Happy Vines is pleased to be associated with this exciting event in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - Malaysia. This is a special invitation to explore this wonderful Malaysian state with a diverse assortment of ethnicities & cultures.
 
Unspoiled beaches and sparkling sea with top dive spots, cool, cool mountain ranges with raging rivers & spectacular waterfalls. Hiking, biking trails or simply enjoy the scenery with a hot cup of locally-grown Sabah Tea or Tenom Coffee. Indulge in the rich fruits of the sea freshly landed, just minutes from Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, each morning, or vegetables & fruit found only in this region. Enjoy free-range chicken or pigs, if you are lucky, some wild game meats, too.
 
Kota Kinabalu is accessible with almost hourly flights from Kuala Lumpur and 2 flights (2hrs 20mins) per day from Senai, Johor Baru via Air Asia. Long-term car parking is available at Senai Airport. The current JHB-BKI return airfare, during the event period, is about RM455 or ~SGD200. Malaysian Airlines, Singapore Airlines & Silk Air fly direct from Singapore Changi Airport.
 
Besides Hyatt's promotional hotel rates (Hyatt Club members' discount apply), other 5-star hotel options include Shangri La Tanjung Aru, Sutera Harbour, Promenade Hotel, Le Meridien and recently opened Novotel. Other modest hotels (from about RM120/night) by Best Western and Malaysian hotel chains are also available, specially Lembah Impian (http://www.lembahimpian.com.my/), located just 20 minutes from the airport and the city but nestled in the heart of Kadazan villages.
 
Please take this opportunity to visit this 'far off" neighbour that is really not that far away.
 
Bookings may be made directly with Hyatt Regency Kinabalu (below) or through HappyVines.com, via email.  SGD1 = MYR2.30 exchange rate applies. 
 
 


Hyatt Regency Kinabalu will present the first Wine Masterclass ever to be held in the city of Kota Kinabalu at 3:00pm on Saturday, October 4, 2008. Master of Wine Cathy Van Zyl will conduct the relatively formal class in the Keembong room, where six premium labels will be featured from participating wineries. A gastronomic Wine Dinner will follow in the evening in the hotel's Nagisa Japanese Restaurant, during which intricate delicacies will be prepared specially and paired with a different wine selected for this event. The Wine Masterclass and the Wine Dinner cost is RM330 per person, as the class size is limited, advance bookings are necessary; however, those wishing to indulge only in the Wine Dinner can do so for just RM230 per person. Reservations can be made with Annie Lo at 088 29 5300. A special accommodation rate is available for participants attending this event.
At the Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Master Wineclass, devotees of fine wine and professionals dealing with wine will have the exceptional opportunity to learn the finer points of wine from an expert. The education provided by an independent Master of Wine, such as Cathy Van Zyl, is unbiased towards any winery or particular wine. Thus, participants can expect to hear the unadulterated truth about vineyard, and winery practices, the logistics concerning the distribution of wines, and finally, how various kinds of wines are marketed to the public.

During the Wine Masterclass, attendees will gain information that may range from the various options in vineyards to how to encourage dinner guests to order a glass or bottle of wine. Attendees' most frequently asked questions, such as which wines are worth investing in, is there really a difference between champagne and other sparkling wines; is there really a quality difference between DO Chablis, DO Chablis Premier Cru, DO Chablis Grand Cru and DO Chablis "Old Vines", and, if so, how does one discern the differences; how do I identify the difference between Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Barolo; why is Barolo so expensive compared to most Cabernet Sauvignons and Shiraz blends; what are the fashionable and most sought after wines that overseas wine-lovers are drinking today, and why should oaked wines cost more and are they better than non-oaked wines; why are some wines made with a single varietal, while others are a blend of several different grapes; and is a single varietal wine better than a blended wine. These, and other questions, will receive a truly independent answer from Cathy.

Answers to these questions, and much, much more may be gained in just one afternoon session with a Master of Wine at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu. Although not everyone will have their favourite question answered in just one session, attendees will be sure to pick up plenty of tips and plenty of new knowledge at this Wine Masterclass.


Here, we present an exclusive interview with Master of Wine, Cathy Van Zyl: -

What is the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW)?
The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) was established as an entity in 1955:- it exists to promote the highest level of educational achievement for the wine industry, culminating in the internationally recognised qualification of Master of Wine (MW). It organises all aspects of the Master of Wine examination and education programme, runs tasting and other event programmes, provides membership services to the 278 MWs worldwide, and is a database of information and access to specialist advice for the wine industry in general.

What do you need to do to be accepted as a MW?
A Master of Wine is a person who has passed an exam set by the IMW. Although the IMW is based in London, this is an international qualification and MW hopefuls can sit the exam in Australia, US and London. The exam comprises three parts: - part 1 consists of three tasting exams, part 2 comprises four theory exams on everything to do with wine, from growing it to making it to selling it to social issues, and part 3 is a dissertation. Once a person has passed these exams, they are accepted into the Institute and have to abide by its code of ethics. The proper term is “Master of Wine� or the initials MW. I passed in a relatively short time - four years while, one MW took 11 years to complete the course.


Finally, what is the difference between a Masterclass conducted by an independent Master of Wine and one conducted by the Export Manager of a winery or wine marketing company or even the winemaker of a winery?

The differences are: 1) an expert, independent and unbiased view of wines from someone with very detailed knowledge about the subject. A Master of Wine is not a generalist, rather a perfectionist with a vast amount of wine knowledge or, at worst, able to find the correct answers to all questions about wine. 2) The Master of Wine is not paid to sell any winery's portfolio of wines, so there is no need to praise any wine not worthy of praise, 3) A winemaker is usually good at, or biased about, producing a particular style of wine, while a Master of Wine is able to articulate on the various options available in making those wines. A winemaker may say, "This is the way Chardonnay or Shiraz should be made", while a Master of Wine may say, "That is no necessarily so".


When selecting a wine list for a Wine Masterclass, what considerations do you make for people with palates that are often exposed to spicy foods?

Exposure to foods with intense flavours tends to make the palate lazy and unwilling to delve deeper into more subtle flavours. However, the taste buds are hardly dulled by such foods, although the brain may prefer them. With some directed/tutored concentration, most people continue to discern and enjoy the lighter flavours of grassiness, the yeasty aromas of baked bread, white flowers such as lilies and jasmine, roses, and the sweetness of stone fruits such as peaches, lychees, longans and mangosteens, as well as the flavours of rock melon, pineapple and papayas. Thus, while, these people may, at times, enjoy steamed pomfret or garoupa in light soy sauce and ginger or fresh udang galah (river prawns), they would still enjoy bamboo shoots in a free-range chicken stock. The same theory can be applied to wines. The only consideration is that the list of wines should be poured and presented from the subtle and light, proceeding upward in flavour intensity to the over-the-top wines. This is the same way a savvy chef would present his dishes at a meal.


PROFILE

Cathy van Zyl (MW) is 45 years old and is #250 on the IMW membership roll, having been elected to the institution in 2005. She is based in Cape Town, right in the heart of South Africa's beautiful wine country, and writes a blog for the independent website: www.grape.co.za.

As an MW, Cathy's services are sought-after, worldwide, in judging wines, providing consultancy services in wine tourism, and offering advice on restaurants' wine lists, etc. Cathy is on her way to judge at the Sydney International Wine Competition. She immediately jumped on the opportunity to visit a fellow wine professional, Remie Law (of Happy Vines), who has just relocated to Kota Kinabalu. She could not miss the opportunity to discover the new tastes and flavours of Sabah's rich edible flora and fauna. Also, while here, Remie will tap her expertise on how to create a definitive buzz in Sabah's burgeoning food and beverage and tourism industries, making maximum use of available local products.