It was a case of Harlan meets Harlan this week, as famed Napa Valley wine owner Bill Harlan (far left) was invited by larger-than-life local chef Harlan Goldstein (left) for a private lunch at his H One restaurant. The Harlan Estate wines owner, whose bottles of red go for up to HK$15,800 at Goldstein's fine dining establishments, was in town after scouting for business opportunities on the mainland. If you've never heard of Harlan Estate, that's because the stuff is so exclusive it's not even available for sale. Bottles are by allocation only, and vino reviews like Robert Parker's Wine Advocate newsletter have given three of his vintages perfect 100-point ratings. Indeed, oenophiles anxiously add their names to multi-year waiting lists and snap up their boutique wines at auctions.
'Anyone with the name Harlan, I gotta meet for lunch,' Goldstein joked. 'I'm such a big fan of his exclusive wines. I have 14 different vintages of Harlan at all of my restaurants, and it's very, very popular in Harlan's.'
The California winemaker was a real estate mogul before launching his high-end wine enterprise. In the past, he has also spoken of his vision to build a dynasty with the family name. It's a good thing he's only visiting, as we're not sure this town is big enough to hold two guys with such big egos named Harlan.