![Wine is living energy B°NU's Shalom Chin Talks About What He Knows Best 7 February 2016 [Cover photo courtesy of B°NU] Everyday scenes of people drinking wine when they’re happy, sad or just plain bored tell me that wine is mor](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/569730f9e0327ca677897a38/1458874284766-TGNPFLGDRK9ST954SW8M/Tavolino+verso+Roddi.jpg)
Wine is living energy
B°NU's Shalom Chin Talks About What He Knows Best
7 February 2016
[Cover photo courtesy of B°NU]
Everyday scenes of people drinking wine when they’re happy, sad or just plain bored tell me that wine is more than mere accompaniment to certain dishes or flavours; wine is human emotion. And it has been since time immemorial. While warning of the ills of alcohol abuse, the Torah mentions “cups of blessing”; the Bible tells the story of Jesus turning water into wine, much to the delight of guests at the wedding dinner that Jesus was attending; and the mighty Wu Song from the Chinese classic, “The Water Margin”, defeated a tiger with his bare hands whilst under the influence of.
We at Mackerel don’t claim to be wine connoisseurs other than of the drinking sort. If it’s smooth and not too bitey, we’ll happily drink it. Vintages and winery names are merely numbers and labels to us. We’re more concerned with whether or not the Chablis will make our mouths feel like the bottom of a birdcage. More important, we ask comfort of our wines.
Shalom Chin, founder and owner of wine distributor B°NU, agrees with us somewhat. He says, “Wines are a conduit for emotions and the very best of them can evoke emotions. It is the product of the land, the winemaker, the people who pluck the grapes. You can look at wines as a vessel of living energy. Say you have a winemaker and vineyard manager who spend all their time cultivating the vines and making sure that the grapes are gently brought into the winery to be crushed. A good positive treatment to the grapes throughout the winemaking process makes a difference to the quality of the wine. When you drink it, you know how much heart, passion and energy have been invested in the drink. It makes you feel good and happy.
Contrast this with a wine that is made from mechanically harvested grapes. Nobody cares about the process. It‘s all about the money. Chances are that you will get a cold, lifeless product. It‘s no different from art. You can sense how much effort the artist has invested in a piece if you study the artwork. And the ones who are lazy and careless usually end up producing shoddy work.”
Photo: B°NU
PERSONAL PREFERENCE, N'EST PAS?
And as we are eating, and drinking, and making merry, how concerned ought we to be about the right wine for the right dish?
Chin explains, “You can have any wine with any fish. There are many factors to take into consideration. The conventional “red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat“ is too simple. You have to consider the type of fish, its strength of flavour, how it was cooked and its sauce, if any, before deciding on red or white.”
And what of personal preference?
Chin says, “I strongly believe that many in the wine industry are guilty of pretending to know a lot about wines. Oddly, the more you work with wine, the more you realise how little you actually know. Wine is a subject that requires years of study, tasting and humility. The same people who seem to know it all are also responsible for making others feel inadequate and uncomfortable when they have to make decisions about getting wines that may truly please them. They poke fun at people who like sweet wines when there really is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Hear, hear!
Le Nez du Vin is 12 vials of what your wine should NOT smell like. Still, to each their own.
““Instead of a lonely wine, I would say that a wine that I could drink when I am alone is one that allows me to sit back and reflect on life as well as the drink. These are usually complex wines that have many layers and a spectrum of aromas and flavours. They only get better by the minute reacting with oxygen, and are wholesome and smooth on the palate. Wines like that are expensive and hard to come by.” ”
EMOTION SCENARIO 1
In keeping with our gut-instinct view of wine being more a feeling than a mere partner to a chicken escalope or filet mignon, we asked Chin to recommend wines for three different scenarios.
Mackerel: A quiet dinner at home for parents and adult child/children. The children no longer live with their parents but visit as often as they can. With every visit, the folks go over the top with the food because they miss their children dearly.
Chin: A quiet dinner that celebrates quality-time with family and heart-felt conversations deserves a wine that can evolve over a period of time once opened at the dinner table. I would recommend a wine that works well with most dishes, is easy to sip and evolves in aromas and flavours as time passes. Condrieu, a white wine made from the Viognier grape from Northern Rhône, France, is floral and waxy on the palate. It would make anyone go back for seconds. I would also recommend an aged red Burgundy such as a Marsannay from France. The better vineyards and vintages make an elegant wine that can evolve with time without being too heavy. For something more full-bodied, Brunello di Montalcino from Italy made from the red Sangiovese grape has an earthy quality to it that goes well with meat and mushrooms. This is a wine that can be the enjoyed over a long meal as its bouquet evolves and opens up.
[Note: Another wine that Chin recommends is the Italian Carnasciale 2012 that is plump with the flavours of blackberry, cherry and spice.]
Foreground: Carnasciale 2012 | Background: "The Sky, The Leaves", 45x45cm, Chung Hee-Suk.
EMOTION SCENARIO 2
Mackerel: A Sunday evening alone. By choice. Winding down from the week just gone and recharging for the week about to descend.
Chin: That really depends on the personality of the drinker. For me, I would like something that allows me to sit back and contemplate life in the comfort of my own sofa or armchair. I want nothing else but my thoughts to myself. I would be drinking a chilled Moscato d‘Asti as it is a delicious sweet sparkling that doesn‘t distract me from my thoughts but acts more as a passing thought. For reds, I would drink a Grenache Syrah Blend from the Languedoc, France or an Austrian Zweigelt. Nothing complex or outstanding that requires my focus to enjoy it.
Foreground: Moscato d'Asti | Background: “Little Daisy Blooming", Maria Filatova-Chan
EMOTION SCENARIO 3
Mackerel: A friend‘s barbeque. Not that good a friend, may be a good acquaintance and you‘re inclined to grab whatever‘s available in your fridge.
Chin: Depends on the weather and who is doing the cooking! If you are the one standing before the fire, you want to down something that is chilled! I would suggest a cold bottle of sparkling Italian Prosecco such as the Fondamentale R.A. Nothing complicated; just chilled and refreshing. But, if you’re sitting down waiting to be served, a light red such as Dolcetto d‘Alba from Piedmont, Italy, would work. The Dolcetto is a fruity red wine that is regarded as a comfort wine. If it’s cold outside, a heavy red like a Barossa Shiraz from Australia would be suitable as it is higher in alcohol content and works well with meat. Chin adds, “I would like to think that besides the taste, the company you are with matters. My philosophy is that if you are with kindred spirits, anything would taste good!”
We’ll drink to that!
Foreground: Fondamentale R.A. | Background: "Yellow", acrylic & charcoal on canvas (2013), Yen Chua.