Tasting Bordeaux in Singapore

WHEN it comes to getting a feel for a wine-making region, there's nothing quite like sampling a range of wines made in the same area. This is especially the case for Bordeaux, which is probably France's most famous wine-making region.

Bordeaux Rendez-Vouz is an Asian series of wine tastings. It is organised annually by French wine merchant Barriere-Freres, which specialises in Bordeaux and is therefore keen on raising the region's profile in Asia.

The series has previously been held in countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia. Singapore is in the middle of this year's tour, coming after Jakarta and Bangkok, but before Saigon and Manila.

Although Bordeaux Rendez-Vouz is in its fifth year, this will actually be its fourth edition in Singapore because its local co-organiser, the Commanderie de Bordeaux, decided to skip last year due to time constraints.

This year's Bordeaux Rendez-Vouz will be held at the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa & Spa for the first time. There won't be any seating. The idea is to taste some wines, grab some dinner from the buffet line, walk around to taste more wines, stand around and mingle.

Wines from 18 classified growths will be available for tasting. Participating wineries range from Second-Growth Chateau Brane-Cantenac and Chateau Durfort-Vivens to Fifth Growths such as Chateau Clerc Milon and Chateau d'Armailhac. Only red wines will be served, with the exception of Chateau Guiraud, which will serves both dry and sweet whites. Vintages will range from 1998-2008.

Provenance matters. Wine storage and transportation conditions can make a world of difference to the quality of wine by the time it reaches a glass. With that in mind, wines at the Bordeaux Rendez-Vouz will all be ex-chateau, meaning that they've never left the wineries that made them. Only magnum bottles will be served, which are rarer ex-chateau than regular 750ml bottles.