Over 100 Food and Beverage Professionals in China applied for prestigious new award


SHANGHAI, SEPTEMBER 23 – ASC Fine Wines, “China’s greatest fine wine importer” (Robert M. Parker, Jr.) and Penfolds are pleased to announce that Lu Yang has won the Penfolds China Sommelier Competition 2008. Originally born in Xinjiang but having grown up most of his life in Shanghai, Lu Yang currently studies wine in Canada and works as a Junior Sommelier at Canoe Restaurant & Bar in Toronto.

“It is my great honor to be part of the first annual Penfolds China Sommelier Competition and I am very fortunate to be the first champion. I want to express my appreciation to Penfolds and ASC Fine Wines for co-organizing and hosting this historical event for the Chinese wine and hospitality industry. The Sommelier profession is still very new in China and this event provided tremendous help to Chinese sommeliers by giving us a platform to communicate with our peers and promote a better understanding of this profession to the general public,” said Lu Yang.

The aim of the Penfolds China Sommelier Competition is to promote the expertise of the food and beverage professional and encourage mastery of wine knowledge. As the likely first competition of its kind in China, this event was very significant for the industry.

The Penfolds China Sommelier Competition was divided into two rounds – the first consisting of a comprehensive written examination testing wine knowledge and knowledge of Penfolds; over 100 food and beverage professionals in China competed in this round.

After carefully reviewing these examinations, three Chinese wine experts Lu Yang were selected to advance to the next and final round.

The finalists of the Penfolds China Sommelier Competition 2008 were:

1. Stephen Li, Restaurant & Bar Manager, Sanya Hilton Resort & Spa
2. Shirley Zhu, Assistant Restaurant Manager, Jean Georges
3. Lu Yang, Sommelier, Canoe Restaurant & Bar (Toronto, Canada)

The final round took place this Monday, September 22nd at The Wine Residence by ASC Fine Wines in Shanghai. Co-judged by Penfolds Winemaker, Mr. Kym Schroeter, the three finalists partook in a day of practical wine exercises – including blind tasting, decanting and food and wine service – testing their skills as a sommelier.

One exercise saw the finalists recommending and subsequently a red wine for the judges and guests presents to pair with their braised beef brisket. For this exercise, the finalists were given a choice of three Penfolds wines: the Koonunga Hill Cabernet Merlot 2006, Bin 138 Old Vine Barossa Valley SGM (Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre) 2006 or the Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2005 – and from there it was for them to show off their sommelier expertise.

While Lu Yang impressed guests during the food and wine service with his high level of wine and professional service, it was the closed-doors blind tasting round where he really shone. Presenting to the judging panel a 40-minute, detailed description of the 2 mystery wines – the Yattarna Chardonnay 2004 and Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2003 – Lu Yang correctly identified the majority of aromas, flavors, winemaking techniques and even rightly judged the vintage of the Yattarna Chardonnay!

“Lu Yang’s tasting ability really impressed me. It was almost as if he had the tasting notes in front of himself. He described the wines exactly as I would describe them myself and not many people have this kind of ability,” said Penfolds Winemaker, Kym. Schroeter.

The judges on the panel all represented the very best in the field of food and wine. In addition to Penfolds Winemaker, Kym Schroeter, the panel also consisted of the following experts:

• Andy Tan, Fine Wines Consultant, ASC Fine Wines
• Marcus Ford, Restaurant Manager, M on the Bund
• Chantal Chi, acclaimed wine writer

The winner of the competition, Lu Yang, receives a trip for two to the 2009 Grange release dinner at the Penfolds Magill Estate in Australia. This dinner will celebrate the newest vintage of Penfolds Grange – regarded as one of the world’s truly great wines and dubbed by many wine critics as the ‘Grand Cru of the Southern Hemisphere.’