Mon 12 Sep 2016

Got Rio Fever? Join the “Wine Olympics” As Test your palate returns to Hong Kong

11 August, 2016 (Hong Kong): Like thousands of athletes competing for gold, silver and bronze in Rio, the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition (HKIWSC) is the wine world’s Olympic Games equivalent, with thousands of international wines competing for medals and recognition as the best wines for Asia. Sound like fun? Taste 300+ of these HKIWSC medal hopefuls daily at “Test Your Palate”– the three-day international winetasting showcase, from 4 to 6 October.

Taste and compare wines by country, grape variety, style, brand or randomly to suit your interest – it’s totally up to you. You can even taste an entire flight, like Italian Wine, rosé, New World Sauvignon Blanc, global Cabernet Sauvignons or Champagne, to name a few. With entries from over 30 countries – from India to Italy, Greece to Georgia, South Africa to Slovenia and more, along with traditional favourites – you are sure to come across wines you have never tried before.

With Asia’s best wine judges on hand to share tips and offer guidance, it is an ideal opportunity to seriously up your wine IQ and find new favourite drops.

Hosted by Master of Wine Debra Meiburg and the judges of the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC, “Test Your Palate” is a fun, action-packed evening, where you can experience blind tasting, learn how to identify wine faults, taste new or unreleased wine, and win great prizes.

Master of Wine, Debra Meiburg, founding director of the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC said, “An Olympic-sized tasting event, I like to think of Test Your Palate like ‘speed dating’ with wine. There’s hundreds to meet, like, love (and even reject!) until you find your perfect match.”

Event Details:

Date: 4-6 October, 2016

Venue: Chancellor Room, L4, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre

1 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai

Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

Tickets:1-Day Pass: HK$250; 3-Day Pass**: HK$700 (All tickets include a complimentary Lucaris crystal wine glass worth HK$110, while stocks last)

**Buyers of the first 10 three-day passes will receive complimentary entry to the “warm up” event “Prep Your Palate” on 9 September at MWM Space. This exclusive wine tasting workshop led by Debra Meiburg – one of just 300 Masters of Wine worldwide – offers a full guide to tasting wine like an expert, so you can make the most of the “Test Your Palate” experience.

Meiburg continued, “Get a super fun, insider’s taste of this world-class wine competition, sampling the wines vying for medals and meeting the judges for tasting advice and hot tips on the best wines. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, this event is genuinely the best opportunity to taste the wonderful world of wine all in one place.”

More information on the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC is available at www.hkiwsc.com and ‘Test Your Palate’ at http://hkiwsc.com/testyourpalate.

Hong Kong Ticketing Hotline: 852 31 288 288 (from 10am to 8pm daily). Hong Kong Ticketing Website: http://www.hkticketing.com/events/WCTESTY1016.

Hong Kong Ticketing Box Offices: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus –Bethanie, Fringe Club, AsiaWorld-Expo, Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre and K11 Select, as well as Tom Lee Music Stores.

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NOTE TO EDITORS:

Media passes for “Prep Your Palate” and “Test Your Palate” are available, upon request. Please apply by 25 August, 2016 to Tessa Chan at chan@debramasterofwine.com.

IMAGES available for download: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dy1l3lqpw06kjek/AADDO0MlKi2t12Cgb1gt4U7ya?dl=0

For all press enquiries please contact:

Alex Webster Aranchikov

Communications Manager

Meiburg Wine Media

Tel: +852 2515 0178 / Mobile: +853 6280 8562

Email: webster@debramasterofwine.com

About the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition

Now celebrating its eighth year, HKIWSC remains the original and most well-respected wine and spirit competition in Asia. Founded by the IWSC Group, Debra Meiburg MW and Simon Tam, the competition is regarded as the Asian guide to the world’s finest wine and spirits. With its panel of Asian judges, the HKIWSC ensures that, not only are the best wines selected from all across the globe, but that they are suited to Asian taste preferences too.

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“Winning a silver medal in the HKIWSC has truly helped my product to achieve international credibility regarding its taste. This has positively affected decision making of several new merchants who now carry my product.”Kaustav BagchiOwner, Lamai Thai Spirits
“Louis Royer Cognac has been entering the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition for many years. This competition is regarded as the most respected in Asian countries. Winning an award is a high honour for our brand and a further seal of quality for our multi-award winning Cognac.”Carol FrugierMarketing and Communications Manager, Louis Royer Cognac
“Adding to our success over the past few years at the HKIWSC, winning a trophy means so much to us as we have just recently entered the Chinese market with our brandies. The Chinese market is unique, which makes it even more exciting to know that Oude Molen VOV Brandy is well accepted.”Kobus GelderblomBrandy Master, Oude Molen Distillery
“It is a great honour for us to receive this award and we are very thankful about the reputation from wine enthusiasts in China. This award is a testament to the fact that our white wines not only match the traditional Austrian food but also matches perfectly with the Asian cuisine.”Katja PflogschWinemaker, Domäne Wachau
“To get recognition from such a prestigious panel is vey rewarding indeed, and proves that our wines are made in a style that is truly food friendly. The HKIWSC has become one of the year’s most well-respected wine competitions globally. For us, the food match component is a fantastic chance to demonstrate how well our wines compliment so many different flavours. Moreover, it is a competition known and valued by our customers so a trophy can be hugely influential.””Susanna MayerWinemaker, Yealings
“Awards and medals at the HKIWSC have been like a stamp of approval to the quality of our wines. Because it is an Asian-focused competition, I know that my wines are being judged and measured by the same yardstick as all the other wines, given our viticultural conditions are quite unique compared with the rest of the world. These medals give me and, more importantly, my consumers the confidence that my wines stand apart from the competition.”Kalash GurnaniWinemaker, York Winery
“We are very proud of our results. One of our key focuses is the Asian market, so we really want to make our wines special and desirable for this market. That’s why we want to enter this competition and be evaluated by the expert judging panel.”Sofia Cajewski Winemaker, Cremaschi Furlotti
“We at Yealands Estate Wines are proud to be recognized by the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. The organization is held in the highest regard and our success in the competitions has become a strong voice for our quality around the globe.”Avram DeitchGlobal Marketing Manager, Yealands Wine Group
“Winning awards in reputable international wine shows such as the Cathay Pacific HKIWSC is one of the many ways of educating our consumers and giving them confidence in purchasing the Saint Clair brand. This enhances brand perception an in turn increases sales across our entire portfolio of wines.”Maria EastonWinemaker, Saint Clair Family Estate

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Got Rio Fever? Join the “Wine Olympics” As Test your palate returns to Hong Kong

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