Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival adopts 'online + offline' format

The Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, will go ahead with an “online + offline” format from Nov. 11. / Courtesy of the Hong Kong Tourism Board

By Jun Ji-hye

The Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, which will kick off next month, has adopted an “online + offline” format for the first time amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, to give audiences at home and abroad a new gastronomic experience not bound by time or geographical constraints, according to tourism officials in Hong Kong.

The festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will run for five weeks from Nov. 11 through Dec. 15, featuring a wealth of exciting online experiences, including an online wine cellar, gourmet at home menus and live-streamed cookery and wine-tasting master classes in a new one-stop online platform.

Offline experiences include special deals and gastronomic events offered by hundreds of dining outlets across the city for consumers to enjoy.

For the global audience, the highlight of the event is a diverse series of 34 online master classes, which viewers can enjoy for free no matter where they are. The master classes will be livestreamed on WineDineFestival.DiscoverHongKong.com for three consecutive weekends from Nov. 21 November to Dec. 6. They cover a wide range of topics from wine and spirits trends to fine dining, healthy eating and the art of food plating.

Those who enjoy a tipple can tune in to the wine talks by Hong Kong-based, internationally acclaimed critic James Suckling and Master of Wine Debra Meiburg, who will share recommendations on the themes “New Wave Bordeaux” and “The Pacific West,” respectively.

Suckling will introduce three bottles of affordable new wine from Bordeaux.

“Hong Kong is one of the best wine cities in the world, ranking at the same level as London and New York,” Suckling said. “Hong Kong also remains the number one export market for Bordeaux wines. This year's festival is going to reach more people around the world, and I'm really looking forward to it.”

Cocktail lovers should not miss award-winning mixologist Jay Khan's master class, which will see the co-founder of Mexican bar COA in action, whipping up tequila cocktails.

For foodies looking to hone their skills in the kitchen, live cooking demonstrations ― led by celebrated Hong Kong chefs such as Shane Osborn of Arcane and Cornerstone ― are a great opportunity to learn new tips and tricks.

Also worth noting is the all-female line-up on Nov. 28. With the theme “Lady's Talk,” five influencers who are shaking up Hong Kong's food and beverage scene will each host a master class to share a unique take on their own expertise.

The influencers in order of appearance are Shirley Kwok, founder of vegan bakery The Cakery, chef Vicky Lau of TATE Dining Room, certified sake sommelier Jamie Lo, Master of Wine Sarah Heller and actress-turned-winemaker Bernice Liu.

“Although the HKTB's mega events have been suspended for some time, we are drawing on our ingenuity and resources to optimize and adapt promotions against the backdrop of a pandemic that will be with us for some time,” HKTB Chairman Y.K. Pang said.

“That's why we have decided to resume the staging of mega events, and adopt a new online + offline format for the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival 2020. It is a new venture designed for the new normal in which we find ourselves. The HKTB is doing this to ensure people can join this annual event in spite of the pandemic, and to help our hard-hit businesses to promote their products and open up new business opportunities in these challenging times.”