Asian Rosé Masters 2018: Results and Analysis
By
Natalie Wang
Meet the judges
Having joined Zuma Hong Kong in 2015 as head sommelier, Juwan Kim is still on a journey to learn about this dynamic wine market. Before Zuma Hong Kong, Kim spent two years in London as one of Roka Mayfair’s opening team member and four years as sommelier in South Korea. Kim’s love for wine was kindled after various food and wine trips to Chile, France, Italy, and Japan. This has led him to pursue WSET level 3 in 2007 which he passed after self study, and later CMS level 2 and CSW. Kim also competed in the second Asia-Oceania Best Sommelier Competition representing South Korea and won the fifth place.
Corinne Mui is the COO & senior wine educator of Asia Wine Service and Education Centre (AWSEC), the first professional wine and spirits education centre in Hong Kong. She holds a Diploma in Wines & Spirits from the UK’s WSET and runs Hong Kong’s only centre offering WSET courses up to and including Diploma level. She is a WSET’s certified educator & internal assessor. She is also the accredited educator for a number of governments and generic wine bodies. Corinne is the official wine ambassador for various wine countries and has recently been awarded the “2018 Sake Ambassador” by the Sake Sommelier Association and the “2017 Best Educator” by Wines of Germany. She conducts regular training to F&B industry and media in Asia and guides study trips in Australia, Europe and Japan. Corinne also writes wine columns and has judged at many wine and saké shows in Australia, Europe, mainland China and Hong Kong.
Stefano Bartolomei is the manager and wine director at one Michelin-starred restaurant Arcane in Wanchai, owned by Australian celebrity chef Shane Osborn. Prior to Arcane, Stefano has amassed years of experiences working in the food and beverage industry. He has been working in the restaurant business since he was 14 years old, when working as commis de salle at the fine dining restaurant “Il Panciolle” in the centre of Italy. His interest in wine has led him to achieve a degree in Oenological and Viticultural Science in 2007 at the University of Perugia. While studying he also worked in Winery such as Vajra, Fontanafredda and Negro in the area of Barolo and in the wider Langhe & Roero. His job at the University of Turin as researcher later helped him to improve also the comprehension of the physiology of the vine, of the ripening dynamics and the extreme importance of the environment or “terroir” where the vine grows. In the Piedmont period also obtained his first job as teacher in culture of wine, at Euroqualità, till May of 2011. The same year, he set up his own consulting business called Bartolomei Wine Specialist Ltd working with restaurants, associations or private villas and wineries.
Malaysian by heritage, Yu-Kong Chow is a Hong Kong based consultant with a professional background in Strategy and Management Consulting. Chow has been advising clients from financial services to petrochemical and from FMCG to retail and hospitality sectors, across the region. His diverse experience spans the MNC, SME, Government and start-up spectrum. In recent years, he has ventured into Wine and F&B Consulting owing to his lifelong passion for the sensory perception of taste. Chow is regularly invited and participates as a wine and spirits judge for award competitions and wine boards.
Click on for this year’s medal-winning wines….