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Committee Members |
Chen
Chuen Tat
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.
In 2008, CT was elected the President of the
Society.
A practicing lawyer for the last 20 years,
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 for its members, which was a raving
success, as well as its successful re-launch
of our official website herein.
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Andy
Sim
Vice
President My
daughter and I. 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 nay
emotional attribute for me. I am proud to
be associated with IWFSS and I look forward
to serving all of you. |
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Toh
Hsien Min
Hon
Secretary
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. |
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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.
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Joyce
Chang
Cellar
Master
Joyce Chang first
fell under the spell of wine drinking a particularly
fine Chablis. Many glasses later, she has
explored the gamut of wines from Australia,
America and South America before returning
to her first love, French wines. A lawyer
by training, she has served in different capacities
in the committee through the years and is
currently the Cellarmaster. In 2008, she completed
the Wines and Spirits Education Trust advanced
course with distinction |
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Graham
Hayward
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.
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Sueann
Smith
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.
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Jen
Shek Wei, David
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)
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The
International Wine & Food Society
of Singapore(1999) |
Vice President
(from 2005)
President (2002-2005) |
| (2)
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Confrérie
des Chevaliers du Tastevin (2001) |
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| (3)
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Confrérie
de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
(2001) |
Argentier/Treasurer
(from 2006) |
| (4)
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Commanderie
de Bordeaux (2004) |
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| (5) |
Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne (2005)
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Victor
Mills
Member
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.
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Laurence Low
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.
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President's Table IV - Sake Night Date: September 3, 2010 (Friday) Venue: Matsugawa Restaurant | | Menu ~~~ APERITIF Fukugen Junmai Ginjo with Gold Flakes ~~~ ZENSAI (Onsen Tamago with Truffle Sauce) Aumont Honjozo ~~~ SASHIMI (Mixed Sashimi) Fukugen Junmaishu ~~~ YAKIMONO (Crayfish with Mentai Sauce) Manotsuru Karakuchi Junmai ~~~ AGEMONO (Yasai Kakiage with Kudamono) Aumont Ginjo ~~~ YAKIMONO (Salmon Fin) Kasugayama Ten To Chi Junmai Ginjo
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