Story & photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling GourmetTM

The implacable Travelling Gourmet tastes the wines of a winery next door to CIA…

MY alma mater, CIA, is next door to the Beringer Winery established in 1876. Yes, I was a spy but it got too dangerous…so I made a career change to become The Travelling GourmetTM, a Travel, Food & Wine Writer/Editor.

Keep calm, I am only joking! The CIA I am referring to is the fabled Culinary Institute of America founded in 1946. Renowned worldwide as the University of the Culinary Arts for Chefs & Wine Experts. When I trained there, I would go to taste Beringer wines a lot. This is because Beringer Winery is right next door, and is just a short stroll away between, or at the end of classes… { 🙂

The Cental Intelligence Agency was founded in 1947…but that is another story.

Tonight, I was privileged to relish a guided wine tasting by earnest and affable Jerry Comfort, Beringer’s Ambassador.

It was a stellar tasting that spanned 3 decades of wines. Well organised as part of the World Gourmet Summit 2013 in sunny Singapore. Jerry confided over a glass of Beringer, “I was the Beringer Chef …I was Chef for 25 years before I becane the Beringer Wine Ambassador. It was held in The Prime Society, one of my favourite restaurants for MEAT, done well. All the steaks and ribs on the menu would have matched the featured wines very well.

As a bonus, I did the tasting with my friend, Ingrid, the Princess of The Prime Society. A most gracious lady whose charm and courtesy, is only outdone by her considerable beauty. Both of us liked the 1989 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon & the 2006 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

1987 Beringer Chabot Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

1987 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

1989 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

1990 Beringer Chabot Vineyatrd Vabernet Sauvignon

1990 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

1996 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Beringer Chabot Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Beringer Private Reserve  Cabernet Sauvignon

The grape variety was the same, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, ubiquitous and considered an ‘international’ varietal, whatever that means. All wines had practically 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc with the exception of one where Cabernet Franc was replaced by Petit Verdot. Anyway, one percent of anything, whatever it is, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Shiraz or whatever, does not make that great a differnec to the taste and aroma and sensory profile. I defy any wine expert in a very strict Blind tasting to detect 1% of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verot or whatever. It may happen in a Hollywood movie…but not in real life.

The other fascinating aspect of this tasting was the difference in “terroirs” as some of the wines had blends of wines from different top Beringer vineyards. Of course, the other intriguing factor was the difference in the ages of the wines, thus the discerning Wine connoisseur can appreciate and savour the diffence age makes on the evolution and development of these very fine wines. A very good taster can detect this…

To be continued…