Hong Kong arts hub authority head mulls key question for West Kowloon Cultural District vineyard: Chardonnay or Merlot?
- Former city chief secretary Henry Tang has been pushing for vision for past decade, saying wine is part of the arts and culture, and local climate can accommodate grape variety
The head of an arts hub authority in Hong Kong is mulling decisions over a future waterfront vineyard in the West Kowloon Cultural District, among which is the question – Chardonnay or Merlot?
Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, has been an advocate of planting grapes for wine in the area over the past decade.
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The avid wine lover and collector told the Post last week that he had already contacted vineyard owners in France.
“I will provide more details in due course. I hope Hong Kong can have a vineyard with a harbour view, and this will be a very good Instagram moment,” he said.
I hope Hong Kong can have a vineyard with a harbour view, and this will be a very good Instagram moment
A slope near M+, a visual cultural museum along the waterfront in the arts hub, is expected to be considered as a site for planting grapes.
Tang said Chardonnay or Merlot were grape varieties suited for the local climate.
His vision was first revealed in 2008 when he was appointed the authority head in his capacity as Hong Kong’s chief secretary.
“Wine is also part of the arts and culture,” Tang said at the time. “How many in Hong Kong have seen wine grapes? I’m not talking about the grapes you buy at supermarkets.”
Natalie Wang, managing editor of The Drinks Business Hong Kong, an industry magazine covering matters in Asia, said Chardonnay was adaptable to different environments and climates.
“It’s a survivor type of grape,” she said.
Wang said Merlot was a variety grown in the humid climate of port city Bordeaux in France. “Maybe that’s why Mr Tang believes that it could be planted in the arts hub,” she said.
“It’s hard to determine whether the two grape varieties mentioned by Mr Tang could grow well in the West Kowloon Cultural District. It depends on factors such as climate and soil component.”
