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.
Why the fascination with pinot noir?
It is a lovely food wine. It is gentle and elegant and the perfect partner for European and Asian cuisines.
What are some of your favourite pinot noir food pairings?
It really depends where I am. When I am in Burgundy, it's cheese, wild boar and roast chicken; in New Zealand, salmon and wild game. In Hong Kong, it is a match for Peking duck and char siu. It also works well with Japanese cuisine, such as tuna and salmon sashimi and yakitori.
What about with dishes you make?
Wild rabbit baked in pinot noir with lashings of Dijon mustard, and black pepper. I make this in New Zealand and I would have shot the rabbit, prepared and cooked the dish and paired it with my own wine.
Any tips for wine and food pairing?
Don't be afraid to experiment. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't work. Learn from the experience.
Do you host dinner parties?
Yes, we invite two to three couples over when we can. We keep the numbers small so we can serve the food we like the way we like.
What cuisine do you serve, and do you have a signature dish?
Mainly French. It is beautifully developed to go with wine. Eating in France always involves pairing food and wine. Sometimes I will also pair New Zealand produce with a wine from Burgundy; for example, crayfish (that I have caught) with a white burgundy. It is a match that is hard to beat. I don't really have a signature dish, but I enjoy cooking wild game, such as boar, deer, tahr (a goat), chamois, rabbit and hare. The wild boar is a favourite when in Burgundy, which I slow-cook in the oven with shallots and butter.
Do you follow recipes?
Unlike my wife, I don't have the level of creativity to take an ingredient and create a dish around it. Perhaps it has something to do with being a lawyer. I use cookbook recipes. Once I feel comfortable making the dish, I do play around with the recipe. I have about 100 cookbooks, many on French cuisine. I think the best French cuisine recipes are often written in French: elements can get lost in translation. I like books by Georges Blanc and Joel Robuchon, and I often use Louis Diat's La Cuisine de Ma Mere.
Who would be your ultimate dinner party guests?
I would choose master of wine Jasper Morris, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Burgundy pinot noir, and Joel Robuchon, because his cuisine and recipes are confident and pure. With the food and wine expertise covered the other guests would consist of family members and friends.
