Popped! Goes our "Deep Dark" Sekt as it Broke the Monotony of CWB

02 September 2005 was a significant day in the life of the Mosel wine after having travelled half way across the world. As the cork of the "Deep Dark Sekt" popped out not a drop was spilled for this unusual bottle of sparkling that was a "red" sparkling. As the sound of laughter met with the smell of all kinds of engine oil together they meandered across the narrow streets of HK momentarily giving way to the special bubbles which were to oust out of that particular bottle of the "Deep dark Sekt". The fantasia interrupted this fairly unknown and quiet street amongst the hustle and bustle life of each of the 6 million inhabitants. The silence was broken like the build up of the 1812 overture descended onto this old British Colony now known as Hong Kong SAR to all visitors and her 6 million inhabitants.

Listen! Listen again! Yes! The sound of laughter and quicken footsteps back and forth in and out of the many small ground floor shops from one end of Haven Street to the other. Why? You may ask as another new visitor, a long time residence in the ex-Colony jittering about trying to find out the whereabouts of Bill, or Karen or Horace. "Oh! You mean the organizers of the notorious Mosel Wine tasting of HK" said one local residence hanging out of his first floor window of 29 Haven St. "They are down the other end opposite 50 Haven Street, near the other end!" shouted Mr. X

Bodies of all shapes and sizes like the different shaped bottles with accents and tongues of native HK born as well as the British gentry all gathered and poised over the various bottles of half empty. The characters of the various wines on offer were like the different accents and tongues. Yet still under ice was the last drop of the Gewurztraminer.

"What a fine drop!" Just before we could get to sample some, was a voice of a connoisseur finishing off the bottle.

"How are we going to do this?" enquired a relative novice to wine tasting.

"Just follow the list!" said John "What list?" said the confused Glenda.

"Oh! You mean the one that started with the Dornfelder 'Deep Red Sekt'", replied Glenda

"Yes, that's it; just follow the numbered system and some one should be serving you"

"She has fallen into a deep trans as she studied hard to read the seemingly complicated German label!"

• Mosel Sekt (Sparkling) Dornfelder (Red) 2002 12% Trocken
• Ellerer Stubener Klostergarten Gewurztraminer 2004 QbA 13%
• Neefer Frauenberg Riesling 2003 Spatlese 12% Trocken * Silver Medal
• Neefer Frauenberg Riesling 2002 QbA 9% * Bronze Medal
• Ediger Osterlammchen Rivaner 2003 Spatlese 8% * Gold Medal
• Ediger Elzhofberg Riesling 2003 Auslese 7.5%
• Kallstadter Kobnert Ortega 2000 TbA 8% * Silver Medal

2 hours have now lapsed and we must have seen over 50 glasses served and many of those have been washed and re-washed to cater for the many cross section of visitors, guests, and wine students and tutors. At the same time we can always expect to see a small percentage of our expats from this cosmopolitan community of ours, Hong Kong of course!

Certainly for the small group of my friends who all generally preferred a drier (Trocken) wine would have their comment sheet filled in regimented order with the

1. Gewurztraminer as the number 1 choice,
2. Followed by Neefer Frauenberg Riesling 2003 Spatlese and
3. Finally settling on the Ediger Elzhofberg Riesling 2003 Auslese.

As far as our surprise, the TbA, some from our local Camp, Chinese pallet liked it whilst the expats there found it not acidic enough.

Well, there you have it, a successful night for Horace Cheung, importer of the Mosel wines to HK, Karen Yu proprietor of Mochetto Food & Wine and me, Bill Kong, Senior Wine Consultant to Yui Kee Wines and friend of Mochetto.

After the shutters came down on Mochetto for yet another day we have achieved our marketing exercise for exposing our wines to over 50 cross sectioned participants from our much loved HK community

Thank you Hong Kong

William Kong (alias Bill)