The Wine and Cigar Shop opens at The Regent Jakarta

The Wine and Cigar Shop opens at The Regent Jakarta

By Grace Segran

JAKARTA (JP): Lovers of a good vintage and a fine cigar have a
new place to savor the moment with the recent opening of The Wine
and Cigar Shop at The Regent Jakarta.

The shop was designed by Four Seasons management; the rustic
wooden floor, old Batavia furniture, Mediterranean yellow-washed
walls and ceiling, together with jazz music in the background
provides a conducive atmosphere to just sit back and light up a
Davidoff or swirl a glass of burgundy. There are eight types of
wine by the glass from various parts of the world, served from
the temperature-controlled dispensing cabinet.

Most of the wines are imported directly and exclusively for
the shop. "We deal directly with producers in Bordeaux, Italy,
Germany, etc," said Armando Kreanzlin, executive assistant
manager.

The shop endeavors to have a representative selection of wines
from the old and new worlds; the pride of the shop is definitely
its selection of Bordeaux. There are 16 different vintages of
first growths such as Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, and
Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Besides the top Bordeaux, it also
features affordable and high quality small chateaux.

Its Burgundy selection features the fine wines of Antonin
Rodet, one of the leading Burgundian Wine Houses which is well
respected by Robert Parker, the American wine guru.

The Italian selection includes Barolo and Barbaresco of
Italy's leading winemakers Angelo Gaja and Bruno Giacosa, as well
as Chianti from Piero Antinori. It also carries lesser known
specialties such as a terrific Moscato (by Prunotto) and Barbera
D'Asti.

The German selection is limited but of high quality. There is
a variety of Rieslings from the German Winemaker of the Year,
Helmut Doennhoff.

From Australia, there is a comprehensive selection of the
leading producers such as Penfolds (including their flagship
Grange), Wolf Blass and Petaluma.

"We are still building our California range which will
include wines by Jordan, Kendall Jackson, Cakebread, Mondavi as
well as some specialty Cult wines from Groth, Whitehall Lane,
Swanson and Viader," Kreanzlin said. The shop also plans to stock
wines from New Zealand, Chile and Spain, and special varietal
wines such as Mourvedre and wines from the South of France.

Two very special products stand out. One is a single malt
whisky selection including Springbank, Ardberg and Scapa. These
are special Scottish whiskies, aged and bottled in very limited
quantities. The second is Eaux de Vie from Hans Etter in
Switzerland. These are Fruit Brandy specialities such as Pomme,
Poire Williams, Framboise, Kirsch and they come in beautiful
handmade glass bottles.

An impressive selection of fine wines and spirits, but what
does the price tag look like?

"We aim at offering value for money," said Kreanzlin. "Prices
start from Rp 120,000 and the sky's the limit when it comes to
the great chateaux of the best vintages."

The wines are professionally stored; the best wines are kept
in a cool pebble-floored cellar with vaulted ceiling. Four wine
sommeliers -- Saiful, Eddie, Bram and Yadi -- are at hand to help
you choose a bottle or a cigar. Several hours a week, they study
about wines and cigars and are tested the following week on the
materials presented earlier.

The sommeliers cannot sell what they have not tasted. So the
Regent has set aside significant budget for tasting -- about a
dozen wines a week. The team then compares tasting notes and
talks about what they saw in the wines.

The shop also carries a complete range of the world's most
appreciated wine glasses from Riedel, an Austrian Crystal Glass
maker. Riedel is widely regarded as the expert in designing
wineglasses; he has created a specific glass for every variety of
grape. "There really is a difference in smell and delivery,
whether you drink a Carbenet Sauvignon in a carbenet glass or in
a smaller chardonnay glass," Kreanzlin said. "Amazing but true!"

There is a mix of both local and expatriate customers. The
observation is that Indonesian customers tend to be more
interested in French and Italian wines, whereas expatriates are
more comfortable with Australian wines.

It has been found that the combination of wines and cigars
work well. Both represent the good things in life and many cigar
enthusiasts are also winebuffs. And if they aren't, they might be
interested in learning more about wines.

The outlet carries a good selection of Cuban cigars such as
Cohibas, Romeo Y Julieta, Hoyo de Monterey and Montecristo, as
well as a selection from the Dominican Republic such as Davidoff.

Cigars can be purchased by the stick or box; prices range from
Rp 40,000 to Rp 250,000. There is also humidity-controlled
lockers where customers can keep their cigars.

To enhance the taste of the wines, finger foods such as double
cream brie, duck terrine, oysters or sushi and sashimi, are
served. With much to offer, the shop may become the place to
unwind after lunch or a hard day at work.