Alasdair Nicol talks about educating yourself (and your kids) about wines

According to my mother, my first experience with alcohol was when I was just 18 months old. At a dinner party my parents were hosting, as the guests retired to the dining room, one small child thought it a good idea to finish off all the remaining port left on the table (my affinity for port wine has since followed me into my adult years). Noting the empty glasses and a toddler staggering more than
usual, they put two and two together and had to put a rather tipsy little boy to bed.

I realised at an early age that I’d have to learn more about wine if I wanted it to be an integral part of my life. It wasn’t always easy though: growing up in Hong Kong, my parents drank Brown Brothers most of the time because it was one of the only Australian wines that was commercially available to us in the 1980s. The iconic tipple at the time was Paul Masson (there was always a bottle in the fridge at home) and, at family barbecues, there would always be a bag in the box wine kicking about. Needless to say, my early impressions of wine weren’t all that great. But after much trial and error (and many nasty bottles), I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to come to grips with the grape is just to get out there and experiment.

Granted, there are many different ways for you to learn about vintages in this town. There are WSET courses offered by many wine education centres and there are appreciation classes at HKU Space that can give you a more in-depth knowledge of wine in its entirety. But do you really need to know about soil type, climatic conditions and genetically modified yeast to be able to appreciate and enjoy a good glass?

There are plenty of ways to learn about a good bouquet outside of a classroom environment and, in my experience, these have often proven to be much more useful in developing one’s palate and understanding of wines. Just recently, I had dinner at my local dai pai dong with a bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne. There were no proper champagne flutes but who cares? It was an entertaining and thoroughly educational experience. The down-and-dirty dishes paired beautifully with the wine and the tumblers we used actually made the bubbles dissipate faster, making it much easier for consumption. Who’d have thought?

It can’t always be champagne and fine Burgundies but if you make wine a staple at the dinner table, you’ll eventually find a bottle or two you love. So go ahead and give it a go. In fact, get your kids interested in wines too and let them try a little bit from an early age. All this will add up to a greater sense of responsible drinking and a finer appreciation for this fantastic product. After all, when it comes to wine, it’s not about getting it right. Rather, it’s about being comfortable with your own tastes.

WSET approved centres
Asia Wine Service & Education Centre 2964 0188; www.awsec.com
HKU SPACE 2867 8306; www.hkuspace.hku.hk