Have you seen the movie,
Crazy Rich Asians?
If not, you must! Why? Because yours truly is from Singapore. And one might argue that I am two-third of the way to being a Crazy Rich Asian. For fun, I decided that I'd check on a couple of my Crazy Rich Asian friends and find out what wines they drink.
Erica is born in Singapore and lives in Malaysia so she gets to enjoy the best of both worlds. After being a stay-at-home mom for 20 years, she found her passion in educating people about using Essential Oils in their wellness journey.
Jimmy is a Taiwanese American entrepreneur based in San Francisco who has a few technology startups to his name. He now runs an accelerator program to help other startups grow and succeed.
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| Erica's Bordeaux babies |
How did you discover your interest in wine?
Erica: It all started with the first bottle of 1982 Lafite, that I bought when I was only 24. That was when I learned that drinking wine is an art, that collecting wine is also an art.
Jimmy: I was a management consultant when I first started getting interested in wine. We would go out for large team dinners, and the partners would order expensive wine. But I realized that I didn't know anything about it. So I decided to learn more by taking winery tours and reading about wine online.
What is the most memorable bottle of wine that you have drunk?
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| Erica savoring her red
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Erica: 1983 Petrus. I was amazed that it cost so much and over a casual dinner.
Jimmy: 2011 Scarecrow that I had with a good group of friends at my birthday party two years ago. It was special because it was a rare bottle of wine that I had been saving and I was able to share it with a good group of people who appreciated it.
What is your philosophy in wine consumption?
Erica: Drink all round the world. Taste them all, and love them all.
Jimmy: Everyone has different tastes. You should ultimately just trust your own taste buds. It isn't about the price. There are great bottles of wine for less. Just go out there and do a tasting and learn what you like and don't like.
What is a regular bottle of weeknight wine to you?
Erica: A Brunello!
Jimmy: It can be anything that is in my wine fridge, to be honest. My recent favorite is Kunde, but my girlfriend and I also drink a lot of wine from Black Stallion.
Where do you buy your wine?
Erica: I have a friend who is a wine importer. We also go to wine countries in France and Italy.
Jimmy: I have wine club memberships at Nickel & Nickel, Far Niente, Alpha Omega, Black Stallion, Kunde, BR Cohn, Buena Vista, DeLoach, and Raymond. Living so close to Napa and Sonoma means that we can pretty much go there whenever we want and pick up directly from the vineyards themselves.
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| Jimmy and friends at Black Stallion Winery in Napa |
Describe your wine collection.
Erica: I collect wine both as an investment and for personal consumption. I have about 3,000 bottles mostly from Bordeaux left bank. I have a vertical of Chateau Pichon Lalande.
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Jimmy sharing wine with friends
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Jimmy: I collect wine to share them with good friends and experience them together with others. It isn't about the money or an investment. I have more bottles than will fit in my wine fridge, and the wine fridge fits about 160 bottles. We love red wines and especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Most of my wines are from Napa or Sonoma.
Describe your dream wine cellar.
Erica: My dream wine cellar is in the basement and cool. There will be two barrels with six stools and a see-through glass ceiling so that I can peer at my wine cellar from the level above.
Jimmy: I'm looking forward to building the dream wine cellar, but I'd like to create a basement at my house where I can store thousands of bottles and start saving a bottle from every year so that I can pass that along to my kids in the future.
What is the dream bottle that you'd like to try?
Erica: 1961 Latour. I want to taste a true king of my terroirs!
Jimmy: I've yet to try the elusive Screaming Eagle, and I'd love to get a chance to try that and see what the big fuss is all about.
By the time Phillips sold the winery to Stan Kroenke and Charles Bank in 2006, the members-only price was $300 a bottle. Today, the wait to get on the Screaming Eagle mailing list is rumored to be a few decades long. If you are patient enough to get on the mailing list, you get to purchase Screaming Eagle at $850 a bottle, a screaming deal since the aftermarket price averages three to four times that. And the restaurant price... you do the math!
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