Hong Kong wine lovers are gathering for a challenge. Burgundies are taking on new-world pinot noirs in a taste-off similar to the historic and dramatically named Judgment of Paris, which pitted French wines against their Californian peers in 1976. The tasting shocked the world's wine industries, which had long believed in the superiority of French wines, because the Californian upstarts easily upstaged their old-world counterparts. The challenge was repeated last month - and the Californian wines won once again.
The Burgundy vs new-world pinot noir challenge will be held on June 20 at Tribute restaurant, in Elgin Street, Central. Tribute owner Frank Sun, wine writer Jeannie Cho Lee and Toby Marion, from Golden Gate Wine, (below, left to right) have chosen highly rated Californian and Oregon pinot noirs to be tested against four red Burgundies (three are premier crus), all of which are in the same price range.
The judging, led by Lee and Master of Wine candidate Sarah Wong, will be followed by a five-course dinner, which includes foie gras and brioche with fig-poblano reduction, gnocchi and fava bean pesto with fried Serrano jamon and a choice for main course of beef tenderloin, duck leg confit or pan-roasted barramundi. The tasting and dinner costs $988 and numbers are limited to 21 bon vivants. To reserve a place, call Tribute on 2135 6645.
