Seeing that my introduction to The Fine Wine Experience came from the very welcoming, very…read moreknowledgeable team member Francois Tran and also a very interesting wine tasting experience of discovering "2014 German Auction Rieslings"...clearly the bar has been set high on expectations of boutique wine shops. With their small retail front in Sheung Wan and extensive collection housed in their off-sight warehouse, on-line is actually the best way to see and research the wines they have for sale, about the expansive breath of talented staff on their team and also about the long list of events they promote and host. They have just a fraction of their overall wine stock for actual sale in their store, but Francoise could not have been more welcoming when we wandered in to find out what this shop was all about. In this retail location, along with what is for sale, we attended a wine tasting of rieslings. At a small cost of $400 per person (which is then credited back to you if you make a purchase at the tasting of at least $2000). Informative, informal, interesting, engaging, humorous. We had a lovely time and really enjoyed learning more about rieslings in the presence of about 15 or so other attendees. The discussion was held by Linden Wilke, with 20+ years of experience in the wine business. Although we were a touch out of our league in this group with our knowledge of rieslings specifically (truth be told, I am a Pinot drinker of countless years), we could not have been more welcomed and actively encouraged to talk and learn and discover. It was lovely! We look forward to exploring their website, popping in to ask questions and continuing to learn and discover wines of the world with the Fine Wine Experience as a partner in our education.

The HK Wine and Dine festival only takes place once a year in Oct, so of course I had to attend…read morewhile I'm here. ;) Location: about a 10 min walk from Central, HK, and Admiralty stations Best way to get here from the Kowloon area is by ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui~ 3 minute walk!! The event overlooks the harbour so the view is beautiful and it's breezy, even when crowded. Note: They ONLY take cash or octopus card!!! Admission: 30hkd Different wine tasting packages available: 100hkd for a plastic wine cup and 5 wine tokens 200hkd for a glass wine cup (good souvenir!) and 8 wine tokens Etc & Up. Wine tastings ranged from 1-4 tokens, depending on the quality and price of the wines. Luckily, most were only 1 token, a few being 2 tokens, and a couple rare ones costing 3-4 tokens. Sampled some wine and bought a couple food items, which were all sooo delicious!!! The wine and food came from all over the world - Argentina, Europe, Japan, America, and more. I'm not a wine drinker, so I probably can't tell the difference between a $3 vs $300 bottle of wine, haha, but I know what my tastebuds like! Iced wine (wine w/ dry ice) was definitely the hype of the wines, with the longest line. 6 flavors to choose from: mojito, long island, sex on the beach, margarita, strawberry daquiri, and mai tai. But it barely had any wine taste and tasted like juice. The drink still tasted pretty good, but definitely not for wine lovers. Many other lovely wines available as well, ranging from red to white, floral or fruit hints, sweet and dry, etc. There was also a booth that had non-alcoholic wine as well (aka overpriced grape juice!) It won't make you feel buzzed or tipsy ;( , but I picked up a bottle anyway b/c it tasted great!!! xD Annnnnd it came from my home state of good ol' California! Hehe. Also, they had live performances on a fake grass lawn, which gave the event a very lively feel. Overall, great way to spend a lovely Sunday evening with friends, family, and loved ones.

Hong Kong's Annual Wine and Dine Festival is held every October by Central Piers 9 & 10, which is a…read moregreat location. The harbour front on one side and the skyline on the other. There are two entrances, and the queues snake around several times going back on to itself several times, but very orderly and moves really quickly, so the wait is no more than 20 or so minutes. Once inside, after paying an admissions ticket of HK$30, you queue up for tokens for the wine tastings. There is a tokens package of 8 tokens and a proper glass in a glass holder, for HK$200. Additional plastic tasting glasses can be bought for HK$5 each. You can spend 1, 2 or 3 tokens to taste, dependent on the quality and price of the wines. You also get a little booklet with vouchers for a free bottle of water, a small bag of nuts, and a small bag of biscuits, and discounts on some wines. The wine and food tastings are group into different zones, you can meet wine dealers from different countries, there is the Gourmet Trials to sample dishes from Hong Kong's premier hotels and restaurants. We tasted wines and champagnes from Argentina, Spain, Australia, France, Italy, and Germany. My favourite, of course, is the champagne, my kind of drink! The atmosphere is really great and it is a lot of fun. The event is running from 22 - 25 October 2015.

One of my all time fav restaurants in Central! They had a small space when they started this in…read moreCentral, but they recently expanded to the space next door so can accommodate more people :) Their selection of oysters is one of the reasons why I keep going back, it ranges from South African, fine de Claire, majestic rock to schollar. Yummmmm!!! They also have a wide selection of French wine to go with the food. Just ask them if you're stuck, they give you pretty good suggestions. The few things I love on the menu include the lamb, rib eye, the mussel appetizer and the aglio olio pasta.

French food in Central. Food is very average - tried the beef, chicken, and fish - all standard -…read morehad higher expectation for restaurant in this price range. Small restaurant / cozy ambience - good for holding events where you can book out the entire restaurant.

Small store but has decent selection of wines from around the world at reasonable prices. Also…read moreoffers some specialty foods like cheese, meats, etc. A few closeout specials on wine available.

I could see the sign 'Castello del Vino' every time from the tram on my way to and from work and…read morewondered exactly what it was. Today, as I walked down Anton Street with a friend I came into a winery and surprise! It was 'Castello del Vino' shop! It's a lot smaller than I had imagined but they have a great variety of wines, especially Italian ones, from everywhere in Italy in fact. The guy at the shop was busy on the phone so my friend and I started to look around for some smooth red wine. Not only they have wines and some food, but also some hand-painted ceramics from Deruta, Italy, which really caught our attention as they didn't seem to fit in. Besides Italian wines, they have some shelves devoted to Spanish, New Zealand, Australian and French wines, among others. The Spanish selection is good and the prices range from 80HKD to more than 500HKD per bottle. What I liked the most about it though is that they have some traditional Spanish and Italian products like olives, canned fish, vegetables and legumes. As it is more Italian-focused, pasta was expected to be there too. And finally, they have a refrigerator with different kind of French cheeses and some Italian cold cuts. They carry monthly discounts on selected wines and you can check them out online. So I had finally dismantled the mystery...and now I may actually come back as some of the Spanish wines seemed very reasonably priced for their quality.

Best craft beer spot in HK! Ronny is the man when it comes to brews and he's well traveled and…read morecollects beers from all over the world for his shop. Want some California style IPAs? He's got you covered! Craving for a Belgian sour? Yup, he's got you! Surrounded by all the cool shops in the Sheung Wan area, you'll have plenty to choose from after getting your tasty beer buzz going! Knock back some brews and chillax!

Great selections of beers from all over the world in this tiny shop. They also offer some…read morenon-alcohol drinks. Prices are reasonable for Hongkong. The only downside is that you are not allowed to drink inside the shop because that they have no indoor drinking license. We came by on a super hot day and had to sit outside to finish our drinks, which was a bit unbearable for me. Despite that, everything is great. So if the weather is nice out, and you are craving some ice cold beer, this would be a nice place to come.

We found Oyster & Wine Bar (Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence) on Best Restaurants…read moreGuide. Amidst a Hong Kong trip that was heavy on food stalls and classic cha chaan tengs, this dinner was exactly the break we wanted: a calm, polished family meal with a breath-taking Victoria Harbour view and true fine-dining service. The entire dinner was cooked, paced and served just right. Plates and silverware were refreshed between courses like clockwork; a nice change from restaurants where we have to bring our own napkins, wipe down the dishware, and share rickety tables with strangers. The pan-seared foie gras was sublime. Since it's illegal in California, we always order it when we see it on a menu out-of-state, and this iteration perfectly hit the spot for us. Guava-cured shima-aji was sliced thin with a clean, oceanic finish and citrus notes that helped clear the palate. Wagyu beef tartare was topped with a generous spoon of caviar, and each bite popped. Chestnut cream soup with black truffle and lobster was warm and silky, with a cozy, nutty base. Brioche-crusted sea bream was browned nicely with a gentle crunch on the outside. Thin black truffle slices added a musky, luxurious aroma. Wagyu bolognese over curly pasta was hearty and satisfying with generous portions of meat. Rack of lamb, seared hard for a browned crust and a juicy interior was clean and gamey in a good way. One of my favorite fine dining fun facts about Chilean sea bass came up. I rarely see it on the menu with its original name, but here it was: Patagonian toothfish. This was nicely steamed, snow-white and buttery, breaking apart in big clean flakes. The Challandais pigeon was roasted, and the meat was rosy and juicy. The deep, winey jus tasted like classic French sauce. Black truffle scrambled eggs, spoon-soft and custardy with a simple seasoning that let the egg quality shine. Bottom line: a very pleasant fine dining experience -- a great break from the beautiful chaos of Hong Kong's most authentic meals, while still feeling worth doing on a family trip.

Oscar is amazing..... down to earth and knows his craft.... oyster master.... his book will educate…read morea novice to a person who appreciates a fine oyster plus pairing it with the right beverage... trust his recommendation.... you will not regret it.... deserves his chef prestige .... well earned

I am exclusively a Pinot drinker. This Watson's (maybe all of them, but I have not visited all of…read morethem to know) really has a great selection of really stand out Pinot's from Australia, New Zealand, Chili and even the US, compared to other wine shoppes I have been in. $1600HKD in wine purchased will get you a free delivery service of your wine purchases to your home. Cummulative of $2000HKD in wine purchased gets you signed up for the members programs, which opens up other perks. A great little store and friendly, helpful staff.

A casual, laid back brewery, bar and pizza eatery located in Sheung Wan. It's cozy small but has a…read morelarge open window with dedicated seating, a picturesque setting for a relaxing evening watching the passerby's and hustle and bustle of HK. Many beers were on tap as well as in bottles and/ or cans. Most of the space is dedicated to sitting options so there is no dedicated bar; tap handles are facing towards the sitting area and pints are served straight from there. Plenty of options to choose from for drinking. They even serve wine. Even though they have a polished look and branding, beers tasted a little old and I suspect even the lines are not kept clean. My stomach could not handle their drinks and it did sour the experience for me a bit. The environment was otherwise quite friendly and is what I envision for any chill bar/ brewery.