The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Chief Sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj sleuths the globe searching for new wine regions, excellent small vineyards and delicious undiscovered wines. He manages a list with over 900 different wines, for all of The Peninsula’s restaurants. Tasting Kitchen caught up with him in the elegant surroundings of Gaddi’s restaurant to quiz him about his craft.

When you bring new wines onto the list, what is your thought process?

The first thing that comes to mind is the cuisine – at which of The Peninsula’s restaurants will a particular wine fit? The next thing I consider is diversity. Everyone’s palate is different. Some people like complex wines, others prefer something more direct. I am a wine detective, here to understand your palate and pick the type of wine you will enjoy most.

Do you think of a dish first and then a wine that pairs with it, or do you see a wine and then imagine which dish it would suit?

Both. I work very closely with the chefs here, picking wines to complement their menus. From time to time we invite all the chefs to a food and wine tasting. Sometimes the food can be adjusted to suit the wine. For example there was a dark chocolate profiterole dessert which I wanted to pair with a very natural sweet red wine, a little like a port – the 2005 Mas Amiel Maury Vintage Charles Dupuy from Languedoc-Roussillon, France. We tasted this wine with the dessert, but the wine actually overpowered the chocolate. The chef needed to make the sauce more bitter and chocolaty, so he adjusted it and now it is on our Diamond Jubilee menu. I have to be flexible on my side too and work hard on the wine pairings. And of course I could never do it all on my own. I am in a constant daily dialogue with our Director of Food and Beverage Kevin Tsang and Gaddi’s Manager Dominique Lemercier, both renowned sommeliers.

What are you really enthusiastic about right now?

Château du Cèdre 2007. This is a one hundred percent biodynamic Malbec from Cahors, France. It’s very different from the Argentine Malbecs. This strikes the right balance between fruit and complexity, with soft tannins and a silky finish.

Is it all about the flavor? What other factors contribute to a wine’s character?

Wine is a living thing. There is always a lot of history behind the liquid before it gets into the bottle. We have a beautiful Burgundy – 2008 Domaine Dublère Volnay – which has an incredibly romantic story. This crazy American, Blair Pethel, went to France and fell in love with Burgundy and never left. He stayed to make wine forever. It’s not just about the liquid in the bottle, but also the love, passion and emotion behind the making of the wine.

What about dessert wines? Any tips?

Marabino is a sweet Italian Moscato di Noto from Sicily. This is different because it has a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity, a fresh tingling acidity, which makes it exciting to pair with pate de foie or desserts. It might also work with Sichuan or something which burns your mouth. This wine would really cool it.

And what may we look forward to seeing on the Peninsula wine list in the future?

I recently went to the Kelowna region in British Columbia to try some new wines. This was an eye opener for me – they do some fantastic stuff. I would like to see more Canadian wine in the market. The wines I tasted have a uniquely Canadian style. You can’t compare them to wines from other countries. Very light reds, perfumed, light fruit flavors. Climate change is really going to benefit Canada as a new wine growing region.

With what would you pair a Pinot Noir from British Columbia?

No strong meats. I would pair it with lamb dishes. This wine would also be fantastic with seafood. 

Are people drinking more reds with seafood these days?

It’s a common perception that we mustn’t have red with seafood, that white wine has to go with seafood and red wine with meat. What do you do when guests tell you: ‘Oh I don’t drink white wine’? You still need to find wine that complements the meal. You could pair a light Pinot Noir like this with sea bass or salmon. The cooking style makes the difference – how thick or strong the sauce is, not the core ingredients. Chicken is another meat people associate with white wine, but it doesn’t always have to be like that. Chicken stuffed with mushrooms in a fragrant black truffle sauce, for example, would be fantastic with Pinot. A Burgundy Pinot has earthy, vegetal notes, which would match well with this dish.

Does very expensive wine taste much better?

Oh no, not at all. A lot of blind tasting events have proven this. Some wines are big labels from big chateaux. Some haven’t made it big. At the end of the day every wine is a liquid. The only way to judge is to taste. To me the expense doesn’t matter until you’ve tasted. It’s important to train your palate to understand – I love to taste all good wines.

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(Image and content source: Dining Macau)