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Stephen Chau's first taste of wine was a Chateau Margaux. Because this was served at a friend's dinner party more than 10 years ago, he doesn't remember the vintage, but he does recall one thing about the wine - he didn't particularly care for it.
The owner of modelling agency Starz People, Chau has since overcome his initial dislike of fine Bordeaux. Although he doesn't drink much at home, he's learned to appreciate wines and has started to collect them. He also studies the subject as much as time permits.
Chau reads articles and books on wine and discusses the subject with some of his friends who are also interested.
He recalls: 'I picked up some good bottles in 1997, when the stock market crashed and wines were cheaper. I started to buy wines to keep for the future about three years ago, when my son Ryan was born. A friend suggested it, he said it's a good investment, and that I should buy wines for dates I want to remember - my son's birth year and for different anniversaries or birthdays.'
He bought two cases to celebrate his son's birth, but plans to buy more. 'If we serve it at his wedding, there won't be enough. I also bought bottles for the year of my sister's birth because 1966 was a good vintage. I bought Margaux, Lafite, Haut-Brion - my sister prefers Haut-Brion.' He also bought some 1982, not to mark an anniversary, but because it was a good year for wine.
Unlike some people, who blindly believe that the more expensive the wine, the better the quality, Chau trusts his own judgment.
'I tasted some Le Pin, which, according to a friend, is one of the most expensive wines - it's very famous. But to be honest, I don't know if it's worth it. For me, the biggest difference for very expensive wines is that they're much easier to drink, they don't have the aftertaste [of cheap wines], and they're smoother. That's the main thing I can compare.'
Chau, who keeps all his wines in Hong Kong, buys from local merchants, as well as on his visits to Paris.
'My collection fluctuates - I buy them and drink them, then I buy some more from time to time. I don't buy them just to keep for the future - they're not all only for special occasions.
'I don't drink every day, but many of my friends enjoy wines, so I serve them when I have parties.
'I have mostly French wines, but don't really have much preference for where they're from. They're mostly from the top areas, like Bordeaux and Burgundy.
'One of my friends told me of a good storage area in London. He said it's like a bank and I was thinking that maybe I could buy some wines and store them over there. But the problem with that is that it's nice to have a look at your wines from time to time. If I keep them in London, I can't look at them whenever I want.'
