| |
|
 |
Committee Members |
|
 Joyce
Chang
President
A lawyer by profession, Joyce Chang joined the society in 1999 and was elected as president in 2011. She first joined the committee in 2002-2005 as honorary secretary and more recently as cellarmaster in 2008-2011. She has also served on the committee of the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Singapore as Grand Secretaire and Grand Argentier.
As cellarmaster, Joyce strengthened the society cellar by purchasing older vintage Bordeaux and Burgundy from diverse merchants in London, Europe and Singapore. Sound en primeur purchases in 2008 and 2009 ensure that the society will continue to enjoy excellent wines from its cellar for years to come. The society now has an extremely well stocked cellar with some of the finest wines from all over the world, including first growth Bordeaux and grand cru Burgundy.
Joyce completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust Advanced course in 2008 with distinction. She has a passion for excellent wine and food and a soft spot for the wines of Cheval Blanc and Burgundy.
|
|
 Chen
Chuen Tat
Vice President
Known to many as “CT” in the Society since joining in 2003, he has served in the Committee since 2006. When the Society decided to sever its long time affiliation with the IWFS (London), CT was called upon to volunteer his expertise and guided the Committee with the much needed legal insight to the matter. CT served as the President of the Society from 2008 to 2011 before stepping down to be its Vice President.
A practicing lawyer since 1989, CT’s first introduction and exposure to the wonderful world of French wines started with an exquisite 1990 Pomerol. Since then, he has had the pleasure of exploring many fine wines from all over the world, ranging from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Spain and America, but ultimately, his love for French wines prevails over the rest.
A food lover himself, CT is active in many other dining and social groups that meet regularly to experience different kinds of cuisine and cooking styles. It is during these sessions, that they have fun trying out and pairing different wines to the differing types of food. It is a valuable experience that CT cherish as it helps provide him that value added edge to experiment, scrutinize and work with the chefs and the Society’s committee on each and every event to provide the Society members a wonderful dinner every time.
Under his enthusiastic leadership, the vibrancy and enthusiasm for the Society’s events has been renewed and many quality events have been sold out within hours of it being announced. He attributes this to the faith that members have in his team and feels very blessed to have everyone’s unwavering and loyal support.
Together with his capable Cellarmaster, he has also restored the inbalance of the society’s cellar by introducing the acquisition of more Burgundy and replenishing older vintage Bordeaux that were previously consumed. The society can now boast of having one of the most well stocked cellar in terms of variety and vintages around.
During CT’s term, the Society has also seen its first Winery Trip to South Africa in 2009 followed by a trip to Tuscany in 2010 for its members, which were raving successes, as well as its successful re-launch of our official website herein.
|
|
 Victor
Mills
Hon Secretary
Victor Mills
works in banking and has spent 28 years living
and working in South East Asia - 25 of them
in Singapore. He is an avid traveller and
enjoys good food and wine.
His current wine preferences are pinots and
merlots for red. He enjoys the full spectrum
of whites and has a weakness for for Krug
Champagne and dessert wines.
|
|
 Robert
Lee
Hon
Treasurer
Robert
is a retired Tax Partner of an International
Accounting Firm. Currently, he is practicing
as a Tax Consultant on his own and was introduced
to the Society in 2006. He was elected to
the Committee in 2008 and has since served
as the Hon. Treasurer of the Society from
then till present.
A lover for good quality wines, especially
those from McClaren Vale and he has the uncanning
ability of being able to taste and identify
any McClaren Vale wine totally blind. Robert
is also active in many other dining and social
groups that meet regularly and loves any cuisine
that whips up delicious food.
|
|
 Toh
Hsien Min
Cellarmaster
Hsien
Min has been tasting wine since his undergraduate
days, when he represented his university in
blind tasting competition. When not tasting
he works in financial services. |
|
 Andy
Sim
Committee Member
I started appreciating wine
in the late '80s, when I was studying in the
US. I started with White Zinfandel (Sebastiani)
- which I think is the most appealing entry-level
wine. California Chardonnay and Carbernet
Sauvignon appeal most to me. Maybe it's because
I started with these wines, so they have many
emotional attributes for me. I am proud to
be associated with IWFSS and I look forward
to serving all of you. |
|
 Graham
Hayward
Committee Member
Graham, born
in the UK, came to Singapore in 1963 and joined
the Society in 1974. The following year he
became Secretary to the President –
Jeremy Ramsey – for 6 years. He was
then in Malaysia for 10 years & re-joined
the Society on his return and then the Committee
as Cellarmaster in 1996, a post he held until
2008, when he became Vice-President.
Graham is very active in a variety of wine
related fields – he lectures on “The
Art and Appreciation of Wine” at the
S’pore Polytechnic, he acts as an International
wine judge and is a consultant to the Fosters
Wine Group. He is also a member of several
other wine organizations, including The Monday
Table, Singapore’s oldest wine group.
|
|
 Sueann
Smith
Committee Member
She was 13
when she has her first encounter with wine.
Most family dinners were always doted by bottles
of wine but the passion for wine, particularly
California wine, was ignited when she lived
in Los Angeles. This passion stayed with her
and eventually fuelled her to start the wine
business with her family.
|
|
 Jen
Shek Wei, David
Committee Member
An Obstetrician
& Gynecologist by profession, Dr. Jen
has long had a passion for good food, but
more recently for wine. He has been practicing
as a medical specialist for the past twenty
years.
He has served on the Committee of The International
Wine & Food Society of Singapore (IWFSS)
since 2000. He was its President from 2002
to 2005. After completing the maximum term
of 3 years as President, he stepped down in
2005 and continued serving as Vice-President
till 2008. During his term as President, he
has organized almost 50 high quality wine
events, featuring such wine luminaries such
as Rémi Krug, Angelo Gaja, Dr Loosen,
etc. He has also organized events together
with many wine organizations such as the California
Wine Institute for visiting Napa winemakers,
the Napa Valley Wine Vintner’s Association,
the Union de Grand Crus from Bordeaux, and
Italian winemakers through GUSTO. The GUSTO
2003 dinner was especially exceptional as
it featured 60 different wines provided from
40 winemakers – all consumed in one
dinner, a truly challenging wine event to
organize. Through the IWFSS, he has provided
visiting winemakers and winery representatives
with an appreciative and receptive audience
of wine-lovers who will listen, enjoy and
provide constructive feedback on the wines.
Careful matching of the wines with the various
types of food in each cuisine improves the
enjoyment of the wine with the food, not only
to the IWFSS members, but also allow the chefs
to learn much from the experience of pairing
different foods with wine. His contribution
is therefore to be the vital link between
the consumer with the hospitality and the
wine industry.
With regards to other wine and food societies
in Singapore, he is also an active member
of the Confrérie de la Chaîne
des Rôtisseurs (serving as a Council
member), the Confrérie des Chevaliers
du Tastevin, and the Commanderie de Bordeaux.
Although he does not have a professional wine
education, he has passed the first part of
the Certified Sommelier (CS) Course held by
the Court of Master Sommelier of London. He
has also attended numerous wine Master Classes
held by Masters of Wines, vineyard owners,
winemakers and winery representatives. He
also holds a Diploma of Wine awarded by Bob
Campbell (MW). Over the years, he has also
sharpened his palate for good food and wine
through self education via books, magazines
and the internet, as well as through participation
in a myriad of wine tastings. A member of
many informal wine tasting groups where wine
skills are developed through blind tastings,
his skills were put to the test when he participate
in the team that eventually won the 2002 Singapore
Wine Options, an island-wide blinded wine
tasting competition. He serves as a wine and
food critic for numerous F&B publications,
including Wine & Dine, Wine & Dine’s
“Best Restaurant Guide” of Singapore;
Hospitality Asia, Savour ; as well as for
Asiacuisine.com and its associated magazine
of the same name. He was also a judge for
the Bodegas Torres Wine Scholarship in 2006,
and a wine lecturer in the Singapore Polytechnic.
| MEMBERSHIP
TO WINE & FOOD SOCIETIES: |
| (1)
|
The
International Wine & Food Society
of Singapore(1999) |
Vice President
(from 2005)
President (2002-2005) |
| (2)
|
Confrérie
des Chevaliers du Tastevin (2001) |
|
| (3)
|
Confrérie
de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
(2001) |
Argentier/Treasurer
(from 2006) |
| (4)
|
Commanderie
de Bordeaux (2004) |
|
| (5) |
Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne (2005)
|
|
|
|
|
 Laurence Low
Committee Member
Laurence Low enjoys spending time with family and friends, golf, ballroom dancing, good food, traveling, and good wines, in no particular order.
In his spare time, he is picking up photography and putting off hitting the gym.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
