Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will implement an “online + offline” format for the first time to give both its local and international audiences a gastronomic experience without time and geographical constraints.
From November 11 to December 15, the Festival will feature exciting online experiences such as Online Wine Cellar, Gourmet at Home Menus, and live-streamed cookery and wine-tasting masterclasses on a new one-stop online platform. Offline experiences will include special deals and gastronomic events from hundreds of dining outlets across the city for consumers to enjoy.
The Festival’s global audience will have free access to 34 online masterclasses that will be live-streamed on WineDineFestival.DiscoverHongKong.com for three consecutive Saturdays and Sundays from November 21 to December 6. These online masterclasses will cover a wide range of topics, from wine and spirits trends to fine dining, healthy eating, and the art of food plating.
Those who enjoy a tipple can tune in to the wine talks by Hong Kong-based, internationally acclaimed critic James Suckling and Master of Wine Debra Meiburg who will share recommendations on the themes “New Wave Bordeaux” and “The Pacific West”, respectively. Suckling will introduce three bottles of affordable new wine from Bordeaux.
“Hong Kong is one of the best wine cities in the world, ranking at the same level as London and New York,” Suckling said. “Hong Kong also remains the number one export market for Bordeaux wines. This year’s Festival is going to reach more people around the world, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Cocktail lovers should not miss award-winning mixologist Jay Khan’s masterclass, which will see the co-founder of Mexican bar COA in action whipping up tequila cocktails. Foodies looking to hone their skills in the kitchen will learn new tips and tricks from the live cooking demonstrations of celebrated Hong Kong chefs like Shane Osborn of Arcane and Cornerstone and Vicky Cheng of VEA Restaurant & Lounge.
Equally interesting is the all-lady line-up on November 28. Themed Lady’s Talk, five influencers, who are shaking up Hong Kong’s food and beverage scene, will each host a masterclass to share a unique take on their own expertise. The influencers in order of appearance are Shirley Kwok, founder of vegan bakery The Cakery, chef Vicky Lau of TATE Dining Room, certified sake sommelier Jamie Lo, Master of Wine Sarah Heller, and actress-turned-winemaker Bernice Liu.
“Although the HKTB’s mega events have been suspended for some time, we are drawing on our ingenuity and resources to optimise and adapt promotions against the backdrop of a pandemic that will be with us for some time,” HKTB Chairman Dr. YK Pang said.
“That’s why we have decided to resume the staging of mega events, and adopt a new ‘online + offline’ format for the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2020. It is a new venture designed for the new normal in which we find ourselves. The HKTB is doing this to ensure people can join this annual event in spite of the pandemic, and to help our hard-hit businesses to promote their products and open up new business opportunities in these challenging times.”
Dr Pang added: “Our objective is to continue giving the Hong Kong economy a boost and to send out a positive message to the world that Hong Kong’s can-do spirit and love of life have not been dampened in any way by the pandemic, and that we can use our innovation to stage our signature events while we prepare to welcome visitors back to our city.”
To get more information about the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2020 and the full programme of the online masterclasses, please visit: WineDineFestival.DiscoverHongKong.com.
