The Korea Times

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Wine Tasting Gala at Westin Chosun

By Ken Kim Times Wine Writer

ast Friday, I had an opportunity to attend a formal wine tasting party presented jointly by E&J Gallo, a major California wine establishment, and the Westin Chosun here in town. The tastings went so well that for a while, I thought I was sitting in one of those official events arranged by major winery for their potential buyers. I would like to dedicate this week's column entirely to the tasting because the whole evening was such an extraordinary event, especially when considering that the town is still in the process of awakening to catch the wine fever. I once wrote a story about the E&J Gallo wine operation, and in the article I wrote that the Gallo is a true pioneer in setting the contemporary wine standard in North America. The enormity of the Gallo wine culture and its impact in the world of wine are well known to all wine lovers. And with due respect, I would like to render my personal experiences with it. I have lived my entire adult life in the shadow of Gallo. The Gallo brings to my mind the town of Modesto which is a major farming town in the middle of the desert, much like central California. Because I am so attached to farming, my family and I used to visit the central valley fairly often. Of course, I had to drive through the town whenever I went to Yosemite National Park. When my children were growing up, packing the camping gear and heading out toward the Sierra foothills of California was a regular "weekend thing." Anyone who has traveled to the area probably also remembers the hot, dry heat and the miles of brown landscapes filled with dry grass. Other memories of Gallo wines include buying them during our weekly grocery shopping because they were the only ones that I could afford and that famous family feud over the division of property after the unexpected death of Ernest Gallo who died in a car accident on a California highway called Pachaco Pass. Lately, I've been seeing his grandchildern, Matt and Jina, of Jullio Gallo on national television promoting the Gallo of Sonoma, the very wine which was the celebrated feature of Friday's tasting. Now the Gallos are spread

Ken Kim, right, The Korea Times wine writer, talks with some of the guests at the wine tasting dinner party held at the Ninth Gate Restaurant in the Westin Chosun Hotel, downtown Seoul, on May 22.

From the Grapevin

among three generations and their wines get better and better all the time. Even the TV ad was very personal as the two young pairs walked in front of their picturesque vineyard saying that they have to make better wine because they are Gallo's children. The Sonoma is located above the famous Napa Valley which means they moved approximately 200 miles north of their grandparents' original wine operation setting. Therefore, I have the reason to think that these descendants of the original Gallo have to be separate and independent from their grandparents even though they may seem one and the same in consumers' view. To get back to the main event, the wines served throughout the evening Were of five varietals: i.e., Turning Leaf Sauvignon Blanc 1995, Stefani Vineyard Chardonnay 1995, Gallo of Sonoma Merlot 1995, Frei Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 and Indigo Hills Brut Chardonnay Sparkling Wine. The tastings were at the Ninth Gate restaurant and the reception began with a sparkling wine (by the way, the French refer to this as a champagne) and canapes. The guests were greeted impressively by an army of hotel staff from the top down upon entering. During the reception, we were invited to the newly constructed cellar in the basement. There, a Bauduax Merlot was served along with a presentation on the cellar's design and the wine stock. After the tour, we returned to the Ninth Gate and sat according to a carefully designed sitting arrangement. The dinner showcase began with the first pour of the evening and salad. Goose liver terrine and young leeks with California greens were artistically mixed and prepared on a see-through glass plate as the very first appetizer. The dish just mentioned looked like those that you see in countries like Austria. I will talk more about this dish later. Of course, the first dinner wine of the evening was the Turning Leaf Sauvignon Blanc 1995. Mr, Hyo Chang Kim (no relation) of E&J Gallo gave a formal introduction on the varietals. This Sauvignon Blanc was so fully developed that I thought for moment that it was a Chardonnay. But perhaps that was because it has nearly 20 percent of the French Colombard along with the oak enhancement. According to the wine maker's note, however, the wine was a medium

body wine. The dinner then went on to the three remaining appetizers and they were Lobster consomme, seabass and chardonnay (not wine, referring the food) sherbet. After the Sauvignon Blanc, the Stefani Vineyard Chardonnay 1995 was served. Unlike the Blanc, the Chardonnay was of a 100 percent Stefani vineyard grape variety and had much greater oak flavor than the other. AccGrding to the wine maker's note, the grapes were squeezed by a membrane press method where only the free run juice was captured to avoid the tannin from the skin. I must admit that I was so overwhelmed by the robust flavor of Sauvignon Blanc that I could barely enjoy the Chardonnay. Perhaps the sequence should have been reversed because I forgot to mention that during the entree part of the dinner, Gallo of Sonoma Merlot 1995 and Frei Ranch Cabemet Sauvignon 1994 were served. These wines complemented the beef tournedos as well as walnut bread cheeses. The dinner presentation ended with cham.pagne (not wine, it's name of an ice cream) and honey ice cream and coffee. No dessert wine was served because E&J Gallo do not produce dessert wine. They do produce brandy but that is too strong for an after dinner drink - unless you are used to drinking Korean soju after dinner. In closing, I must add a couple of remarks about the electric candlelights and the table cloth. Perhaps it has something to do with the local fire policy, but it would sure have been nicer to have the real candlelights tall and thin ones - instead of the fake, electric ones. The color of the table cloth was greenish and because of it, the salad served on the seethrough plate was overwhelmed due to background color. All in all, the whole event was truly a memorable evening and I want to give credit to Kevin Molloy who is the general manager of the Westin Chosun here in Seoul. Kevin is also a veteran career hotel manager. I wish the Westin and other establishments will have this type of tastings on a regular basis so that wine connoisseurs in Seoul will feel right at home and not feel stuck in a far away place. Well, for those who missed this one but still wish to have a make-up tasting, please join me at my next wine tasting at the Westin Chosun at 3:00 p.m. this Saturday, May 30.