Wine Enjoyment in Taiwan

Over the past two decades I have been in Taiwan, the growth of wine knowledge and popularity has been impressive. Twenty years ago, the selection of wine, even at the finest restaurants and hotels, was very poor. Consumers often made the cardinal sin of adding ice or soda to their wines. However, the popularity of wine exploded in 1995 and 1996, posting 550% growth in wine imports as the Taiwanese learned of the health benefits of wine.

Unfortunately, the 1997 Asian economic crisis and a general lack of wine knowledge by wine importers and retailers who didn't know how to sell the wines, and by consumers who didn't know how to enjoy the wines, resulted in an industry slowdown. Market conditions have gradually recovered after 2000 and, today, the best restaurants and hotels have wine lists that feature some of the world's best wines, from top old and new world regions and producers. Thankfully, too, one rarely sees people adding nasty things to their wines. Despite this progress, however, Taiwan still lags behind the more sophisticated wine markets of Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. Here are some tips that will help your wine appreciation.

Take Notes: Memory is a key factor in increasing your knowledge of wine as many consumers simply forget the wine they enjoyed last night or last week. I suggest you write down the name of the producer, grape and/or style of wine, region and vintage each time you enjoy a wine. This will help guide you the next time you pick a wine. Furthermore, I suggest you make simple tasting notes on the wine's: a) color, b) aroma, and c) flavor and texture.

Proper Technique for Drinking Wine: Wine is not water or milk and is best appreciated using the proper drinking technique, meaning that we never sip wine. If you take only a small sip, your taste sensation will be limited to a sweetness or sourness on the tip of the tongue. Instead, you should take in about 15-20% of your mouth's capacity and move the wine from side to side and front to back as you slowly swallow it. This is important because different areas of your mouth sense different flavors and textures, and to experience the entirety of the wine you must have sufficient wine and use all your mouth.

Serving Conditions: Basically, white wine is served chilled with the lesser whites served 6-8 C and the best whites served 10-12 C. The proper serving temperature for red wines is between 12~14 C for Beaujolais, 14~16 C for very light or acidic red wines, and 18 C for full-bodied red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah reds. In Taiwan, the biggest mistake many consumers make is to serve red wines too warm, at about 25~30 C or the average Taiwan room temperature. Temperatures this high will destroy even the best red wines. Red wines benefit from breathing time after opening, with simple reds needing only 5-10 minutes and the most full-bodied and complex red wines needs an hour or more.

Pairing with Food: Some wines, like non-vintage Champagne or dry Sherry, are perfect as aperitifs; but most wines, especially the best wines, benefit from being enjoyed with food. The most basic rule of wine and food pairing is to emphasize similarities or contrasts. Therefore, a sea bass in cream sauce goes beautifully with a rich creamy Chardonnay as well as an acidic, fresh Albarino from Spain. Aromatic, dry whites like Sauvignon Blanc wines from France or New Zealand are perfect with sashimi and a variety of shellfish, while full-bodied Chardonnays from Burgundy, Napa, Chile and Australia are lovely with elegant fish dishes with cream sauces as well as white meats (chicken, veal and pork).

You can also break the rules with beautiful results by enjoying a New Zealand or Pacific Northwest Pinot Noir, or young Burgundy, with oily fishes like grilled or baked tuna steak, cod and salmon. Red meats are best with red wines, with the rule being the heavier or fatter the meat, the more tannic the wine should be as the fat helps distinguish the flavor of the meat and tannins facilitate the digestion of fats. For dessert, the basic rule is your wine should be slightly sweeter than your dessert. But there are few absolute rules; as your expertise grows, you will increasingly be able to very deliciously break the rules.

Storage: All the best aforementioned efforts shall be for nil should you not store your wine properly. Be especially careful in the summer when temperatures in Taiwan are very high. High temperatures and temperature fluctuations (when people turn on and off their air conditioners) will quickly cause damage to wines.
Best case, I suggest you buy a wine cabinet. There are several locally produced wine cabinets that can hold about 100 bottles and be purchased for about NT$25,000. These cabinets will keep the wines in an optimal environment. Otherwise, find a cool dark area and lay the bottles on their side. Standing a wine up too long will eventually result in the cork drying, air seeping in and spoilage to the wine. Also direct sunlight damages wines, especially white wines. Store your wine properly and it will reward you with superior performance.

1. Argento, Malbec, 2006 (NT$450) ~ Malbec wines from Mendoza, Argentina are among the best value wines in the world, this wine is from a very good producer and delivers a hearty red wine experience for a very reasonable price. (02-2712-6660)

2. Lurton, Malbec, 2006 (NT$450) ~ Another great value Malbec from Mendoza, this full-flavored and robust red wines is the perfect companion to all types of BBQ meats. (02-2737-0123)

3. Aromo, Carmenere, 2003 (NT$400) ~ One of the most distinctive reds under NT$500, this Chilean wine offers smooth and fruity flavors with soft tannins and is especially good with Beijing Duck. (02-2737-0123)

4. El Coto, Crianza Rioja, 2003 (NT$500) ~ With the euro at record levels there are ever fewer drinkable European reds available at NT$500, this very popular Spanish red from the historic Rioja region is perhaps the best with smooth and fruity elegance. (02-2737-0123)

5. Domaine Grand Estagnol, 2003 (NT$450) ~ From the lesser-known French wine region of Corbierre; this medium body 50% Grenache, 50% Carignan red offers a spicy-sexy drinking experience at unheard of price for a French red wine. (02-2708-2567)

1. Grand Bateau Rouge, 2004 (NT$600) ~ My favorite low-price red Bordeaux wine, this is the third wine of the legendary Chateau Beychevelle and offers an elegantly balanced classic Bordeaux experience. (02-2712-6660)

2. Dr. Wein, Bull's Blood, 2003 (NT$800) ~ At the price this is one of the most special red wines in Taiwan; Bull's Blood is full body, flavorful wine that's Hungary's most famous style of red wine with a history of over 600 years. (02-7711-9898)

3. Zenato, Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore (DOC), 2005 (NT$1,500) ~ From the land of Romeo and Juliet, Veneto, this is indeed the perfect wine for romance as it is made using an ancient process and offers super smooth, sensual fruit flavors and a very long and smooth finish. (03-211-8430)

4. Barone Ricasoli, Rocca Guicciardi Chianti Classico Riserva (DOCG), 2003 (NT$1,400) ~ From the world's oldest wine producer who has been making wines in Tuscany since 1141, this mostly Sangiovese wine one of the most noble red wines in Taiwan with super smooth and elegant black and red fruit flavors and a long graceful finish; one of my all-time favorite wines. (02-2712-6660)

5. Chateau Clarke, 2004 (NT$1,750) ~ Owned by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, this Listroc-Medoc chateau offers similar power, grace and balance to the great 1855 Class Classification Bordeaux wines for a fraction of the cost; this is a great wine to impress your friends as well as yourself. (02-2712-6660)

1. Grand Bateau Blanc, 2004 (NT$600) ~ Like its red wine counterpart, this is a terrific Bordeaux at a very reasonable price; I have served this wine at many events and it never fails to amaze people with its refined balance between fruitiness and acidy and lovely bouquet. (02-2712-6660)

2. Hugel, Gentil, 2006 (NT$700) ~ Reasonably-priced wine from Alsace's best known producer, this elegant, fruity white wine with attract hints of minerals is terrific with many types of Chinese cuisine. (02-2712-6660)

3. Bujdoso, Kesoiszuretelesu Tramini, 2006 (NT$800) ~ Forget about the Hungarian name that few in Taiwan can pronounce, this is simply the best semi-sweet wines under NT$1,000 that's available in Taiwan; this elegant white routinely earns scores of 92+ from the world's wine critics, including myself! (02-7711-9898)

4. Colterenzio, Pinot Grigio Classic (DOC), 2005 (NT$850) ~ Made from the wine world's most fashionable white wine grape, Pinot Grigio, this wonderful wine from near the Alps in Northern Italy, offers an aromatic fruity experience that great with all types of seafood. (03-211-8430)

5. Forrest Estate, Sauvignon Blanc, 2005 (NT$850) ~ Wine connoisseurs will not be surprised by this choice as this is one of the most respected small producers in New Zealand; this wine offers all the exciting zesty fruitiness and minerals of better know and more expensive New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. (02-2708-2567)