鴻運當頭慶桃紅
很難得的一年，咱們中國情人節比西方情人節來得早。以往農耕社會難得農閒，過了元宵才算完滿地過了年。今年的元宵在二月五日，比西方情人節還要早九天呢！‘
不管你在元宵與家人團圓，還是與愛侶二人世界，我誠意向你推薦一瓶別出心裁的好酒。
酒友們可能都知道，桃紅酒可以用全紅的葡萄釀成，也可以把紅葡萄酒混白葡萄酒造成。但桃紅酒有沒有可能用全白葡萄釀成呢？
來自法國阿爾薩斯、鬼馬俏皮的史提芬.班威夫可沒有被這個問題難倒！他可以用百分百的瓊瑤漿白葡萄，釀出色彩美如晴朗冬日的夕陽。但紅從哪來？這搗蛋鬼自有妙方；只要肯花功夫，等待葡萄完全成熟，略帶深黃色時才收成，然後在發酵時在溫度上反覆調教高低，就可以有這效果。這種工藝，一定要全人手分層逐粒採摘；也只有小農莊園才能做到。
也許你會問，完全成熟的瓊瑤漿豈不很甜？對不起！猜錯了！這瓶瓊瑤漿桃紅，聞起來果香濃郁，桂味荔枝、玫瑰、水蜜桃、薑花撲鼻而來；但口感卻十分辛乾，而且剛勁十足，很有骨格。這當然拜攝盡葡萄皮的單寧所賜。餘韻的酸度恰到好處，完全沒有濃甜瓊瑤漿的意膩。
我問他為什麼他的酒總可以做到聞在鼻子甜、嘗在舌頭乾？他總笑而不答。興許是保持神秘感吧！以我有限的品酒經驗，我估計他保留一部分葡萄採青。
以這葡萄酒的特性，真的是紅肉白肉兩相宜。應付賀年菜式中的滿掌金錢、發財好市，卓卓有餘。麻蓉湯丸更是錦上添花。箇中的香料味，又讓我腦海浮現出鹵水墨魚.....唉！越想越想吃！即便二人世界，想享受燭光牛排餐，以這瓶酒的勁度，配牛排十分可愛。加上這酒的命名 ： “粉紅人生” ，很應節唷！
尤其要表揚這酒瓶的封蓋，使用玻璃瓶蓋。用了很堅硬的塑膠封邊，十分密氣。生物動力學釀造，十分耐陳。喝不完只要把瓶一蓋，放上一兩個禮拜，氧化後更美味。元宵喝不完，情人節可以繼續喝唷！
Boudoir and Fortuna
It is quite rare that the Chinese Valentine’s Day (first full moon in Lunar Calendar) comes earlier than the Western’s. In the old days, farming society can barely take good rest in a year. Old Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year until the 15th day. This year, our first full moon lies on 5th of February. It will be 9 days earlier than the Valentine’s Day.
No matter you are going to celebrate the first full moon with your families, or sharing romantic moments with your better half, I cordially recommend a very extra-ordinary wine for this special occasion.
Wine buddies may know that Rose Wine can be made with all red grapes, or by mixing red wine and white wine. However, can rose Wine be made with all white grapes?
Mischiefing Stephane Bannwarth, from Alsace, cannot be challenged by this question. He makes Rose Wine with colour as beautiful as a fine winter sunset with 100% white grape Gewürztraminer. Where does the pinkish red colour come from? This naughty boy has his way. As long as he can wait for the complete ripeness of the grape when colour becomes brown yellowish, and play with the switching of the temperature during fermentation, he can get such result. This technique requires multi-layer harvest by hand. Only small grower is willing to do such pains taking task.
Perhaps you will ask, would Gewürztraminer wine be very sweet when it is made with completely ripe grapes? Sorry! You made a wrong guess. This Rose Ge has got punching aromas of Lychee, Rose, peach, and ginger lily, but very dry on the palate with power and backbone. Credit goes to the complete extract of tannin from the grape skin. The acidity at the finish is perfect without any hints of unctuousness.
I asked him how he can make his wine which is very fruity on the nose but stone dry on the palate. He just smiled without answering. Perhaps he would like to keep it secret. With my limited tasting experience, I guess, he must have kept a portion of green harvest wine.
This wine is good for both red and white meat. It is powerful enough to pair with Chinese New Year dishes such as Braised Pork Knuckle with Black Mushroom and Braised Dried Oyster with Nostoc. Surely it will be flawless to pair with Yumaru with Black Sesame Fillings. The sweet spices element reminds me of Marinated Cuttle Fish …. Yum! Even if you would like to have candle light dinner with your better half, the power of this wine goes well with steak. The name of the label “La Vie En Rose “fits the boudoir ambience.
Tribute to the packaging of this wine. It uses glass cap with very firm plastic fringe that keeps it air tight. Biodynamic wine is always with long bottle life. If you cannot finish the whole bottle, simply cover it with the cap and let it be for a week or two. It becomes more delicious after oxidation. If you cannot finish it on the First Full Moon evening, then keep it for the Valentine’s Day.
Laurent Bannwarth La Vie En Rose 0.75 2018
羅蘭班威夫紅粉人生 0.75 2018
HKD 488 / Bottle
Terms and Conditions:
- Limited Stock . 100% pre pay to secure order. 香港現貨，數量有限 100% 預付
-First come first serve, goods sell while stock last.先到先得，售完即止
-Minimum order for free delivery for HK 3000/ Kln 4000/ NT 5000 Surcharge will be added for order lower than MOQ : HKD120 HL/ HKD 200 KLN/ HKD 300 NT 享受本地免運費，必須訂滿 港島HKD3000, 九龍HKD4000, 新界HKD5000. 訂額不足會有附加費: 香港島HK120, 九龍 HKD200, 新界HKD300
-Shipping cost of non-HK area will be quoted separately. 香港以外的訂單運費運費另報
