The International Wine & Food Society is alive and thriving in Vancouver. Last night our Vancouver Branch held their 50th Anniversary dinner (menu attached) at the Vancouver Club the same place where it all began back in 1967. Some wonderful stories and reminiscences throughout the evening. We toasted Andre L Simon (1877-1970) the Founder of our wonderful worldwide non-profit society in 1933 with a clear focus to bring together and serve all who believe that a right understanding of both wine and food is an essential part of personal contentment and health. We referred to the inaugural opening IWFS dinner in January 1934 for some 400 at the Savoy in London followed almost immediately by Andre’s journey to America establishing the first branches in Boston & Chicago in 1934 then by San Francisco, Los Angeles & New Orleans the following year. We remembered his previous career talking and selling Champagne highlighted by the story of the 1895 Pommery showing an unclear smoky sediment after release with the whole shipment being recalled on buyer full payback price + 5%. This decision resulted in an enhanced credible reputation for both Andre & Pommery with increased sales for the heralded vintages of 1900, 1904, and 1906 and those that followed. Andre Simon also lectured and wrote books as a hobby initially and later became editor of the esteemed Wine & Food Journal from 1934-1962. Lots of admiration mentioned for his 104 published books over 66 years with the 3 favourites perhaps being By Request (1957), In the Twilight (1969) and A Wine & Food Bedside Book (1972) by then Secretary of the IWFS Claude Morny with 70 articles selected from Wine & Food Journals. Some of us old-timers recalled memorable visits to the old IWFS headquarters then at Marble Arch House at 44 Edgware Road in London.

We spoke of some of the earlier International Festivals: 1971 Paris (top restaurants), 1974 San Francisco & Los Angeles (so many memorable winemakers including legends Joe Heitz & Robert Mondavi), 1977 (drinking the 1945 Chateau Latour collected for us by Andre), 1980 Australia (so many wine legends involved including Len Evans, Murray Tyrrell, Max Lake…), 1983 Vancouver (50th anniversary included delicious 1933 Moulin Touchais & 1933 Seppelt Para Liqueur Port) and 29 years later in 2012 it again returned to Vancouver. We are proud of hosting our two Festivals which both had all local members total participation!

The Vancouver Branch is in good hands presently under the continued leadership of Milena & Jim Robertson. They were heartily congratulated and honoured with the Awards of BGA Gold for Milena & the International Andre Simon Bronze for Jim. Both richly deserved!

How many years for your Branch of the IWFS?

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Question: We run a wine shop and are organizing our European trip for Spring 2018. Sid are there any Wine Fairs you recommend we should check out?

Answer: Yes the increasingly popular Prowein in Dusseldorf will run for 3 days March 18-20; taste 2017 Bordeaux Primeurs on April 9-12 followed by Vinitaly in Verona April 15-18. In fact those 2 events now have organized their schedules so you can visit both consecutively with already fixed dates for 2019: April 1-4 BP & 7-10 V + 2020: March 30-April 2 BP & April 5-8 V. Also London England Wine Trade Fair at Olympia May 21-23. Stop off in Hong Kong on your way back for their 20th Vinexpo celebrations. Enjoy.

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The 1999 vintage is already approaching 20 years old and yet most Bordeaux of that year has been largely forgotten by collectors. It was a very hot Summer and rainy September with hail in St. Emilion early on that month. Certainly didn’t help 1999 to be a big crop sandwiched between the very successful Right Bank wines of 1998 and the magical triple zero of millennium quality vintage 2000! However the release prices were fair value and I bought a few including the presently lovely drinking Pauillacs – especially the delicious Chateau d’Armailhac and more structured Chateau Pontet-Canet. This month I enjoyed an outstanding dinner experience of top Chinese food prepared at the new Mott 32 Restaurant (originated 1891) in Vancouver paired with 11 of the very best wines of 1999:

Roederer Cristal: Lovely iconic bubbles to start off with from a more generous elegant drinking vintage!

Tertre Roteboeuf: Dark deep enticing ripe Merlot blend very soft textured being almost 2003-like.

Pavie Macquin: Similar smooth St. Emilion styling with more intensity of mellow herbal notes.

Petrus: Higher class level of structured density with complex iron notes in harmonious concentrated fruit.

Domaine de Chevalier: Big surprise with open more balanced drier fruit but elegant delicious drinking.

Haut Brion: Easy winner of 2nd flight with mineral loaded graphite so stylish terroir singing brilliantly.

Palmer: Full easy forwardly sweet blend with impressive textures but less flowers than anticipated.

Lafite: Best bouquet of pure ethereal cedar with power + elegance from strict selection for Grand Vin definitely impresses and is arguably wine of the night!

Margaux: Very dark look more floral than expected with slightly dank cellar notes making it less pure for me as not the best example of a highly rated wine but has very solid richness nonetheless.

Latour: Also very deep but more closed in nose with concentrated full plums on entry with tannins so this should develop further and age well.

d’Yquem: Rich concentrated more accessible fruit here developing some complexity of apricot-orange, ginger and chocolate.

In summary these 11 wines from 1999 were all of much higher quality than expected from this under-rated vintage. Recommend them.

Check out the menu shown below for the different food matches they suggested go with top Bordeaux. Some less assertive flavoured protein dishes worked better than others showing spices and chili peppers but all proved interesting. Some excellent freshly chopped last minute made dim sum dumplings and siu mai paired perfectly with top Bordeaux.

Have you found any special Chinese dish that you prefer with aged red Bordeaux?

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By Joseph Temple

***WARNING – SPOILER ALERT***

From the legendary vineyards of Bordeaux to the prosperous skyline of Asia’s financial hub, the 2013 documentary Red Obsession is much more than a simple lesson in supply and demand. Through the use of stunning visuals and revealing interviews, the film successfully puts an exclamation mark on China’s insatiable thirst for First Growths—and what it means for the rest of us as this emerging superpower begins to flex its economic muscles. Wine becomes a metaphor as the dragon awakes, ready to shake the world!

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe, this Australian-produced documentary begins in Bordeaux, arguably the most famous wine region in the world today. Examining why its terroir is the envy of oenophiles everywhere, the film interviews several heavyweights in the world of wine such as Oz Clarke and Jancis Robinson, who both excel at providing candid yet memorable responses. Indeed, a key strength of Red Obsession is that despite it being tailored toward aficionados, anyone with a casual interest in the subject can watch it without feeling left out. Explaining the climate, soil, and pivotal events such as the 1855 Classification in such a straightforward fashion (and with great cinematography to compliment the narration), the first twenty minutes are an important history lesson that’ll get everyone up to speed.

Moving on to the meat of the film, we travel nearly 10,000 kilometers to Shanghai where we see a booming metropolis showcasing the latest fashions and designs for avid Chinese consumers. Ironically, as time lapse footage shows us a hyper-capitalist society where its people are clamoring for brand names and material goods, it’s so easy to forget that on paper, it’s still officially the People’s Republic of China. Thankfully, the producers provide us with important historical context, allowing us to make the link between the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s and the present day. By opening up its markets (and its ideology) to Western culture, a gigantic genie has escaped from the bottle, ready to indulge itself in a hobby that was outlawed only a few decades before by the Communists.

This brings us to the subject of wine collecting, and how China has suddenly taken a strong interest in what Chairman Mao would’ve condemned as a bourgeoisie obsession. As one interviewee explains, in just ten short years, the country has jumped from 1 to a reported 271 billionaires. So with all this disposable income lying around, its nouveau riche have driven prices through the roof when it comes to Bordeaux, and especially the First Growths. Unfortunately, since wine is largely inelastic, French winemakers are increasingly boxed in between their traditional customers in Europe and North America and this new market that is more than willing to bid them up. However, a key watershed moment in the film happens when Château Lafite Rothschild (a favorite amongst Chinese collectors) stamps the number ‘8’ on its 2008 vintage, a highly symbolic number that signifies China’s entry onto the world stage and more importantly, France’s recognition of this new power player.

However, after watching Red Obsession, the whole idea of wine as an investment makes you wonder just how many people have actually drunk the latest “vintage of the century”? With such an impressive return on investment, should we now think of wine (or at least the prominent labels) as an asset in one’s portfolio rather than something to be enjoyed between our friends and family? And with prices skyrocketing over the past several decades, is it any surprise that counterfeiting has also taken off, especially in China? These are the questions I had after watching this film, and questions I’m sure you’ll have too after witnessing the Chinese experience.

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Question: I have a friend who was using his vintage wine card to make a wine purchase and I found it to be a valuable tool. Is there any way I can order one for myself?

Answer: Yes thanks for this opportunity to promote it. Founded in 1933 by Andre Simon the annual Vintage Card & Chart is a “valuable tool” using 7 as the highest score with helpful guides on current drinkability. A lot of research and yearly reviews by the Wines Committee and Consultants goes into making it a reliable general guide to wine vintages by wine producing regions around the world. It is widely reproduced in diaries and other publications but to order one contact IWFS at 4 St. James’s Square London SW1Y 4JU, UK or email sec@iwfs.org.

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