味觉魔法师

有一种难以定位的事物，它非人类的情感，也不是单纯的物质，然而全球的王室贵族，富豪和企业家都希望得到它的辅助，这便是品酒师的味蕾。

自1953年葡萄酒大师MW（Master of Wine）资格认证考试开设以来，截止到去年，全球共有279人获得该称号。这些获得大师认证的279人有英国人，有美国人，有澳大利亚人，但直到2008年，才出现了第一位亚洲人。

出身于韩国首尔的李志延女士便是这亚洲第一葡萄酒大师，长居于香港的她携新书《亚洲人的味蕾》来京举办签书会，《私人飞机》和这位葡萄酒大师相约于“中国会”，听她讲述瑰丽的葡萄酒人生。

缘起学生时代

李志延对葡萄酒的兴趣始源于在牛津大学作为交换生的一年间，此前只浅尝过普通的葡萄酒，直到19岁在英国的一次晚宴，初次品味尚有年份的波尔多，让李志延再难忘怀。不只是味道，让李志延觉得十分有趣的是晚宴上配合不同食物所搭配的葡萄酒。各种奇妙的组合，赋予了每种葡萄酒自我和独一无二的性格。她第一次认识到，原来葡萄酒也可以这样品尝，原来葡萄酒也有如此多的学问。

学生时期，李志延常常为了一顿美食而存上好一阵子的钱。李志延意识到，欧洲人把葡萄酒当作美食的一部分，“当你有享受美食的打算时，你总能看到葡萄酒的身影。”李志延从葡萄酒“新鲜人”做起，翻阅书籍再加上涉身的体验，她尝试去了解每种葡萄酒美味的原因和与其他酒种的不同之处。对于那些好酒的第一印象，李志延告诉本刊，她总能感觉出它们的与众不同，没有其他的酒种可以与之比拟。品尝酒的同时是在品尝酒的个性，和它背后隐藏的故事。“产地在哪，生产人是谁，葡萄生长时的气候等等，有太多太多等着品酒人去揭秘。”

首次考试败北

品葡萄酒，写葡萄酒，在葡萄酒行业越陷越深，考取葡萄酒大师的认证资格就像是道必过的门槛。对于李志延这位哈佛毕业的高材生来说，考试更不是什么轻易被难倒的事情。正是这样轻视的心态让她在第一次接受葡萄酒大师认证考试时败北。2008年的卷土重来却又再次印证了她的决心和所具备的天生味蕾。

谈起MW的考试，李志延仍津津乐道。这场总共历经4天的考试考的不仅仅是品酒，更多的是理论，以及对葡萄酒和这个行业的认知。每天上午要品多达12种不知名的酒，下午则通过论文表述如何认为每种酒是产自该地、出于此年份、葡萄糖分、酿酒经过、所用装酒酒瓶等。这其中甚至包括许多涉及地理、科学和化学方面的知识，或许也是为什么至今获得MW头衔的人数屈手可数的原因之一。

It is hard to define what it is exactly. It is not a thing, nor an emotion. But the rich and famous, the royals and the privileged all want a piece of it – it is the taste bud of a master of wine.

MW (Master of Wine) accreditation was established in 1953. Since then 279 have been awarded the title as of end of 2011. There had been Brits, Americans, Australians but not a single Asian until 2008.

Jeannie Cho Lee is the first Asian MW. She now lives in Hong Kong and just had a book-signing event (Asian Plate) in Beijing. U-Jet met her and heard her rosy life of wine.

Since the School Days

Lee became fascinated with wine in her year as an exchange student at Oxford University. She had had some wine before but never such an extraordinary Bordeaux as at the banquet in England when she was 19. She could never forget it and was even more impressed with different wines to go with different food. Magical combination highlighted the unique personality of every wine. She realized for the first time how magical and deep wine could be.

In her school days, she often saved for quite a while just to have a good meal. Wine is an integral part of nice meals to Europeans. “When you have nice food, you see wine,” said she. She started her education of wine as a “freshman”. She read extensively and tried different wines, figuring out where the nice taste came from and how one wine was different from another. Lee told us that for those truly extraordinary wine, it was always the one and only, incomparable to anything else. Wine tasting is about exploring the unique character of each wine and the stories behind. “Where is the origin, who are the growers, what is the weather like, etc, etc,” said she.

Unlucky First Time

Lee paid her dues tasting and writing about wine and became deeply immersed, until it seemed a natural step to get a MW certificate. For a Harvard graduate, exams shouldn’t be that hard, but it was her taking-it-easy mindset that led to her failure for the first time. She had another go in 2008, more determined and better prepared.

Lee still reminisced her MW exams, which lasted four days, and skewed towards theory, and a candidate’s knowledge of wine and the industry, apart from wine tasting. Each morning, a candidate tasted as many as 12 unnamed wines. In the afternoon, one had to describe in a paper where each wine is produced, in what year, its sugar content, the wine-making process, and bottling details. The exams cover geography, science and chemistry, perhaps the reason why very few people eventually pass.

Work Life Balance

Lee is now a consultant for the Singapore Airline and Macau Galaxy Resort, as well as a special contributor to various wine media outlets.

Lee said that work is relaxed and enjoyable, because she does what she is passionate about. She recommends wine to clients and tells them what will be the results of particular wine-food combination. Lee is overjoyed with their reaction.

She is a mother of four and the biggest challenge is work life balance. She flies around the world and she finds it best to go on holiday with kids to strike work-life balance, that’s why she doesn’t work for at least two months every year.

美酒心语

搭配粤菜的海鲜菜式，德国葡萄酒中干型的雷司令，或来自Pfalz或Silvaner产区的Pinot Blanc或Pinot Gris是几个不错的选择。因为这些酒酸度和坚实的特点会为餐点加入清新的体验，也比甜腻的葡萄酒更经得起强烈、刺鼻、甚至发酵的味道。而对于味道强烈的菜式，如以豆豉调味的菜肴，中等酒体的德国干红则能与之搭配。

当然李志延也有碰壁的时候，在客人对葡萄酒的搭配持否定意见时，李志延虚心接受并将其当作实践和磨练的一部分。

李志延经常走访亚洲各地并对葡萄酒市场作分析。她认为中国产区的葡萄酒已有很大的进步。比起过去，酒质更清亮，更突显了水果的特质。尤其宁夏地区的一些酒，和用产自新疆、甘肃的葡萄酿的酒，都能够很好的将葡萄特性酿于酒中。

“中国大部分的葡萄酒在口味上更接近欧洲酒种，因为其大陆性质的地理和气候因素，葡萄酒略带有土地的味道，尤以河北和山东两个产区为代表。同时也表示中国产区的不足之处依然存在，突出在葡萄种植方面。好的葡萄酒必须慎重对待葡萄的产量，绝不能使产量超标。”她认为中国种植葡萄的农民们往往因高产量等于高利润的概念误区而导致酿酒的葡萄不佳。而在欧洲，种植葡萄的农民自己也是葡萄酒爱好者，以饮酒人的角度来种植葡萄，他们更清楚如何种出得以酿成佳酿的葡萄。

Medium-dry Riesling from Germany, Pinot Blanc from Pfalz or Silvaner are good for Cantonese sea food. The acidity and solidity add freshness to meals; and they resist strong, pungent and even fermented taste better than sweet varieties. Medium-body German dry plays magic with tempeh-dressed food.

Lee has her share of resistance. When clients rejected her recommendation, she accepted it graciously.

Lee visits various parts of Asia to analyze local markets. She sees great progress in Chinese wine regions. The wines are clearer and highlight the characters of grapes. She particularly likes wine from Ningxia, and wine made with Xinjian and Gansu grapes, which incorporate the characteristics of local grapes in them.

“Chinese wine is closer to European variety, due to continental geography and weather conditions. Wine carries the character of local soil, especially those from Hebei and Shandong. But there are shortcomings, mostly with growing. Yield factor is important for good wine, over growing is never good,” said Lee. She thinks that farmers have the misconception that high production equals high profits, and this leads to unsatisfactory grape quality. In Europe, growers are wine makers themselves, keenly aware of how to grow best grapes.