Photos of AGM

Link to AGM photos - https://picasaweb.google.com/107837847350736801928/IwfsAgmMar2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKjjvsnPmur0QQ&feat=directlink

New IWFSS Committee for 2012 - 2013

NEW COMMITTEE FOR 2012-2013

President: Joyce Chang

Vice President: CT Chen

Hon. Treasurer: Robert Lee

Hon. Secretary: Victor Mills

Cellar Master: Glenn Chin Chao

Sueann Smith

Jen Shek Wei

Andy Sim

Laurence Low

Alex Koh

Auditors Mike Gray, Elena Okorotchenko

Dear members,

I am pleased to announce the new committee that was appointed at the recently concluded annual general meeting. I thank you for your strong endorsement and look forward to seeing you at our events. We have an exciting lineup of events planned this year, including a 1966 bordeaux dinner, 1995 pomerol dinner and a charity auction during our national day dinner. Meanwhile, the calendar of events for the next quarter is set out below. Do remember to book early!

13^th April (sat) An evening at the Moluccas room -with a selection of red burgundy 2005 and 1999 Margaret River chardonnay

4^th May (fri) Barolo Dinner at Alkaff mansion with 3 Barolo producers

13 June ( wed) LP & Tetsu– the cuisine of Laurent Peugeot, paired with the burgundy wines of Henri Gouges and Pierre Peters champagne

Best regards,

Joyce Chang

President

International Wine and Food Society of Singapore

The Artisanal Champagne Lunch at The Boathouse (18th Feb 2012)

Dear Members,

Champagne has always enjoyed a favoured reputation as a bit of a luxury product, not undeservedly when the difficulty and expense of making it is considered. This tended to favour the emergence of large houses, who would contract to buy grapes from many of the approximately 19,000 small growers who own almost 90% of the land that qualifies to be labelled Champagne in order to make wines that reflect a consistent style year after year. However, one of the movements in the world of wine in the past decade that has the genuine feel of a paradigm shift has been the emergence of a new wave of small-scale Champagne makers. These artisanal winemakers go against the established norm by making wines not to taste the same but to taste of where they come from. Their champagnes would be sourced from the same vineyard or cluster of vineyards from the same village, with the emphasis being terroir rather than uniformity — and the outcome is a new wave of champagnes that taste different: they sparkle with character and exhibit increasingly transparent and daring flavours on the palate.

In curating this champagne lunch then, our esteemed cellarmaster put together a list of champagnes that excites him personally. All 6 champagnes are Grand Cru, which means they come from the best 9% of vineyards in Champagne. Half of the list is not commercially available in Singapore. The Alain Soutiran Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru took first place at a blind-tasting of 64 champagnes in London in early 2010; unsurprising considering that this fifth-generation champenois hand-harvests from his 37 acres of vineyards and ages his reserve wines in Burgundian oak. The Blanc de Blancs has an open-knit nose with creamy, vanilla and toasty notes overlaid with lemons and green apples, and even a note of savoury depth appearing on the harmoniously structured palate. Its sibling, the Alain Soutiran Grand Cru Brut (which incredibly placed second in the same London tasting) is almost our cellarmaster's house champagne: on the nose it combines summer fruit delicacy, including lemons, peaches, a touch of lime, green apples and sherbet, with a precision and lightness on its feet, and yet there is depth on the palate that fills out the fruit with some dairy and patisserie notes. Meanwhile, the Lallier Grand Cru Brut turned out to be Jancis Robinson's top NV grower champagne at that tasting. Her note: "Quite a deep straw. Smells a bit wild-flower-like, sort of biodynamic! Fleury? Tight knit with lots going on. Interesting even if there is a bit of bruised apple on the finish. Quite long and certainly interesting. A bit chewy, but very attractive."

Of the remaining champagnes, the Egly-Ouriet Tradition Grand Cru may be somewhat more widely known as one of the earliest to gain attention in the grower-champagne movement, and its 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay offers a powerful nose of apple, yeast and cream, persisting through alongside some rustic notes on the palpably dense palate. The Henri Giraud Hommage à François Hémart Aÿ Grand Cru is the hidden gem from the producer of Fût de Chêne, one of the richest (and priciest) champagnes ever. 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from the vineyards of Aÿ, this wine was matured for six months in small oak casks, giving it that additional depth. The nose is all toasted coconut, dairy, baked apple, cream, biscuity notes, and yes that bit of oak showing through vanilla and cinnamon, while on the palate there is density and weight even as apple and citrus fruit comes through with a touch of honeycomb. As for the Paul Bara Special Club 2002, you should have seen our reaction the first time we encountered its highly poised nose of citrus fruit, green apple, light white flowers and minerals, giving on to peaches and cream on the palate outlined by very fine acidity on a slightly expansive body. The Special Club series was created by the first wave of independent growers to be taken notice of, all the way back in 1971, as their version of a prestige cuvée, with the catch that each wine proposed to be bottled in the distinctive Special Club bottle must gain the approval of the other growers in the club, so you can be sure of an exceptional wine.

We're not forgetting however that many of us feel a meal is incomplete without some red wine, so we're also pitching in a liberal quantity of Chateau Liversan 1989, and for the sweet ending we thought it would be nice to also have some bubbles in it, hence the Freixenet Carta Nevada Sweet NV.

Matching the delicacy and transparency of these champagnes needs a cuisine with an equally poised and precise touch. For this reason we selected the Boathouse, where chef Jonathan Koh, who had trained under a classical French chef in a three-star Michelin restaurant in Montpellier, turns out modern French cuisine featuring seasonal produce and not a small dash of creativity; although we must admit the intimate setting within the heritage 1919 Waterboat House opposite the Fullerton has its charm too.

The Society proudly presents ….

The Artisanal Champagne Lunch at The Boathouse

Date: February 18^th 2012 (Saturday)

Venue: The Boathouse

Address: 3 Fullerton Road #03-01 The Waterboathouse, Singapore

Time: 12:00 pm (Aperitif Reception), 12:30 pm (Lunch)

Price: Member (S$160) Guest (S$180)

Dress Code: Smart casual

Limited to 40 pax

Bookings and reservations: Please email: C T Chen at ctchen@acieslaw.com for reservations.

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations WILL NOT be considered confirmed unless the Booking Form together with Payment

is received by 11^th February 2012.

Menu Selection:

*For non-meat & vegetarian options, a special menu can be arranged upon prior request.

Amuse Bouche
Gazpacho of Petite Pois, Emulsion of Alsatian Bacon

Lallier Grand CruBrut NV

Salt-baked Beets and Oysters Beignet

Compression of Legumes, Raspberry Vinaigrette
Alain Soutiran Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV

Alain Soutiran Brut Grand Cru NV

Roasted Hokkaido Scallops

Smoothie of Cauliflower, Caramelized Almonds, Emulsion of Piedmont Hazelnut

Egly-Ouriet Tradition Grand Cru NV

Atlantic Sea Bass ala Plancha

Fricasse of Seafood, Cremeux of Fennel, Chateau Estoublon Olive Oil

Henri Giraud, Hommage à François Hémart, Aÿ Grand Cru NV

Paul Bara Special Club 2002

Roasted Angus Ribeye

Fondant of Ratte Potato, Glazed Shallot Confit, Sauce Bordelaise

Chateau Liversan 1989

Warm Banana Brioche, Confiture of Raspberry, Nutella Ice Cream

Freixenet Carta Nevada (Sweet) NV

Regards,

Joyce Chang

President,

IWFS of Singapore

Frank Family Vineyards - Napa Valley Wines @ Table at 7

Dear members,

For the month of February , the society is pleased to host Ed Skupien, Director of Sales of Frank Family Vineyards ,a Napa Valley boutique winery at a dinner featuring the East meet West cuisine of Table at 7.

Frank Family Vineyards

Located in the historic “Hanns Kornell” winery in Calistoga (the 3rd oldest winery in Napa), Frank Family Vineyards is owned by longtime Disney executive Rich Frank and Connie Frank. During his wildly successful long-term career in Hollywood, Rich was Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications , headed Disney’s syndication arm Buena Vista and was President of Walt Disney Studios for nearly a decade. Rich’s passion for Napa Valley wines led to the Franks purchase of the Larkmead winery with friend Koerner Rombauer in 1992. In January 2007, Rich Frank and his family assumed total control of Frank Family Vineyards. The limited-production, fruit-forward, yet balanced Frank Family wines have a loyal following that is due both to the popularity of Winemaker Todd Graff’s “blockbuster” wines and the convivial tasting room at the winery.

Frank Family Vineyards wines are produced in small quantities and currently sold only at the winery and a handful of selected restaurants and specialty retailers. A firm favourite with Robert Parker Jr, the Cabernet Sauvignons are consistently highly rated by him. We are fortunate to feature their Cabernet Sauvignon, their limited production Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as well as their flagship Winston Hill Cabernet Blend, all from the superb 2007 vintage. The Reserve and the Winston Hill are made in very small batches from select lots on the Winston Hill Vineyard, Rich Frank’s personal hillside estate in the heart of Rutherford, and are available on an allocation/mailing list basis only.

The society is grateful to Water and Wine for making this event possible.

Table at 7

Table at 7 features the unique team of Veteran restaurateurs Karl Dobler and Eugenia Ong who bring to the table a total of more than 60 years of varied culinary expertise. Karl’s reputation in Singapore as a private chef and Eugenia’s catering business limited their abilities to share their talent and passion with a wider audience. With the establishment of Table at 7, both chefs have found the perfect platform to showcase their culinary craft and technique. In a two prong, East meets West approach, the chefs cater to discerning gourmands with cuisine prepared by Karl based on Modern European fare and gourmet Indonesian carefully crafted by Eugenia. We are pleased to present a menu featuring the best of both cuisines.

The society proudly

Presents

Frank Family Vineyards - Napa Valley wines @ Table at 7 Date: February 4 , 2012 (Saturday) Venue: Table at 7 Address: 7 Mohamad Sultan Road Time: 7:30 pm (Aperitif Reception), 8:00 pm (Dinner) Price: Member (S$140) Guests (S$160) Dress Code: smart casual Limited to 40 pax Bookings and reservations: Please email: C T Chen at ctchen@acieslaw.com for reservations. PLEASE NOTE: Reservations WILL NOT be considered confirmed unless the Booking Form together with Payment is received by 28 January 2012. Wine Selection: NV Frank Family Blanc de Blanc, Napa Valley NV Frank Family Blanc de Noir, Napa Valley 2008 Frank Family Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2009 Frank Family Pinot Noir, Napa Valley 2007 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2007 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Rutherford 2007 Frank Family Red Wine, Winston Hill, Napa Valley NV Frank Family Port

Menu Selection: Frank Family Vineyards Dinner Menu 4th February 2012 Canapés Mini Lemper Forest Mushroom Vol-au-Vent NV Frank Family Blanc de Blanc, Napa Valley Starter Smoked Ocean Trout with Fresh Wasabi Dressing and Rocket NV Frank Family Blanc de Noir, Napa Valley Entrée 1 Demi – tasse of Lobster Bisque 2008 Frank Family Chardonnay, Napa Valley Entrée 2 A Platter of Roasted Crispy Iberico Suckling Pig with Star Anise Glaze, Smoked Bacon Sauer Kraut and Potato Fondant 2009 Frank Family Pinot Noir, Napa Valley Entrée 3 Authentic Indonesian Chicken Satay served with Traditional Peanut and Sweet Spicy Dip 2007 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Main Course Authentic Wagyu Beef Cheek Rendang served with Shallot Rice 2007 Frank Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve Rutherford 2007 Frank Family Red Wine, Winston Hill, Napa Valley Dessert Warm Valrhona Chocolate Tartlets NV Frank Family Port *For non-meat & vegetarian options, a special menu can be arranged upon request.

Regards,

Joyce Chang

President, IWFS of Singapore

An evening of 80's and 70's Rioja (14th Jan 2012)

The Frank Gehry designed Hotel Marques de Riscal

Lopez de Heredia produces an excellent “Vina Tondonia” Reserva Rioja

The wonderful cellar of Bodega La Rioja Alta

An evening of 80's and 70's Rioja

Spain has a long history of producing fine wines, particularly the red wines of Rioja . The epitome of fine red Spanish wine for generations, these wines from the region of La Rioja in Northern Spain can be superb, especially the aged Reservas and Gran Reservas from its top estates.

Located south of the Cantabrian Mountains along the Ebro river, La Rioja benefits from a continental climate. The mountains help to isolate the region which has a moderating effect on the climate. They also protect the vineyards from the fierce winds that are typical of Northern Spain. The region is also home to the Oja river (Rio Oja), believed to have given the region its name. Most of the region is situated on a plateau, a little more than 1,500 feet (460 m) above sea level..

Spain has a classification system, with all classified wine regions regulated under the Denominación de Origen (DO) system. In Rioja, red wines are labelled as Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva and are made primarily from the Tempranillo grape, with much smaller proportions of Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. While the minimum aging requirements for Reservas is three years old (at least one year in cask) and for Gran Reservas five years old (two in cask, three in bottle), it is not uncommon for some traditional bodegas to age their red wines in American oak for 15–20 years or even more before their release. The Gran Reserva is only made in extraordinary vintages and boasts both depth and body and elegance.

In September 2011, a magnificent cellar of rare and old Spanish Rioja was one of the highlights at the Christie’s wine auction. Featuring Rioja from the 1920’s to the 1980s, it featured wines from all the top rioja bodegas like La Rioja Alta, Marques de Murrietta, López de Heredia and Marqués de Riscal. We are fortunate that our member Bernhard Steiner successfully bid and agreed to release some of the wines to the society so that we can have our exclusive taste of Rioja history. These wines are paired with the contemporary cuisine of chef Mark Richards of Keystone Restaurant who so impressed the society at a recent dinner, leading to this encore visit. The society proudly

Presents

An evening of 80's and 70's Rioja Date: January 14 , 2012 (Saturday) Venue: Keystone Restaurant Address: 11 Stanley Street Time: 7:30 pm (Aperitif Reception), 8:00 pm (Dinner) Price: Member (S$160) Guests (S$190) Dress Code: smart casual Limited to 40 pax Bookings and reservations: Please email: C T Chen at ctchen@acieslaw.com for reservations. PLEASE NOTE: Reservations WILL NOT be considered confirmed unless the Booking Form together with Payment is received by 7th January 2012. Wine Selection: Freixenet Vintage Cava Brut Reserva NV Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad NV Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva Etiqueta Blanca 1982 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 1982 Lopez de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 1982 Yllera Rioja Reserva1982 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 1985 ( magnum) Bodegas Riojanas Viña Albina Rioja Gran Reserva1970

Menu Selection: Please see attached menu. *For non-meat & vegetarian options, a special menu can be arranged upon request.

Regards,

Joyce Chang

President, IWFS of Singapore