Cover Master of wine Sarah Heller led the second By The Glass: A Vino Affair event, highlighting six remarkable champagnes (Photo: Anna Koustas / Tatler Hong Kong)
Master of wine Sarah Heller led the second By The Glass: A Vino Affair event, highlighting six remarkable champagnes (Photo: Anna Koustas / Tatler Hong Kong)
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Master of wine Sarah Heller joined HKJC Wine Circle members for another memorable night of brilliant wine and great company
A glass of top-notch champagne is essential come holiday season—so the timing of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Tatler Dining’s second By The Glass: A Vino Affair event could not have been better.
Following the success of the first edition of By The Glass in November, the event returned in style to Happy Valley Old Clubhouse’s The Derby Bar on December 8. The evening was once again filled with fine wines and sparkling conversation, and allowed grape enthusiasts to connect with like-minded members and discover even more incredible wines.
Members of the Wine Circle community indulged in a one-night-only menu of tantalising champagne-canapé pairings, alongside an intimate fireside chat with multi-award-winning wine expert Sarah Heller.
Above (Video: Isaac Woo)
Heller is one of Asia’s most celebrated wine talents, having become a master of wine at 29 years old, the world’s youngest ever at the time and one of only 502 people to have achieved this prestigious qualification since 1953. A Yale graduate, accomplished visual artist and Tatler’s Asia wine editor, Heller blends her passion for wine with her visionary art—delivering a completely new dimension to wine appreciation.
Heller brought this unique approach to choosing the night’s six champagnes and introducing each of these remarkable bottles to guests, giving in-depth tasting notes that highlighted their complex, vibrant flavour profiles.
Above Champagne-canapé pairings by chef Francky Semblat (Photo: Anna Koustas / Tatler Hong Kong)
Above Heller and Tatler Dining's Fontaine Cheng (Photo: Anna Koustas / Tatler Hong Kong)
Champagne-canapé pairings by chef Francky Semblat (Photo: Anna Koustas / Tatler Hong Kong)
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The Derby Bar’s chef de cuisine Francky Semblat worked closely with Heller to create outstanding wine-canapé combinations that lingered long in the memory. For instance, caramelised quail with confit chestnut was paired with a glass of Henriot Cuvée Hemera Brut 2005. Comprising half pinot noir and half chardonnay grapes, the smoky, dense Henriot brought notes of Hinoki cypress, white grapefruit, lemon zest and white pepper that perfectly complimented the dish’s wintry richness.
An engaging question-and-answer session allowed Heller to share her advice for selecting champagnes for different occasions and palates, and tips for up-and-coming wine regions and varieties worth exploring in future.
By The Glass’ second edition provided another wonderful evening of mingling with fellow wine lovers, discovering extraordinary new wines, hearing from an industry-leading expert and savouring gourmet bites perfectly paired with magnificent tipples. Here’s to even more great events in 2024.
