New bilingual website aims to satisfy the taste of Hong Kong's wine-lovers

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Published: 12:00am, 2 Mar 2009

Let's face it, Hong Kong is hardly an oenophile's idea of a wine hub, but interest in vino is growing. A new bilingual online wine platform was launched Thursday night. The WAH! network (www.wah-hk.com - it stands for wine and happiness) will provide news and tips on all things related to wine, from where you can find the perfect drinking glass to the latest vintner news. As website founder Richard Cook explained: 'The wine market here is unique. It doesn't have much to do with the economy. When you have a bad day at work, it's still a nice thing to start your dinner with a nice glass of wine.'

In addition to chat rooms and forums, they also plan to host events such as monthly wine tastings. The first was the opening party and considering the festive event, they decided to start with sparkling wines. As for any specific tipple advice, Cook suggested that novices not spend too much. 'Wine is like anything else. There are good wines in this town for no more than HK$100. Spend what you can afford and drink what you enjoy.'

Besides the drinking, another thing we were quite impressed with was the venue. The f?te was held at the barrel room of a winery in Ap Lei Chau. Yes, there are people making wine commercially in Hong Kong. The Eighth Estate Winery may be nestled in an industrial building in Ap Lei Chau but they do have a very nice tasting bar and terrace. It's not Napa Valley but it's better than nothing.