Wine and the spirit of fellowship
Updated: 2015-11-27 09:48
By Huang Ying(HK Edition)
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Curiosity led Johnny Chan to the "vine", and now, a self-declared oenophile and vintner, he says wine is in his blood.
Chan, founder and chief advisor of the Hong Kong Wine Club, opened up shop in Beijing more than 20 years ago. Over the years, he has established his brand in the wine industry and become an inspiration to others who share his interest in the world of fine wines and gourmet foods. He's also been a mentor.
Chan was in investment and finance before he discovered the grape and went on to establish the world's first traceable Chinese wine.
He recalls his first taste long ago. It was only a generic table wine, but still, it changed his whole outlook. "I found wine refreshing with food," he says.
His vineyards are located in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where he makes several visits a year, assuring that the grapes for his wines are under proper care. Randy Lee Svendsen, Chan's partner in the wine venture, Beijing Summit Wines Ltd, says he knows only a few people who are so dedicated to bringing their dreams to full fermentation, but Chan is one of those who have realized their dreams.
Svendsen was a corporate buyer in the manufacturing industry for nearly three decades, but he too found his calling in enjoying the finer things of life.
He thinks he has learned much from Chan, especially, "Be realistic and focus on the right opportunities for sustainable growth, but always with integrity," says Svendsen.
Chan's philosophy holds that the best wine is one that's served at the right moment to satisfy the taste, the desire for celebration, and completely in accord with the spirit of the occasion. It's not a matter of price, he says.
He spares no effort introducing good food and fine wines to those he meets. He hosted and produced a lifestyle TV program on the Travel Channel about a decade ago, sharing his own culinary and cultural adventures around the globe with an audience of millions.
In business, he has a knack for connecting people. "Johnny is a facilitator in many business areas. He's iconic and entrepreneurial," says Bertrand Faure Beaulieu, founder of Sarment Ltd, a wine and spirits company that is exploring a joint venture distribution of Chan's wines in China and other markets.
Chan never hesitates, he says, to create new business opportunities and that businesses always revolve around the personalities Chan meets along the way.
Chan's understanding of wines might have something to do with his way of doing business. He says what attracts him most to wines are the different cultures from which they emerge, the differences in taste and the stories of the people behind the wines. He believes wines help people to bond. "In vino veritas," (in wine, there is truth), says Chan, when asked how wines have shaped his life's philosophy.
Chan also advocates keeping traditional street foods because he loves the taste, and he considers them an invaluable heritage.
"Street food is an important part of our culture. It reflects part of the environment at that particular period in history. It's almost for the same reason that and how street food starts, be it hundreds of years ago or today. It is basically family cooking at each individual's best to support the family, to send the children to schools. Apparently, these children would not return to their parent's food stalls after they graduated from universities. Street food is an important link in our heritage as it shows how our life and environment evolved," explains Chan.
His favorite street food is the oyster pancake from Chaozhou, Guangdong province. "The oyster pancake is a very rare example of traditional street food because it has been in the exact same location since I first went there 60 years ago. It tastes exactly the same every time I return," he recalls, while many other street foods have changed in ingredients or lost popularity.
huangying@chinadaily.com.cn
(HK Edition 11/27/2015 page8)