Distinction

 



Fortified tasting



 

I passed my first WSET exam (unit 2 viticulture and vinification) with distinction, which is the highest you can get.  Woot!  One down 7 to go....

 

The Pier Bar

I went on to celebrate at Central Pier 3 with a foie gras tasting where no one was too interested in trying foie gras.  Perhaps Tuesday isn't the best day to expect people to be boozing it pierside.  Giving it another shot this Thursday...

 

 

Wednesday I got to go to HOFEX!  For the second half of the afternoon at least, and immediately after walking in Greg and I go to a led Austrian tasting.  He has to leave for 'business' but I got to stay all hour and a half (and 15 wines) of it.  Austrian wines aren't my favorite, but they aren't horrible either.  I think a little too $$ for what they are....

 

There were a bunch of people at HOFEX, but a bunch of us working a small booth, too.  It was fun to go around and see my wine friends, see new vendors, and talk to some of the F&B guys.  I love expos, but man are they exhausting.  Standing on your feet all day, talking all day, and tasting wines all day, is definitely taxing.  The vendor next to us was a Russian vodka company.  I managed to avoid them.

Breakfast beer from NZ!

HOFEX day 4 and I was back in the office.  It pretty much rained and poured all day, and come 4:30 when I needed a van to my event, it poured even harder.  Took forever to get a van and when he finally dropped me off, it was a block from the venue.  Poor me pushing a trolley of wine in heels down the street :) 

 

The event was the launch of the new pent house suites at the Lanson Place hotel (5 star long term hotel).  I thought it was more of an all night thing, but was only a couple hours which was nice.  We had some really nice wines (Champagne, Pouilly Fuisse, Chateaueneuf du Pape 2003, Brunello di Montalcino 2007, and Echo Lynch Bage 2007) which was exciting for me as I hadn't tried the Brunello or Echo before.   Swank.

Salmon Rillettes

Saturday a tad tired (loved the Echo and Champagne!) and I head to Causeway Bay for a quick study and massage.  Then Paul and I met for an amazing French lunch complete with French 'natural' wines.  Don't get me started, but the lunch was delish.  Then we met Courtney and Patrick for some bayside beers, and called it quits early for we both had to work the next day.

 

Potatoes n tomatoes n sour cream n homemade bread...

 

We hit up Taverna del Mar for some tapas, and holy oh my dear love of all things tapas, we decided right there and then when we could realistically move to Spain.  The decision was 5 years.  It will take me 1.5 more to finish my WSET diploma, and figure 3 for the MW.  Paul still needs to find a school (again, don't get me started), apply, and do it...so we're looking at least 5 years.  Then it's anchovies and sherry galore.....



 

Pork loin, anchovies, Iberico ham, baby eels on cod toasts, and chorizo.  <3 Spain.

Sunday Paul took an English test, turns out he knows it, and I worked the Island East Market where it rained all. day. long. Julia and I had fun anyway, and ended almost selling out. 

 

 

IEM in the rain

Quite Monday, quiet Tuesday (both with awesome new track workouts), and tis Wednesday.  Off for the end of season Island East Market hh, followed by NZ wine tasting with Paul and Derek, followed by Thursday which is full of meetings and tastings.  Followed by 3 day weekend.  Happy hump day!



 

Greg made Julia and I do a tasting with this guy.....