.

2010 Harvest News

This years harvest was a fairly relaxed time. We were blessed with fantastic weather so all the fruit was picked and in the winery before the late autumn rain set in. The fermentations have now come to an end and the labour intensive process of lees-stirring has started.

This is Heather and Meric's 12th harvest at Summerhouse. "So to the end of another harvest at Summerhouse" comments Meric. "The cool, slow start to the year was followed by perfect summer and autumn weather conditions that enabled us to pick individual parcels of fruit when they were ready. The fruit was clean, bunch sets were perfect and the yields were spot on. So far 2010 is looking like a fantastic vintage for Marlborough and Summerhouse."

Now we are about a quarter of the way through the long but important process of pruning the vines. We carefully prune the Summerhouse vines to ensure quality and even ripening in next years fruit. 

Wine Making News

We have some new additions to the barrel hall this year - French oak Pungeon barrels. These are the largest barrels we use and hold 500 litres. They will add warm sweet oak flavours to the chardonnay.

We will have a more detailed report on the vintage as soon as they get the chance to jot down a few words.

Antonin Rodet News

For those of you that did not know, Antonin Rodet was purchased by the Boisset group earlier this year and yesterday we met with Eric Remlinger the representative for Hong Kong.

Here is an up-date on what is happening with the already popular label.

Firstly they have made some major changes and purchased a new winery which they believe will make for higher standards and better control of the process. Of course this is also intended to improve the already high standard of the wine.

They did tell us that there are some possibilities of expanding the range and these may happen as early as the 2010 vintage. Sorry but we can't say exactly what they are yet but we will let you know as soon as they are confirmed. Needless to say that they will be  of interest to the HK market place.

They are considering more large format bottling. In particular magnums as the demand for use, especially in wine by the glass scenarios, is increasing all the time.

It looks like they will be around for the IWSF in November and we are talking about having a wine maker visit early next year. Please let us know if you are interested in holding an event.

Overall it was a positive meeting and it left us confident that the new ownership will be working hard to provide a better relationship between you and the Domaine.

To find out more about Antonin Rodet contact your representative:
Lee, Casey or Kiki
  

A Simple Way to Recommend Wines

Have you ever been to a restaurant or a bar and asked for the wine list only to realise that you don't know any of the wines on the list? You ask the waiter but they tell you they don't know much about wine. So you order the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or the Aussie Shiraz and figure they should be drinkable!

Now imagine you're not in the industry and think how daunting the wine list is to the average diner. Of course to have a sommelier on staff would be wonderful but not many small restaurants or bars can afford this option. Your staff try but get nervous when talking wines and revert to a red for meat and white for fish approach.

A really simple way around this is to print a recommended wine on your menu next to your most popular dishes. Make sure it's a good pairing and then print something like "We suggest the (insert wine) with this dish". You will be amazed by how often your clients will select the wine with the dish.

It is also an excellent opportunity to up-sell your wines. Instead of selecting a wine by the price column the patron is more likely to pay a bit extra if they perceive additional value in selecting the recommended wine. In return you need to make sure it is a really good pairing.

Then end result is the wine list turning over more regularly and evenly not to mention the profit going up.

If you're not sure try it on a couple of dishes for 2 weeks and see what happens. It's not for every restaurant but if your wine sales are slow and limited to 2 wines, you should definitely give it a try.

10 White Wines for Summer - By The Glass

If you need to freshen up the list with some new Wines by the Glass for the hot summer days ahead here are some suggestions to help out.


1. 2008 Antonin Rodet Bourgogne Chardonnay, Burgundy, FR

Price Level: Entry
Fresh and fruity but balanced. Enough acidity to be a great partner for fish in sauce, shell fish and creamed mushrooms.







2.  2005 Antonin Rodet Puligny Montrachet, Burgundy, FR

Price Level: Premium
This wine is rich and buttery with a warm and generous finish. Aged in oak for 14 months you will find it good with hot appetizers, seafood or poultry in sauce and fine cheeses.






3. 2009 Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ

Price Level: Entry
This is no ordinary Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The quality of this wine comes from the care taken with the grapes and it's evident in every drop. Hand picked and bunch pressed it is a fine example of terroir and it is suitable for drinking by itself or with pasta and seafood.




4. 2007 Domaine Marcel Deiss Riesling, Alsace, FR

Price Level: Mid
Citrus and good minerals in this Bio-Dynamic Wine. Refreshing enough to drink by itself but Riesling has always been a wonderful food wine. Relatively low in alcohol (12%) it can be enjoyed throughout the meal. 






5. 2007 Van Zellers Douro Branco, Douro,PT

Price Level: Mid
A wine that is unashamedly proud of its oak. Light, fresh and low in alcohol (12.5%) the buttery notes like to be noticed. One that is best served with food like lobster to get the best out of both.






6. 2006 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont, Burgundy, FR

Price Level: Premium
This is a truly complex wine that will probably demand a second glass just to explore the deep layers of fruits and minerals. It is rich and refreshing  with a pleasant finish.






7. 2009 Valduero Garcia Viadero Blanco, Ribera del Duero, SP

Price Level: Entry
A unique wine made from 100% Albillo, the only one of it's kind. Exciting citrus notes give way to a palate that is crisp, dry and fresh but most importantly it is balanced, leaving a clean finish. 






8. 2007 Domaine Marcel Deiss Langenberg, Saint-Hippolyte, Alsace, FR

Price Level: Premium
When you want to provide a white wine that is a great expression of terroir look no further. Hand picked and blended this is a wine that is full, luscious and modestly sweet. A great choice for something above the rest.






9. 2008 RockBare Chardonnay, McLaren Vale, AU

Price Level: Entry
An un-oaked Chardonnay that is bursting with tropical fruits. This wine evolves in to a creamy palate but the freshness makes it a pleasure to drink by itself or with fresh seafood.






10. 2005 Chateau des Tours Cotes du Rhone Blanc, Southern Rhone, FR

Price Level: Mid
This is an evolved wine that has started to take on some aged characteristics.  The biggest highlight is the value for money that this wine represents. Your clients will think it cost you a lot more than it did.






Price level is relative to wine by the glass rates:
Entry $80 - $115
Mid $135 - $175
Premium $260 - $350

Many other options are available if you can not see what you are after here.

Contact Lee, Casey or Kiki for details

Wine Words - For On-Trade Only

One of the biggest challenges in our industry is to keep information flowing when we all work different hours. It's not unusual for you to be checking your emails at 2am  and your responsibilities during the day can make it hard to allocate time to us.

With this in mind we have developed a new information source specifically designed with you in mind. Wine Words is a one stop blog to find out all the latest information about Saveurs. You can access it 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week.

We won't try and bore you with fluffy marketing either. Just solid, helpful and reliable information.

On this site you will find information on new wines and vintages as they come to hand, updates on current wines, information on wine maker visits and vintage reports. We will also try and include useful tips for marketing, sales and staff training.

We would also like to invite you to participate on the site. If you have ideas that you would like to share or information that you think others would find helpful please let us know.

You'll find our wine list, contact information and more all with easy to follow menus. Because this is not a secure site we won't post prices but we will give you an indication of the price range.

We welcome your feedback and content suggestions at any time.

Dean Aslin
Marketing Manager

Summerhouse Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand - NOW HERE

You probably know the name or are familiar with the distinctive label as Summerhouse wines have been in Hong Kong for several years now. We are pleased to announce that we have signed a deal to import and market Summerhouse wines exclusively in Hong Kong.

Details
Owners Heather and Meric Davies put their hart in to everything that comes out of the winery. From tending to the vines through to the finished product it is hands on all the way. Our Summerhouse range of single vineyard wines includes the 2007 Pinot Noir, the 2007 Chardonnay and the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. We have been lucky enough to secure a small amount of the limited production 2009 Dry Riesling as well. Made in traditional style and concentrating on wine as a reflection of the terroir these wines are truly unique. Even the vine stock and genus were selected specifically for the area.

Price
All of these wines are priced in the low end of the medium price range for these wines. They represent excellent value as it is not easy to find such quality in this price range. They will easily fit in to the 'By the Glass' range and many venues will find them an attractive 'Wine of the Month' opportunity.

History

Summerhouse vineyard and the wines crafted from this family estate are a story of freedom and The Davies aim to share that freedom with others.

Summerhouse is a 24hectare vineyard, founded by Heather and Meric Davies in 1995. The Davies are driven by a deep passion for growing quality grapes and sharing the unique qualities of their terroir with others by crafting these ‘single vineyard’ wines.

Concentrating on the vineyard and tending their own vines ensures Summerhouse‘s wines have a wonderful purity of flavour and are a true reflection of the grape variety, vineyard and region. The Davies’ passion for growing quality grapes, attention to detail and making fine wine has seen Summerhouse win a number of reviews and awards. 

Contact Lee, Casey or Kiki for full details

Totara Wines, Marlborough, New Zealand - NOW HERE

Totara wines have awarded Saveurs exclusive distribution of their exceptional entry level wines.

Details

This pair of wines, A Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, both come from Marlborough and are put together under the watchful eye of winemaker Nina Stocker. They are juicy and fresh with great intensity.

Price
They are priced to make them very competitive and are suitable for wine by the glass or a less expensive Marlborough pair. Their attractive labels make them a great 'Wine of the Month' option as well. The wines are exceptionally good for the price range.

History
Native to the north and south islands of New Zealand, the Totara tree has long been revered by Maoris for the diverse qualities and uses of its timber. The strength, durability, resistance to rot and light weight wood of this conifer made it ideal for canoes and carving, as well as being the primary material used for fence posts or building houses and wharves during early European settlement.
Growing to over 30 metres high, the Totara tree is also well reputed for it’s medicinal properties, known to treat an array of conditions from reducing fever to promoting hair growth and was used to splint up sprains or broken limbs.

Contact Lee, Casey or Kiki for all the details.

June Price List

We have just released our June update on our price list.

Our Sales Team will be contacting you shortly to make sure you have the latest updates.

If you can't wait call your rep today and make arrangements.

Dean