“Romancing the Rhine…” A Gastronomic Wine Tour of the Rhine Valley and Alsace with Mr. Wilson Kwok
Welcome to the land of hillside fairytale castles and noble fields of wine producing grapes! It is no wonder why this dramatic landscape along the legendary Rhine is titled the “Romantic Rhine Valley”. Recognizing the rich cultural and historic heritage of this region, UNESCO in 2002 aptly designated this 65 kilometers stretch of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley as a World Heritage Site.
Tucked away in the far northeast corner of France, Alsace proudly showcases its own distinct identity – part German and part French, the result of having switched back and forth between German and French sovereignty over the centuries. “Gemütlich”, a Germanic expression denoting warmth and cosiness, fittingly describes the homely feeling found within the exquisitely preserved medieval towns lining the 170 kilometers of the celebrated “Routes des Vins d Álsace”.
The University of Hong Kong Museum Society is pleased to present its fifth gastronomic wine tour, as part of its wine tour series. This time we will explore the popular wine regions of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and Alsace. Together with internationally renowned food and wine connoisseur, wine judge and educator, Mr. Wilson Kwok, we will visit key Rhine Valley producers such as Schloss Johannisberg, Kloster Eberbach, and Weingut S.A. Prüm, along with important Alsatian wineries such as Domaine Schlumberger, Hugel and Domaine Weinbach.
Our gastronomic adventure will showcase local specialties in Michelin starred establishments such as Weingut Kruger – Rumpf (1 star), Le Rosenmeer (1 star), L’Auberge de L’Ill (3 stars) as well as in the more intimate surroundings within the private homes of local wine experts. At each stop, we will learn to pair the particular wines of the region with Wilson’s carefully selected menus.
*Visits to specific wineries are subject to final confirmation
Wilson Kwok, Wine Specialist
WILSON KWOK has one of the most impressive resumes in the food and wine industry in Hong Kong. Holding a Master’s Degree of Enology at the University of Bordeaux, France as well as a Grand Diploma from the Cordon Bleu de Paris, in France, he was knighted by the French Government as Chevalier de L’Ordre du Merite Agricole for his outstanding contribution to French cuisine and wine. He has served actively as a judge in wine competitions since 1994. In 1996 he became the first in Asia to be invited to be a Member of the Jury for the prestigious wine competition, the Citadelles du Vin which is held in Bordeaux every year. In 2000 he won the Sommelier of the Year in Hong Kong on Australia Wines.
As managing director of the W’s Group, Wilson oversees also the running of his flagship restaurant, W’s Entrecote. He has published a number of cookbooks (bilingual Chinese and English) as well as contributed columns to a number of monthly journals including “Wine Now” Monthly Magazine (Chinese) as well as in the South China Morning Post. Wilson advised as well as co-hosted TVB Jade’s 6 episode series, “Wine Confidential”. More recently in October 2010, Wilson released in his own voice the first volume of an audio set of four wine glossary references spoken in six languages.
Wilson has taken members of the HKUMS to Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Tuscany and Piedmont since 2010.