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Jakarta Post

Settling for the best in wine

A wine club created along regional lines is rare

Arif Suryobuwono (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, October 11, 2009

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Settling for the best in wine

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wine club created along regional lines is rare. Rarer still is the one based on superlative indulgence such as at the Mulia wine club.

This private, members-only club groups together a select few who are passionate about the finest wines from a continent that defines luxury, Europe, which in this case means France (Bordeaux, Burgundy) and sometimes Spain.

New World wines, even the best from Australia, are not considered.

"The best Japanese cars, even Toyota's top range, cannot match the greatest European cars such as Jaguar, Mercedes, and BMW. Australian wines, too, pale in comparison to the finest wines from France," says the club's incumbent chairman Ronny Wongkar.

"Once you get used to the finest European cars, you would no longer feel comfortable driving Japanese cars; the same is true with French wines."

Premium French wines like Chateau Ausone (premier grand cru classe from Saint-Emilion), Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Brainaire-Ducru are the order of the day at their regular gatherings, Ronny says. Cr*me de la cr*me wines are reserved for special gatherings such as the one at Mulia Hotel three years ago in which they drank Chateau Latour 1928 (very good vintage), Domaine de la Roman*e Conti le Montrachet 1999 (very good vintage), a 1928 Armagnac and Chateau d' Yquem 2001 (which gets a perfect 100 score from Wine Spectator).

Last year, at their year-end gathering at Ritz-Carlton Hotel Jakarta, the top red and white they enjoyed were Chateau Le Pin 1982 (superb vintage for Bordeaux, rated 92 on release by Wine Spectator) and Domaine de la Roman*e Conti le Montrachet 1996 (excellent vintage) respectively.

Such wines are not easy to get. Typical wine clubs do not feature them. Only in very private, special gatherings attended by a privileged few such as the ones arranged by, say, gourmet guru and wine expert William Wongso or held at his by-appointment-only restaurant can one taste wines of such caliber. That's why the club's membership is limited only to those who can afford them, share the same passion and bond of friendship.

"To become a member you have to be an established businessman aged 40 and over," Ronny says.

So, it is a senior male club. Younger males half their age and sons are not admitted due to the intergenerational gaps and because fathers do not always want their sons or the sons of their friends hear what they are talking about.

Women, too, are excluded for practical reasons. Men and women do not normally share the same subjects of conversation and interest and may find it awkward to relate to each other in this respect. Moreover, when getting together, men may want to talk about things they do not want women to hear. That's why they don't bring their wives to their gatherings.

However, when the club makes an outing overseas, members are allowed to bring their family. Their most recent outing last August was at Iggy's in Singapore, which ranks 45th on the 2009 list of San Pelegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Guide, followed by a dinner the next day at the residence of the country's best known wine and food gourmet Dr N.K. Yong.

His wife Melina prepared the food and he the first-class Burgundy wines from Domaine Emmanuel Rouget and Domaine M*o-Camuzet.

"Initially we wanted to dine at Jaan *on the 70th floor of Swissot*l the Stamford, Singapore* but canceled the plan after learning that the chef in charge wasn't in," Ronny says.

However, he is not as demanding when choosing restaurants in Jakarta. He says he tries to take members to new upscale restaurants in town although the food is often disappointing.

"Of course, I know that such restaurants are just selling ambience. But at least our members get a new atmosphere every month," he says, defending his policy.

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