With wine becoming more popular, there are a lot of wine and food pairing discussions, which is understandable and that I totally believe. A good match can enhance the flavours of both food and wine as well as our dining experience, while a bad combination will turn either the food or wine tasteless.
Recently, there are also talks about wine and music pairing, such as pairing rock music with full-bodied wines, or jazz with a delicate wine. I have to admit that it is too creative and too complicated for me, but I do agree that wine and music do go together, both are part of lifestyle and designed for sharing.
I don’t think we should consciously or deliberately match wine and music, but we should use the concept of enjoying music to appreciate wine. A lot of us don’t play any instruments but we all have our favourite tunes that we hum everyday. In contrast, a lot of us say we don't drink wine because we don’t know about wine. This concern is actually not necessary. We don't learn to eat or learn to listen to music, but choose what we like to eat or listen according to our own preferences. Wine is the same; it is not necessary to learn before we can enjoy it. Just go with our own instincts and preferences, and the whole experience will be much less intimidating and more enjoyable. Ratings, third parties opinions, and price, should not deter us from what wines we should try. When our interests in wine reach a certain level so that we want to learn more, we can easily find more information from the internet or attending wine courses. This is similar to our appreciation of food and music – we choose to learn to cook or play an instrument because of our love for food and music.
To take the fear of wine away, I organised Wine Music Jam, one of the very few events that combine wine and music in a relaxed environment. Wine Music Jam aims to encourage the day-to-day enjoyment of good but affordable wines in a no nonsense manner, and at the same time provide an affordable venue for amateur musicians to perform in a friendly setting. This is a platform where the 'ordinary man on the street' can learn about, appreciate and enjoy wine and share music with friends whether as musician or audience.
Whether you are a wine lover, a part-time musician or just want to meet up with friends, please come along to next Wine Music Jam at Orange Peel on 25th June for a fun and relaxing afternoon.
More information: www.winemusicjam.hk
Online ticketing: http://www.ticketflap.com/WineMusicJam ($80 per person including a tasting portion glass of wine)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WineMusicJamHK/
