Cambodian Sommeliers Head to Singapore for Regional Contest
Beer, whisky and strong, home-brewed moonshine have long been Cambodians’ favorite tipples, but with an ever-growing middle class, tastes are changing and if you’re part of the new elite, it is increasingly important to know your Pinot Gris from your Pinot Noir. To help enhance one’s nose and palate, a relatively new profession has sprung up in Phnom Penh’s finer establishments—the sommelier—or wine steward. Ten of the country’s premier sommeliers on Wednesday took part in a training competition—the first of its kind in Cambodia—and the two winners, Eden Gnean of Sofitel Cambodia and Hak Seyha from Topaz Restaurant, will fly to Singapore next week to compete in the annual Southeast Asian Sommelier Competition. It will be the first time Cambodian sommeliers go up against their more experienced counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, and while they are not expected to win, the regional competition should prove good experience. Wednesday’s event, held at Topaz, was organized by Thalias, Asia Wine Institute, the Cambodian Hotel Association, beverage marketing and export consulting company Red and White International, and was chaired by Tommy Lam, the founder of the Singapore Sommelier Association. … Despite its history as a French colony, Cambodia has never been a wine-producing nation—save the French colonial curates who cultivated small vineyards for church consumption—and while one Cambodian family in Battambang has started up its own vineyard—using Google as a guide—their wines have received scant praise. However, nearby Burma is a possible new frontier, according to Mr. Lam, who said that as the country opens up, he expects local wine production to follow. …
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/cambodian-sommeliers-head-to-singapore-for-regional-contest-40504/
