Fellows and friends came in out force to celebrate the inaugural Young Fellows Commonwealth Wine & Mocktail Reception and Challenge on 16th March at The China Club.
It was an evening full of laughter and friendship, a fitting way to welcome RCS Young Fellows and friends. RCS Council Member Hillary King introduced the event; Natalie Stevenson spoke on behalf of the Young Fellows, followed by a light-hearted speech by Peter Lunzer of Lunzer Wine Group.
PHOTO ALBUM NOW ONLINE – CLICK HERE.
The Challenges were extremely well supported, yet some found the Wine Challenge .. rather too challenging. Guests were asked to identify the country of origin of 8 Commonwealth wines; the winning teams managed 3, with a tie breaker between Team Happy Go Lucky and Team Eight, with Happy Go Lucky taking home the trophy. In the individual challenge, Linda Gross was crowned Champion with 4 correct answers.
Over to the Mocktail Challenge, where guests were asked to identify the missing ingredient from 9 Commonwealth inspired non-alcoholic cocktails. Entrants faired better with the Mocktail Championship being won with 7 correct answers by Tammy from Down South Wines.
Such a wonderful event would not have been possible without the incredible support of Consulates and sponsors. Thanks goes to Sir David Tang and The China Club for the venue; KPMG for sponsoring the non-alcoholic cocktails, prizes and photography, to Tanner De Witt for supplying the Lucky Draw champagne and Lai Sun for the Mocktail challenge prize.
The Commonwealth Wine Showcase was made possible by our generous wine sponsors who all supplied stunning wines; we encourage Fellows and Friends to order wines from these suppliers at special RCS rates which also include a donation from sales to our charity IBET to assist them to provide much needed education to underprivileged children from ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
Date for the Diary | April 14th : RCS Young Fellows Happy Hour at Tazmania Ballroom – April 14th from 7pm. Free entry; 50% off drinks; Ping Pong; Pool Challenges .. and more. Drinks on consumption. Register online – no charge.
Become a Fellow of RCS today – click here to register online. Young Fellows : $250 p.a. | Fellows : $500 p.a. | Spouse add $250 p.a.
Make sure you ask our wine suppliers for the RCS special rates and order forms!
AUSTRALIA : Down South Wines Chairmans Reserve Shiraz 2007 @ $160; Down South Wines White Shiraz @ $90; Finders Run Shiraz 2007 @ $180; and Kieras Bin 05 Merlot @ $90. Please contact Robert Stewart +852 2987 1471.
CANADA : B.C. Fine Foods. Great produce from British Columbia, well worth a visit to their website. Please contact Keith on +852 9150 4316.
CANADA : D’Angelo Wine Cellar. 2007 Cabernet Franc @ $216; 2007 Baco Noir @ $248; 2007 Blanc de Blanc VQA @ $168; and 2009 Videl VQA @ $189. Please contact Randy on +852 6153 9043
CANADA : Nice things. Wonderfully nice things including Omerto, the tomato aperitif wine that was showcased. Nice Things is a lifestyle company and have exclusivity for all the artisanal produce represented in Hong Kong. Everything in their portfolio is truly unique, innovative and made by passionate people. Please contact Aaron on +852 6994 0957
HONG KONG : The 8th Estate offers a 40% discount so please visit their site, they also kindly donated the professional corkscrews for the Lucky Draw. Please contact Lysanne and her team by going to their website : http://www.the8estatewinery.com/
INDIA : Watsons Wines. All three wines showcased are offered at an incredible price of $100 a bottle to RCS. Grover Zampa Cabernet Shiraz 2013; Sauvignon Blanc 2014; and Viognier 2014. Please contact Samuel on +852 5462 0788.
NEW ZEALAND : Wine’n’Things Lilian and her team were extremely supportive of the RCS Young Fellows and have an amazing array of wines from many Commonwealth Countries at exceptional prices. The Rugby shirt prizes were sponsored by wine’n’things. Please contact Lilian and her team on +852 2873 5733.
SOUTH AFRICA : Anrise – IMC presented three stunning wines; Cathedral Cellar – Chardonnay 2013 & Pinotage 2009; and for the Blind Tasting challenge, Pearly Bay Cape Rose N.V. Please be in contact for the RCS order form or contact Alan (who is also a RCS Young Fellow) on +852 2573 8782.
SOUTH AFRICA : Pudao Wines presented Fairview Darling Sauvignon Blanc 2011 @ special price $71 per bottle; Fairview Pinotage 2011 @ special price $120 per bottle; Fairview The Beacon Shiraz 2008 @ Special price $236 per bottle. Please go to their website for the best offers or contact Wing and the Padao team on +852 2545 4100
UK : Victoria Wines : A very special offer to RCS for Chapel Down Vintage Brut Reserve NV of $242 a bottle which is a 15% discount. Please contact James and his team on +852 3469 9965.
BLIND TASTING : Wine Rack See the special offers on the three wines presented at the Blind Tasting Challenge or contact Robert and his team on +853 2253 6929.
Alana Estate Riesling NZ : Vavasour Pinot Gris, Marlborough. NZ : Essay Chenin Blanc Viognier, South Africa
Finally thanks to all for a great evening – cheers!