Laying down the law on wine pairing

Arriving in Hong Kong in 1987, with little more than a master's in law and two suitcases, David Hall-Jones is the managing partner of a US law firm's Asian offices. He loves wine so much, he's a hands-on owner of a vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand, and owns a property in the Burgundy region of France. He loves pinot noir and pairing it with his other passion, food.

Can you tell me more about the Surveyor Thomson vineyard?

My wife and I love Burgundy and its food and wine. The region was the inspiration for the Surveyor Thomson vineyard in Central Otago, a wonderful growing region where I was born and raised. My family has a long association with the area: my great-great-grandfather, John Turnbull Thomson, was an explorer and New Zealand's first surveyor general, who was involved in the exploration and mapping of southern New Zealand.

We only grow pinot noir and have two wines in production, Explorer and Surveyor Thomson, which is available in Hong Kong and, I believe, as good as the grand crus of Burgundy. The grapes are hand-picked - the family goes back to help with this - the vineyard is fully sustainable, and we believe in as little intervention in the wine-making process as possible.

Do you have vines at your Burgundy property?

Not at the moment. It is difficult, as the pinot vines are prohibitively expensive, but my wife and I are on a mission to buy some white Burgundy vines.