1ST ANNIVERSARY WINE-TASTING IN TOKYO
Phoenix Wine Club’s first anniversary wine-tasting at Phoenix House1 in Tokyo on 7 April was marked by the attendance of leading personalities and friends who had assisted the club founders at its beginning. Mr Koichiro Matsuura, former Dircector General of Unesco and author of several books on international themes, attended early on. The event was joined by Mr Hisanori Isomura, former Special Editor and Managing Director of NHK Television, and first President of the Maison de Culture of Japan in Paris, and Mr Jun Yokota, former Ambassador of Japan to Belgium, both Chevaliers de Tastevin de Bourgogne.
Mr Isomura told guests about his experience of visiting the Chateau of Saint Germain recently with Mrs Isomura, and commended Phoenix Wine Club for its promotion of burgundy wine, ‘the king of wines’, in Japan and the fostering of cultural exchanges.
This anniversary was the occasion to announce the opening of Club membership in Europe, together with a new web-site for Club members in both Asia and Europe. Club members in Japan were invited to take part in personalized wine-tours when next visiting France.
Many participants commented in particular that the wines in the Club’s current Japan range had improved noticeably over the year. It was gratifying the hear these comments, which reflected the Club’s careful selection of quality wines, and the excellent conditions for aging in the IMPEX wines cellars in Tokyo.
A most successful evening concluded with the tasting of two wines brought over for this special occasion from the Club’s reserve in Europe – a Nuits St Georges 1er Cru 2013, and especially, a Corton Grand Cru 2009, followed by the traditional champagnes.
Photo: Mr Isomura addresses participants
[1] Phoenix House is the headquarters of Say-Zan-Sh, the Japanese publisher of the Harry Potter series translated by Yuko Matsuoka Harris. The name ‘Phoenix’ was chosen from Book 4 of the series: ‘The Order of Phoenix’