Author: Jacky I.F. Cheong
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The Vinous Future – in the Winery
When the green shoots of organic wine began to appear in the 70s and 80s of the past century, it was sniffed at as nothing more ... -
The Land of the Eagles II
(Continued from “Land of the Eagles” on 12 February 2019) To this day, the flag and coat-of-arms of Albania still prominently feature those of Gjergj Kastriot ... -
The Land of the Eagles
Covering some 29,000sqkm and with a population of just under three million, the Republic of Albania is one of the only three countries/regions in Europe wherein ... -
The Oriental Republic
Covering some 176,000sqkm and with a total population of just under 3.5 million, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the 2nd smallest in area and ... -
The Stateside Spirit IV
(Continued from “The Stateside Spirit III” on 25 January 2019) Tennessee whiskey is, in a nutshell, a regional style of Bourbon whiskey. Tennessee whiskey is subject ... -
The Stateside Spirit III
(Continued from “The Stateside Spirit II” on 18 January 2019) Bourbon as a whisk(e)y style is not to be sniffed at – that is a common ... -
The Stateside Spirit II
(Continued from “The Stateside Spirit” on 11 January 2019) True to the American spirit, the development of bourbon was the result of private enterprise rather than ... -
The Stateside Spirit
Comparatively unchained by customs and traditions, the great U.S. of A. boasts arguably the widest range of whiskey styles anywhere on earth. Having said that, bourbon ... -
The Rhodanien Analogue
Even if bestowed with singular character and outstanding quality, many grape varieties nonetheless remain at the regional level rather than becoming international varieties; not that becoming ... -
The Stature of Alsace
Governed by Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), France’s world-renowned Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system is primus inter pares in Europe, predating its ... -
The Great White North
The second largest country in the world by total area (land and sea areas combined), Canada seems significantly larger than China and the US on the ... -
Music Review | Quintessentially Baroque
Part I – Once forgotten, now recollected The story of Baroque is a perpetual one, as told by past and present editions of the Baroque Music ... -
The Nomenclatural Exception
In the timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare wrote “[a] rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. This generally applies to grape varieties ... -
The Thorny Issue
The use of caramel colour is probably the single most controversial subject in the world of whisky. Unlike sulphite in wine, which can be naturally occurring, ... -
The Marmite Issue
It is almost unfair that Marmite remains the most widely accepted shorthand, in English at least, for something that is either loved to death or loathed ... -
The Insular Powerhouses
Despite its cool-headed name, chill filtering is no doubt one of the most hotly debated topics amongst whisky lovers, newcomers and old-timers alike. Detractors, often puritanical, ... -
The Coastal Tours de Force
Maturation is not the prerogative of scotch; it is an important factor and process in a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. However, scotch has arguably the ... -
The Musqué Mutation
Along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer is easily one of the most distinctive grape varieties in the world, instantly identifiable by its signature lychee and rose petal ... -
The Little Rascal
Literally “little rascal” in the local dialect, Arneis is a rather finicky grape variety originating from Piemonte, still largely restricted thereto, apart from pockets of cultivation ... -
The Well of Mary; or, Safe Haven
Covering approximately 78,000sqkm, Scotland has some 10,000km of coastline, in addition to nearly 800 islands around the perimeter of its mainland. Somewhat counterintuitively, those islands situated ... -
The Standard-Bearers of Württemberg IX
(Continued from “The Standard-Bearers of Württemberg VIII” on 29 June 2018) This Württemberg series has come a long way since the publication of the first article ... -
The Mull of Kintyre
By far the smallest amongst Scotland’s sextet of whisky regions, Campbeltown is said to be “the nearest place to nowhere, and the furthest from anywhere”. For ... -
The Emblem of Korea
Covering some 220,000sqkm and shared uncomfortably by warring twins, the Korean Peninsula sits latitudinally on a par with the much less militarised Iberian Peninsula, but it ... -
The Pride of Angus
Representing approximately half of Scotland’s formidable century of single malt distilleries, Speyside has been the heart of scotch since the 20th century. Meanwhile, possessing around 30 ... -
The Icon of Serbia II
(Continued from “The Icon of Serbia” on 18 May 2018) Covering some 88,000 sqkm (with Kosovo) or 77,000 sqkm (without Kosovo) and with a population of ... -
The Standard-Bearers of Württemberg VIII
(Continued from “The Standard-Bearers of Württemberg VII” on 2 March 2017) The love story between wine and oak can be traced back to time immemorial, but ... -
The Southern Pétrus
For oenophiles and even the most ardent Francophiles, Sud-Ouest remains the one unconquered territory lurking at the edge of the French realm. It would be futile ... -
The Yellow Wine from France
The annual Le French GourMay tends to feature single wine regions as official themes, e.g. Bourgogne in 2013, Vallée du Rhône in 2014, Alsace in 2016 ... -
The Coterie of Champions
Since its inception in 1984, the International Wine Challenge (“IWC”) has gradually established itself as one of the most authoritative tasting competitions in the world. Its ... -
The Alpine Bastion III
(Continued from “The Alpine Bastion II” on 20 April 2018) Despite the upper hand French grape varieties and French-speaking cantons continue to enjoy in Swiss viticulture ... -
The Icon of Serbia
Glancing over the map of Europe, one tends to take it for granted that wine belongs to the Catholic south, beer to the Protestant north and ... -
The New Face of Dão
Alongside Chianti fiasco, Franken bocksbeutel and Rioja wire netting, Dão’s jute wrapping must be one of the most distinctive and instantly recognisable wine bottle designs in ... -
The Burgundian Exception
Everyone knows by heart that Bourgogne is all about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hawk-eyed oenophiles may add Gamay, Aligoté, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc to the ... -
The Hessian Mountains
Possessing merely 462ha of vineyards (source: Deutscher Wein Statistik 2017 by Deutsches Weininstitut), Hessische Bergstraße is the smallest of Germany’s 13 wine regions by both hectarage ... -
The Alpine Bastion II
(Continued from “The Alpine Bastion” on 30 March 2018) The Swiss Confederation comprises a total of 26 cantons, sharing amongst themselves 4 official languages, namely German, ...
