Wine Fiesta 2016: [RISING ROOTS} celebrates Farm-to-Table food and Natural Wines

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Good news for all wine enthusiasts - The annual 9th Wine Fiesta Singapore is happening this weekend from 20 - 23 October 2016 at Clifford Square amidst the beautiful backdrop of Marina Bay Skyline and along the Fullerton Bay Hotel. Presented by The Straits Wine Company, this outdoor extravaganza boasts a huge tentage featuring over 350 wine labels, 70 global winemakers and more importantly, a combined vast culture of wine-making and appreciation sessions. Gracing the celebration are some of the city's most renowned chefs from Burnt Ends, Cheek by Jowl, Tin Hill Social, Meat Smith, Good Chance Popiah, Tamarind Hill and Morsels.

Every story has a beginning - this year, The Straits Wine Company is going back to their roots in a whole new exciting way. Debuting at Wine Fiesta 2016, four out of nine natural wine producers from the Basket Range region in Adelaide Hills will be features with a slew of others from New Zealand and Australia, making this year's theme 'Rising Roots' all the more poignant. "Basket Range marks a new defining moment in wine culture... a new chapter in the unique story of wine making history in Australia." Group CEO Ms Kathy Lim enthuses, adding that "enjoying wine should be a fun and more pleasurable pursuit... forget about intimidating, formal settings with conventional Western cuisine."

While this movement of natural wines is still relatively new in Singapore, their understated purity speaks for themselves. As the saying goes, wine-making is not just about fermentation. There are no interventions, no artificial process, and every step of the wine production process from farm to bottle is controlled by the natural winemakers, leaving it to nature to bring out the freshness of the grapes and the earth. Created with wild yeasts and no filtration processes, with only a very little involvement of sulphur at bottling, nothing is added or removed during the entire production process. We were amongst the first to sample their wares paired with fine food offerings, and stoked to find a few new favourites.


First to grab our attention are the eclectic wines from Ochota Barrels, of which musician-winemaker Taras Ochota names each particular style with song titles. While the 2016 Gewurztraminer Weird Berries in the woods certainly acquaints itself nicely with the pairing of the Salted Egg Crab Meat Popiah from Good Chance Popiah, one of our favourite wines is I am the Owl (I am the Walrus), a 2015 Syrah best savoured fresh with your partner.


One of our favourites is also the Lucy M Nor de Florette, a pinot noir that is macerated on skins, with saigneed or bled off, with floral notes and sour cherries at the back end. What really got us was the artwork on the label - that's Lucy's little daughter handiwork!

While guests may look forward to sampling and buying wine bottles at the event, they can also participate in free masterclasses by Sommelier Moritz Deyle, winemaker Jasper Button from the Commune of Buttons. Taras himself of Ochota Barrels and even a glassware demonstration by PLUMM Glass. These are held in conjunction with Chef Dave from Burnt Ends and Chef Rishi from Cheek by Jowl.


Best of all, this year's edition includes the newly launches Wine Circle sessions, held twice a day by selected winemakers themselves at the Customs House. These intimate sessions seek to educate and acquaint the participants with the stories behind the wine and winery, benefiting the discerning drinker and new aficionados. Set in a simple story-telling circle, the audience is invited to sit on wine crates forming a ring around the winemaker. Convivial, casual and full of joie du vivre, these sessions set against the waterfront are set to be unforgettable indeed.

To start the ball rolling, the Winemaker's Table Night held on the first night (20 October) will offer diners the rare opportunity to sample 75 iconic wines and vintages with the respective winemakers as hosts. yes, you read that right. 75 wines! And you get to rub shoulders with the winemakers themselves. All complemented with dinner prepared by the participating renowned chefs and the Fullerton Bay Hotel. Limited tickets are available at $228+ per diner, so book your tickets now at Sistic.


Note that walkabout Ticket prices are $50 per ticket and if you purchase in a trio it gets knocked back to just $99 for 3! What a steal! You can purchase your tickets at SISTIC or all 10 Straits Wine Company retails stores.

[GIVEAWAY] Fundamentally Flawed and @TheDrinkSeekers are proud to present a giveaway for lucky winners! Scoot on down to our Instagram on for more details!

Wine Fiesta 2016
Clifford Square
80 Collyer Quay
S(049326)

Day 1 (21 Oct): 4pm - 10pm
Day 2 (22 Oct): 12pm - 10pm
Day 3 (23 Oct): 12pm - 9pm

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