CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

Wine and cheese are an important element of some Western countries' culinary cultures, and they can be easily spotted on many social occasions in Hong Kong. To introduce our students to the wine and cheese culture and guide them to enhance their dining experience, the Wine and Cheese Tasting Workshop was hosted by Prof Eugene PONOMAREV, Member of the Committee on College Life, on 19 March 2019.

Prof PONOMAREV gave an informational presentation on facts about wine and cheese, including countries that produce the most wine in the world, main types of grape varieties and the corresponding types of red or white wine they can make, the production processes, different wine properties (mainly determined by soil and climate), wine bottle label information, wine tasting steps, main types of cheese and their pairings with wine.

The highlight of the workshop was the tasting session where a variety of red wines, white wines, soft cheeses, hard and blue cheeses were served. The participants read the description labels on the table about each type of wine and cheese before tasting them in order to get to know their origins and properties. Some even picked up the bottles and tried to get more information from the bottle labels. Following the wine tasting steps, they also observed the colours and smelled the aroma of different kinds of wine. Some tried to pair the wine and cheese according to Prof PONOMAREV's guide provided during his presentation.

The students had a relaxing and educational evening, getting an after-school tipple, and chatting with their friends in a comfortable, relaxing setting.