FOR FOCUS ISSUE: WINE<\/p>\n
;JP;
\nANPAc..r..
\nWines-drinking-brands<\/p>\n
Sudibyo M. Wiradji
\nContributor
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Art of drinking no simple matter<\/p>\n
Compared with most beverages served along with food, wines
\noften receive special treatment. There are special events
\ndedicated to wine, such as wine tastings and free samples of new
\nproducts. And this is not without reason.<\/p>\n
To sommeliers, or wine experts, the art of wine drinking is
\nnot as simple as one might think. A glass of wine has many
\naspects, not only color, flavor, aroma, texture and taste, but
\nalso its own unique background in terms of history, vintage and
\nthe geographical condition of the area where the grapes were
\ngrown.<\/p>\n
Regions where grapes grow account for why particular types of
\nwine are preferable. Places like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire and
\nAlsace in France are not strange to wine lovers because the areas
\nare known to have good soil and climate, which are required for
\nquality wine.<\/p>\n
The early production of wine was closely linked to the
\ndevelopment of Christianity in Europe in the Middle Ages. The
\nfirst producers of wine came from France, and wine production
\neventually expanded to numerous countries around the world. Old
\ncountries in terms of wine production include France, Italy,
\nSpain and Germany. Among the \"newer\" countries to get into wine
\nproduction are Chile, Canada, U.S., South Africa, Australia and
\nNew Zealand.<\/p>\n
As in other capital cities around the world, Jakarta is home
\nto numerous bars and restaurants serving a wide selection of
\nwines from many different countries, with foreign travelers,
\nexpatriates and Indonesians as regular consumers. But in a
\ntropical country like Indonesia, where drinking wine is not a
\nhabit, it would not be unusual to find an Indonesian being
\nconfused by the name of a wine accompanied with an explanation
\nlike \"full-bodied Cotes du Frontonnais\". Therefore, some
\nknowledge about wine would be beneficial to those wishing to
\nsavor the taste of this beverage.<\/p>\n
Billy Budiman, owner of cellars.com, the first on-line wine
\nretailer in Indonesia, said that although Indonesia is considered
\nnew to the wine industry, the interest and demand has increased
\nsignificantly over the past few years.<\/p>\n
\"In general, Indonesian consumers prefer 'sweet' wines and
\nless 'acidic' wines such as Merlot, Riesling and Zinfandel,\" he
\nsaid, adding that on average the alcohol level in wine is between
\n10 percent and 14 percent.<\/p>\n
In response to the increasing interest and demand in wine
\nhere, several star-rated hotels have been engaged in educating
\npeople to appreciate wine. Several other hotels have drawn up
\nplans to launch wine promotions this year, with Bacchus of the
\nInterContinental MidPlaza scheduled to have a promotion in
\nFebruary. The Alila Hotel with its planned \"Wine Tasting and Wine
\nHappy Hour\" in February, the Grand Hyatt Jakarta with its
\npromotion from mid-February to early March, and Le Meridien
\nJakarta with its \"Wine Free Flow\" program.<\/p>\n
\"What we are looking at is to give some wine lessons by
\ninviting some well-known people who know about wine to talk about
\nthe subject,\" Vanessa Perdriau, director of food and beverages at
\nthe InterContinental MidPlaza, said.<\/p>\n
Le Meridien's bar manager, Toto Kariyanto, said the \"Wine Free
\nFlow\" programs would allow guests to drink as much wine as
\npossible at a price comparable to that set for a glass of wine
\nserved at lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n
Guests might be able to find some wines at hotel lounges, but
\nnot all of these bars offer a very wide selection of wine. Wine
\nbars, however, are commonly equipped with a temperature-
\ncontrolled cellar to store wine and a cruvinet that allows guests
\nto choose from a selection featured wines by the glass.<\/p>\n
At Bacchus, a wine bar at the InterContinental Mid Plaza Hotel
\nJakarta on Jl. Sudirman, you can find a vast selection of more
\nthan 150 wines. These selective wines are also available by the
\nbottle for guests to enjoy in the bar or to take away in a
\nBacchus Gift Box.<\/p>\n
Vanessa Perdriau of the InterContinental MidPlaza said Jakarta
\nwas a business city, and many people enjoyed wine. \"We have
\nforeign travelers who like to go (to Bacchus) and enjoy a good
\ndinner with wine,\" she said, adding that Asian customers, mostly
\nJapanese, preferred the Chilean and Italian wines, while European
\ncustomers were more partial to stronger wines from France.<\/p>\n
\"The taste of Chilean and Italian wines is a bit different.
\nMost Europeans like stronger wines with a lot of tannin, like the
\nwines from Bordeaux,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Bacchus, with seating capacity of about 40, has many regular
\ncustomers who enjoy holding business gatherings in the cozy and
\ncomfortable atmosphere of the bar.<\/p>\n
At Bacchus, wine prices range from Rp 230,000 (about US$25) to
\nRp 3.6 million per bottle. \"Chateau Margeaux, which costs Rp 3.6
\nmillion per bottle, comes from a specific region in France that
\nis well known for producing excellent wines,\" Vanessa said.<\/p>\n
Opened in September 2002, Burgundy, on the fourth floor of the
\nGrand Hyatt Jakarta, features a selection of 3,000 fine wines and
\nchampagnes from France, Italy, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\"Most of our guests are expatriates, but now young Indonesians
\nare beginning to enjoy drinking wine,\" Grand Hyatt Jakarta's
\nassistant public relations manager, Dewi Damayanti, said, adding
\nthat Burgundy has a seating capacity of 104. The bar also offers
\nan extensive selection of frozen vodkas, spirits, champagnes,
\ncocktails and high-end snacks.
\n The prices for a glass of wine ranges from Rp 45,000 to Rp
\n90,000, which will get you a glass of Merlotca'del Mastro from
\nItaly.<\/p>\n
At the Grand Hyatt, wine is also featured at the hotel's
\nrestaurant C's. A 3,000-bottle wine cellar carries an interesting
\nselection of old and new world wines.<\/p>\n
\"Our cruvinet can accommodate 13 different glasses of wines,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
A wine store at the Alila Hotel Jakarta carries a wide
\nselection of wines from various countries, including France,
\nChile, Spain, South Africa, California, Italy, Australia, New
\nZealand and Germany.<\/p>\n
As usual, the cost of a bottle of wine depends on the brand,
\nyear and quality. \"Our prices range from Rp 90,000 to about Rp
\n1.5 million per bottle. Higher quality wines are available upon
\nrequest,\" Billy Budiman said.<\/p>\n
Customarily, wine is served to match the food being served for
\nlunch or dinner. Therefore, most wine bars also provide special
\ndishes that go with the wine. At Bacchus, for instance, to
\ncomplement the wines, the bar provides a gastronomic menu that
\nincludes Sauteed Tasmanian Salmon, Smoked Salmon Fettuccini,
\nSauteed Duck Breast and Roasted Beef Tenderloin.<\/p>\n
But there are classical rules about what kinds of wines go
\nwith a particular cuisine. As most wine lovers will tell you, red
\nwine goes with red meat and white wine with white meats like fish
\nand chicken. \"The tannin of red wine will feel too strong when
\ndrunk with fish. Similarly, the taste of a light white wine will
\nbe overpowered by the flavor of rare roast beef, for example,\" a
\nwine lover said.<\/p>\n
However, this depends entirely on a person's tastes. \"A real
\nfruity red wine goes with a specialty like roast chicken, even
\nthough it is white meat. Similarly, the flavor of salmon or tuna
\nwill be fuller when served with a glass of red wine,\" the wine
\nlover added.<\/p>\n
According to Billy Budiman, the principles of tasting good
\nquality wines include seeing, smelling and tasting the wines.
\n\"The color must be clear not dull -- ruby red with purple nuances
\nfor red wines and golden yellow for white wines,\" he said. \"The
\nsmell must be a nice or fresh aroma, not vinegary, and the taste
\nmust be fruity, not sour.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/for-focus-issue-wine-1447893297",
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