No more borders through the web, as seen on this nice review published on Indian Wine Academy after the Seattle Riesling Rendezvous

Also nice video interview published on Youtube by Andy Perdue, editor of Wine Press Northwest

Serena Sutcliffe M.W. head of Sotheby's Wine Department was the Master of Ceremony
at the Primum Familiae Vini event at the Hong Kong Island Shangri-La black tie even.

Serena made a very moving introduction to Etienne Hugel and tribute to uncle Johnny.

 

Hard to believe that the UK economy is in crisis (other than political) on a recent market visit which coincided with the EU elections and quite some turmoil amongst MP's and members of the cabinet. Sir Winston Churchill still firmly on his pedestall watching all this...

On the agenda, a couple of tastings for the Wine Society a long standing supporter of our wines and about to send their members an Alsace offer for a selection of wines from the outstanding 2007 vintage. A great occasion also to see our dearest Alsace colleagues at a now almost traditionnal closing Indian dinner, this time in Nottinham's finest Indian restaurant. Always worth the journey even 5500 miles from Delhi ;-) 

For the rest of this trip, brilliantly orchestrated by the enthusiastic Fells team that now overlook our UK interests, visits and wining and dinings included ever loyal friends such as London's Bleeding Heart for a dinner at thir crypt for 60 of Robyn and Robert's avid customers.

On a busy journey north, an eye opening visit to Oxford leading (and friendliest) wine merchant with a tasting combined with video interview at The Oxford Wine Company. The short video clips are now accessible from their homepage and on Youtube. Rushing then off to the historic market town of Ludlow which has become the aera's gastro capital. Absolutely outstanding wine dinner at La Becasse for some even happier guests after dinner came to a close... 

Back to London on a visit to Harrods with a staff tasting in anticipation to their promotion on Famous Wine Families. The tasting to take place on 18 June between 7 and 9 pm at their wine department will see Jean Frédéric, first member of our 13th generation presenting our wines abroad. When his dad was about 22 years old and before actually starting full time at Hugel I did my very first instore tasting at... Harrods. Jean Frédéric, now 20 is thrilled to follow daddy's footsteps, hoping that Harrods customers will be equally thrilled to hear this Wine Family story...

A final quick stop at the Ritz and off home with a lovely piece of stilton enjoyed by my loved ones over the weekend with a bottle of Graham's vintage Port from our Symington friends. Soooo British !  
  

One of those rare moments where business blends into sheer pleasure and a rare feeling of having reached perfection... The occasion came at the end of an extensive 3 weeks Asian market visits before a few days vacations with my wife Anne Christine. A few days in Bali, almost exactly 20 years after our first visit together to this paradise on earth.

As if life was not good enough, on the only day of customer visits on the island, our local importer Putu Murtika had the good idea to pay a quick visit together to probably the most amazing Bali resort, the famous BVLGARI Bali.

Greeted in style in an amazing surrounding by Director of F&B Radu Cernia and executive chef Andrew Skinner. As some specially sent wines were still available for the course of my visit, an exclusive dinner was put in place with the blessing of the GM and long time Hugel friend Robert Lagerwey.

In just a week, a most amazing menu was created, a flyer produced with a selection of Asian dishes created to match our wines like never before. Also an uncompromising attention to details on the presentation of the dishes up to the marking of the different glasses. The select guests (by invitation only) had a chance to enjoy some of our wines that were available for the first time in Indonesia.

If perfection does not exist, it may well have found its closest expression, where all comes so harmoniously together. Planning a visit to Bali ? You may want to make your own opinion of the BVLGARI Bali   

If there was one good news about the benefit for Alsace of the recent NATO summit in Strasbourg, it is that Americans will at last know that Strasbourg is in... France. We were of course delighted when we heard that one of our wines, our Pinot Gris Tradition 2005 had been chosen for the Friday night gala dinner prepared by Strasbourg's most celebrated chef Emile Jung of Crocodile restaurant

As husbands and wives did not dine at the same table that night nor did they have the same beverage selection (oh... la la !) until the following day we were not sure if our wine had been served to Barack and Nicolas or at Michelle and Carla's party. Knowing the popularity and personality of the first ladies, we are pleased to report that our wine was enjoyed at Michelle and Carla's dinner and from what we heard through the grapevine, they had lots of fun ;-) Thank you Emile for your nice words in the menu you sent us. Perhaps our French President should take lessons on that from his Italian born wife !

Having heard the news on the occasion of a visit to Japan, walking in front of a local hotel doing a promotion for US beef with the poster of President Obama, I could not resist taking this picture... Yes, we can ! 

We are pleased to inform our trade contacts that our "HUGEL" stand at Vinexpo in Bordeaux from 21-25 June 2009 will be located in Hall 1 D 245, near door 24.

Etienne Hugel and David Ling will be in attendance together with their colleagues Mathieu Chalas, Lionel Rousseaux and Didier Thaler for the entire duration of the fair. For the first time, two young Hugels from the 13th generation, Jean Frédéric and his cousin Marc André (both born in 1989, year of the 350th anniversary) will be present on our stand.

The Orient will again have a special place on our stand this year with visuals that are an invitation to bring our visitors on a journey to Asia. At a daily lunchtime buffet (by invitation) we will again present our chopstick holder, various new original ideas, and the latest design of DIAM corks.

Again this year, our location will be near close to many friendly colleagues, including Pol Roger, Perrin and Symington of Primum Familiae Vini.

You can download here the full map of Vinexpo's Hall 1. For more details on Vinexpo, visit their website.

Vinexpo is certainly the most important of its kind and is for members of the trade only.

Above picture taken on January 26, 2010 in Saigon with friends Eric Simard and Dong Khoi...

The story is just too nice not to be told...

It all starts in late 2006 when former Auberge de l'Ill employee, Franco-Vietnamese Eric Simard contacts us from Vietnam asking if we were interested to start establishing distribution in his distant Indochina market. Eric now head of Victoria hotels obviously knows the various importers and recommends Franco-Vietnamese Dong Khoi of leading importer Tan Khoa.

No later than two months later, our wines were launched in Vietnam with both of our friend involved. The above center picture was taken in January 2007 with Eric on his yellow Lambretta whose colour is exactly that of our labels... In Vietnam most transports happen on two wheels, including sometimes deliveries as on above right photo with Tan Khoa's boss taken in January 2008 on second market visit. My reaction: Eric, it would be so nice if you, our Hugel ambassador had our logo added to your yellow Lambretta.

And here we go, above is Eric Simard's Lambretta reunion with his two wine friends driven by our "Vienamese ambassador". Needless to say that Hugel wines are to be found at Victoria hotels.

This World of wines is really a very special one, where friendship blends so nicely into our lives and memories. CHEERS and THANKS !

This must look like the daily life of an Alsacian vintner (not to be mistaken with a German sheppard please), touring central Florida over the weekend. "Dry bottle tasting" as it is called here, in other words signing bottles with no possibility to sample the wines at a few Costco stores of the Orlando area which were at this occasion case stacking two our our wines.

Not only was the welcome very enthusiastic by the consumers, but, magic of the wine trade, it was also the occasion to see some old acquaintances, including Oliver Slinker the retired Pennsylvania Liquor Board commissioner pictured calling one of his long time wine friend and former distributor Mr Mongolis, now both retired in Florida. Also a great occasion to make new friends of whom some Canadians escaping from their hard winters at home...

A special warm thank you to all the Costco staff, especially Brendon Mc Gyver for his assistance in helping set up my much desired audio visual equipment. Also so nice to see old time Wildman friend Dave Bertoli who shares both the same virus and passion for wine ;-)

At the Costco store at Altalonte springs on Saturday, we were given a state of the art TV display, right next to a seafood demo allowig us to present the many interesting pictures of the vineyards, cellar, family and a frightening historical one, in colour, taken by my grand father from his house in 1942. Just two years later we welcomed the liberators of the 36th Texan rangers on their arrival December 5, 1944 with joy, relief and the best wine we had been saving...

With new Frederick Wildman state manager Kirk Baker, in just one Saturday, over 120 bottles were sold and signed and again meeting new Hugel afficionados that included old time friend John Leahey. We are definitely in "peoples' business" and wine is indeed a social lubricant !

... and it kept on getting better. Mind you getting a Frenchman to work in a store on a Sunday is a real "tour de force" too ! The Costco staff went out of their way and high in the air to make our wines best introduced to their clients with a high tech, sleek, and most impressive display. By the end of the day Kirk Baker was starting to feel he was the new boss ;-)

We were delighted a month or so ago to announce the appointment of John E Fells and Sons as the exclusive distributor of  "HUGEL" wines in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands.

The move was quickly reported in the trade magazine Harpers. Fells took over the Hugel agency and in a significant change in strategy, have now started making our wines available from UK stock.

Being a member of the Primum Familiae Vini association we have now joined our Oporto friends of the Symington family and Miguel Torres who are the other members of PFV within the Fells' portfolio.

In just over a month, Hugel wines were presented at the Wine and Food Event organised by Fells on 22nd October at Somerset House, and a full day seminar and tasting was held at Fells offices to introduce all their team to Hugel wines (photo above).

Despite very difficult market conditions, the response so far from UK customers has been beyond expectations. A second order had to be placed as the initial stock shipped depleted faster than expected. In the coming months many of our UK friends will be happy to see their favourite yellow labels back on fine wine lists.
 

For a few days the capital of country music became the capital of wine in the country with an amazing celebration of fines wines and foods, joy, friendship and generosity for a charitable cause, the fight against cancer.

Hugel together with Champagne Pol Roger, Louis Jadot Burgundy and Bordeaux's Château Palmer were the guests of honour of l'Ete du Vin, America’s oldest charity wine auction.

Part of the 3 days events was a tutored tasting with moderator Robin Kelly O'Connor, a black tie gala dinner and an auction where a magnum of our Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1989 S raised a record 4200 $. These days also saw a series of lunches and dinners hosted by generous donours in their gorgeous home(s) with wines that went well beyond vintages and wines that we had donated.

Above all, Ete du Vin is a celebration of what fine wines is all about, sharing good moments with friends, old or new that included Patrice Noyelle of Champagne Pol Roger, with wife Benedicte whose family owns Clos de Tart, Jacques Lardière of Louis Jadot and Thomas Duroux of Château Palmer, a long time personnal friend. 

New friends and local patrons, with most amazing cellars and generosity included Tom Black and Keith Pitts that hosted us in their amazing well cellared homes... current and future ;-)

A huge thank you to the organizers, especially Torrey Stella Barnhill, Events Director, executive director Michael Haney and wine director Collin Husbands. Their professionalism was as precious as their kindness. Last but not least American Airlines that went well beyond their duties to fly us making all possible arrangements... and more !

How could one spend some time in Nashville without a tour of music related landmarks and bars.
PFV friend Patrice Noyelle of Champagne Pol Roger also a partner in our US importer Frederick Wildman even found a soundtrack whose title is Drinking Champagne, feeling no pain... Winston Churchill could not have said it any better !

You can view here a selection of pictures of the event

With over 27 million visitors in 2007, Macau has become one of Asia's top destination. Since the liberalization of gaming industry in 2002 most of the key hotel groups have or are about to open including the major Las Vegas giants such as Sands, Wynn or MGM.

A market one can no longer ignore as the industry's turnover already exceeds that of Las Vegas, and things are not over yet...

In its Asian environment, the chopstick's favourite wines have had to find their ambassadors and it is logically our mainland Chinese importers Summergate that was handed over this responsability.

In a 3 days visit just prior to Vinexpo Hong Kong, a series of events were organised at the Crown Macau, MGM Grand and Wynn. Following a lunch with the press, staff trainings and dinners, our wines will be featured using our sleek and own designed cooler box ©

This short stay also allowed a chance to visit the new Asian capital of gaming with its unique Portugese charm.

You can see the photo gallery of this visit.

Yet another trip to Japan, this time with the support of our good friend Serge Dubs in cooperation with our local partner agent Jeroboam.

On the agenda this time, a large scale tasting for members of the Japanese Sommelier Association with a record attendance of 320 top sommeliers that came to taste no less than 8 rieslings from our domaine with the authoritive comments of the Best Sommelier in the World 1989.

Another highlight of this visit was a dinner in Nagoya where our friends of the Haeberlin family just opened a year ago an Auberge de l'Ill together with Monsieur Hiramatsu, keeping intact the symbol of their celebrated HH. Another Auberge de l'Ill is due to open this time in Tokyo, the city with most Michelin starred restaurants in the World. Their partnership may in due course challenge Château Robuchon that was just awarded *** Michelin.

The remaining part of this week long stay was visits to clients, winemaker dinners and tutored tastings organised by our importer centered on a Hugel X Asian Cuisine promotion which enjoys a great success.

On the agenda of the last day of this week long stay is a visit to Enoteca with a warm and generous welcome by Hirose-san before a quick stop with some bottle signing at Dean and DeLuca conveniently located in the Tokyo mid-town shopping center. Our wines are currently featured at both of these prestigious retail outlets.

Discover a slideshow of pictures of this visit.

The news, which had been a closely guarded secret right to the end, spread like wildfire through the kitchens of the world, as we were privileged to witness for ourselves. See photo

With Marc Perrin (Beaucastel) and Hubert de Billy (Champagne Pol Roger) we were at the end of a one week market visit.

The event, related below, will certainly have a long-lasting effect on the entire wine and food world. It is also an inestimable opportunity to be seized as far as our wines are concerned. For many decades our wines have been widely distributed throughout the land of the rising sun, because their ability to match the local cuisine is almost legendary.

TOKYO 'AFP) - On Monday, Tokyo became the Michelin guide's most "star-studded" city in the world. In only its second foray outside the western world, the red guidebook has awarded a record 191 "rosettes" to the restaurants of Japan's capital city, twice as many as in Paris.

For the first time in the 108 year history of the famous French guidebook, a grand total of 150 selected restaurants have been awarded at least one star, a tribute to what Michelin calls the "cuisine beyond compare" of Japan.

Eight restaurants -- five with Japanese cuisine and three with French cuisine -- have received the supreme distinction of three stars, which honour only those establishments that are said to merit making a special journey. 25 other restaurants were awarded two "rosettes" and the remaining 117, one.

It was titled "Celebration 80, ode to joy" a tribute to a very unique person by some of the World's finest wines and their attending producers.

An amazing list of the who's who of wine producers  but also for the happy few (still numbering about 350). A very special occasion of tasting in the presence of most vintners and some of their finest vintages. As if this was not enough, the tasting was tutored by the vintners themselves together with the expert comments of Serena Sutcliffe M.W. and husband David Peppercorn M.W.

Most important an ode to friendship and hospitality of Melina and NK YONG that will long be remembered by all the spoiled attendees.

A short photo gallery of three amazing days can be seen here. 

There are fewer and fewer economists, even in the western world that put into question that the center of gravity of the world's economy is moving towards Asia, and in particular around China.

Similar things can be said when it comes to the dynamism of the hospitality industry. No city has a greater number of fine hotels opening up than Shanghai or Beijing. They act as magnets for some of the world's finest hotel groups and celebrity chefs.

Having always preached the perfect mariage between our wines and Asian cuisine(s), the consumers are now gradually starting to fully enjoy that ideal combination. The message is now also fuelled by our outstanding local importers that are true ambassadors to our wines.

A rencent visit to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan has opened a few new eyes. Our local importers are sharing our enthusiasm and no longer hesitate to organise Hugel wine events centered on Asian or fusion cuisine such as at the celebrated Whampoa Club on Shanghai's Bund.

See an extensive photo gallery of these fascinating visits by clicking here

It has almost become a tradition with our friends of Champagne Laurent Perrier, Marc Perrin of Château de Beaucastel and Thomas Duroux director of Château Palmer to visit Japan together for a few days of intensive wining and dining...

Each time a demontration of French wines at their best with amongst others Cuvée Grand Siècle, Beaucastel 1990, Palmer 1990 ending up the feast with our Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1989. 

Photo at Michel Troisgros Tokyo with chef Lionel Beccat... and some happy faces !

In each case, as expected, an attention to every details of any event planned by the very dedicated and professionnel the team of Jeroboam our Japanese importer.

For a selection of some of the pictures taken during this visit simply click here

Just another amazing Grand Cru event put together by Todd & Colin Halpern and their team for their main clients, friends and suppliers. Delighted to be one of them.

You can see the photo gallery of these memorable days here

The list of wines opened that one night (due to the generosity of our hosts) follows...
WARNING: some wines listed can be offending to those that were not part of this experience !

Thanks also to Eddy and his Blackberry for allowing us to keep track of all the wines tasted

Below are the supper wines...
Champagne Gosset, 2000 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet, 1999 Marc Colin Montrachet, 2000 Drc Montrachet, 1982 Bon Pasteur, 1997 Corton Charlemagne Remoissenet, Mag 1982 Latour A Pomerol, 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, 1996 Harlan Estate, 1985 Groth, 1974 Marthas Heitz, 1990 Rayas mag, 1989 Rayas, 1961 Lynch bages, 1975 La Mission HB, 1957 Richebourg Remoissenet, 1959 Clos Vougeot Remoissenet, 1978 Richebourg Remoissenet, 1962 La romanee Leroy, 1982 Mouton in Magnum, 1990 Beausejour, 1959 Latour, 1961 Latour, 1959 Latour Haut Brion, 1961 La Mission HB, 1959 La Mission HB, 1989 HB mag, 1982 Lafleur mag, 1945 Gruaud Larose mag, 1990 Richebourg Drc, 1997 Gewurztraminer SGN Hugel, 1986 SGN ZH Heimbourg Gewurztraminer !!!

Just back from a 10 days trip to the US starting with a flight to NY JFK on september 11... quite a tight security at the time of boarding in Europe.

Annual trade tasting organised by our common NY wholesaler Frederick Wildman that my good friend Stephan Asseo just joined in New York. Stephan left France 7 years ago with his entire family and found l'Aventure Vineyards in Paso Robles California. He lately became the new hot winery in California with a stunning 98/100 from Robert Parker