City Super Taiwan

City Super Taiwan

www.citysuper.com.tw

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遠企店 Far Eastern Mall      (遠企購物中心,B1&B2) / 0809-088-680

復興店 Fuxing Store                     (SOGO復興館,B3) / 0809-070-010

天母店 Tienmu Store                    (SOGO天母店,B1) / 0809-080-966

板橋店 Banqiao Store                       (板橋大遠百,B1) / 0809-092-700

新竹店 Hsinchu Store                   (巨城購物中心,B1) / 0809-098-855

台中店 Taizhong Store                     (台中大遠百,B2) / 0809-090-520

City Super, one of the higher end supermarket chains in Taiwan is doing wonderful things with their wine department. Apart from the frequent events they host (as pictured below) and their weekend wine samplings! Yes! you can sample wine and spirits in the supermarkets in Taiwan if they are open for sampling. Many of the bottles for sale here are region specific wines, well known brands, or wines that have done well in the Taiwan market. 

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This picture is from the Fuxing City Super branch(Sogo); all the high end and vintage wines are kept in a temperature controlled room. Anyone is allowed to go into the cellar to view its' wines, just ask the staff to assist you.  

Most City Super wine departments have temperature controlled cellars, but not all of them are walk in.

There are so many rows of wine here...how do I choose? How do I know what's good? 

Well.....First off, you can try wondering around the wine area on the weekends and sample whats on offer.

-City Super constantly does promotional wine events, tastings, expos, etc...just visit one of the branches during these times and many of the companies selling their wine in City Super will be present to give samples and talk about the wineries they represent. The wines are also at discounted prices during these events. 

-City Super Exclusive wines means that City Super imports those wines themselves.

-Most of the people working in the wine department have taken beginning to intermediate level wine courses and are knowledgeable about 'their' wines or the wines that have been available in the store for some time. 

The wines usually on display are set at promotional prices, and on the weekends some of the bottles may be opened for tasting! 

American Wines

What you'll find a City Super are bottles from California, Oregon, and Washington State. 

Australia

The bottles are mainly coming from more quality wine producing regions in Australia, you won't find many bottles of South Eastern Australia here. 

Regular sized bottles, half bottles, expensive bottles(in the cellar) Champagne, Cava, Prosecco; you name it they most likely have it. 

A weekend stroll through City Super's TienMu branch and these were the bottles up for sampling. 

If you are into giving alcohol as a gift, many of the whiskey brands do gift box specials. 

During the holidays in Taiwan (Chinese New Year) for example, many of the brands sold here will do special gift boxes, packages, and extra free gifts with purchase. 

Can't seem to decide what you want, or just don't really want to go for that big bottle of Port? Try buying by the half bottle instead.

Old World Wines

Dessert Wines

Sauternes, Tojaki, Late harvest 

Before you leave don't forget to pay the cheese department a visit! City Super has a grand selection, and if you're lucky some of the cheeses may be on sale! 

Meats, fish, veggies, and fresh goods also go on sale at close out prices nightly (usually starting between 7-8pm)

One of my favorite cheeses to get was the Vincent Van Gogh Cheese

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Le Sommelier Wine Expert Taipei

Le Sommelier Wine Expert Taipei 天母樂索門酒業

www.sommelier.com.tw

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士林區天母西路3-81號1樓

No. 3-81, Tianmu Xi Rd., Shi Lin Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan

(Near Patio84 Bar & Grill, & Tianmu Creative Market)

Phone: (02) 2872 3531

Hours: 

Monday-Friday            10:30AM-10PM

Saturday-Sunday               11AM-10PM

Le Sommelier Wine Expert a wine bar and shop tucked away in Tianmu offers a range of bottles from (France) Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire Valley, Alsace, Vin de pays South of France & bubbly from Champagne.  Italy, Spain, Portugal, Chile, New Zealand, Sparkling wine & a variety of spirits and liquors. 

Wine List

This place also throws a great end of the month wine party which includes free flow wine and a French/Western style buffet starting at around 7PM-10PM and 150nt per glass after 10PM

There are no reservations for seats, but you can purchase early bird tickets that start at (NT 1,000) and at the door price at (NT 1,200)

Le Sommelier asks "To prepare enough food and drink, and make sure nobody hungry or thirsty, we'll be grateful if you could make the reservation before.

For the reservation, you can contact us directly, or leave us a message on FB or by e-mail. 

Please specify your name and how many people will come with you."

Contact : (02) 2872-3531

Email : sommelier@sommelier.com.tw

You will definitely want to practice a bit of wine etiquette at Le Sommelier's month end parties, since there is such a variety of bottles to try, and this is not a spit your wine type of party! Everyone drinks, roams around, chats and is merry. 

The way it works at their parties is you get a glass and pour for yourself. If you want to try a bit of everything, I suggest pouring yourself about 15ml (one mouthful) so you can taste a variety of different wines, while still remaining functional by the end of the night.

Here's an idea of what different pours look like. Remember to hold your glass by the stem, because if you hold your glass by the bowl you'll warm the bowl and your wine. 

Picture & Information provided by: fundraisingwine.com.au

As you see Le Sommelier's parties get pretty packed so come early to enjoy more food, wine, and company. 

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168 Wine Cellar 酒窖 Taiwan

168 Wine Cellar  酒窖 Taiwan

www.168wine.com.tw

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中正區汀州路一段68號

No. 68, Sec. 1, Ting Zhou Rd., Zhong Zheng Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan

Phone: (02) 2338 1008

Hours:

Monday-Saturday   12PM-7PM

Sunday            Closed

168 is an if you are in the neighborhood sort of shop, or if you are in the mood to attend a wine tasting class. Most of their classes are conducted in Chinese, but if you are lucky a winery representative may be present, if the importer has invited them to Taiwan.

 To keep in the loop about 168's upcoming events follow their Facebook, just click the FB icon above.

You know that term, "stop to smell the roses?" That is exactly what you should be doing when you are sticking your nose into a glass of wine.  Sometimes when I attend a tasting, or are giving a tasting, I'll ask what other people smell in their glass...many rookie wine drinkers will tell me," It smells like wine." But what does "wine" even smell like? How is it that some tasters can smell all these amazing fruits and spices and go on and on about what they are smelling and you can't pick out one distinct aroma if it were to save your life.

Wine smells like a great many things! here are some tips on sniffing those "things" out. 

Step one: Train your nose! Smell everything! When you are in a supermarket take extra time to smell the produce. If there are spices out, take time to smell them. If you have spices readily at home, open them up and take a whiff. If you are having a slice of cheese, or even putting some whip cream on your hot chocolate, smell it! familiarize yourself with what dairy products smell like, because yes...certain wine making practices and ageing techniques in wine, can mimic the scent of dairy products.

  When you are at the park or in a garden, try to remember what fresh cut grass smells like vs. dried. Smell all the flowers that you can. Compare fresh roses to dried ones. Compare fresh fruits, to dried fruits, to fruit pies, to fruit jams.

 I tend to think we take our sense of smell for granted and don't think about its' use much, but if you do stop to smell the roses every once in a while, you'll then start to build  a memory bank of aromas that you can refer to the next time you attend a wine tasting. 

Step two: Utilize the Aroma wheel.  Keep an aroma wheel handy when you attend tastings. Sometimes seeing the words on paper can give you that extra push in deciding if that red you are smelling displays aromas of under ripen strawberry, or cranberry, or maybe even both. 

From Wine Folly's Aroma Wheel article: winefolly.com/tutorial/wine-aroma-wheel-100-flavors

Step three: Take a trip down memory lane. Just the other day I tasted a Shiraz from Heathcote, Australia and right away I got big whiffs of pine needles, cedar, and blackberry straight off the vine. This wine took me back to being at my great grandparent's ranch house in Sonoma, California. Right away I was in love with this wine, because it brought me back to such a fond place in my memory as a child.

Step four: Don't second guess yourself. When you dive into a glass and start smelling, write down what you think you smell right away. Don't second guess it! Wine is subjective and personal, so what you may be smelling in your glass, may be a bit different from what your neighbor is smelling. I've had Cabs that smelt of mint, Beaujolais that smelled like bubble gum, and even a Sauv Blanc that smelled like Orange Julius. Yes! Orange Julius, that orange beverage that was a mix of ice, orange juice, milk, powdered egg whites, and vanilla flavoring that you could find at the many malls in America. Now...if you weren't a teenager in America walking the malls during the time Orange Julius stands were still in business, you would have no idea what I was talking about. Again pointing out that picking up different aromas in wine is a personal experience. 

At this tasting the class was about wines from Austria. 

In this glass (Zweigelt) the most popular red wine variety in Austria.

Zweigelt: A deep colored easy drinking red, with soft tannins that can display flavors of cherry, bramble fruit, spices and at times leather. 

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VINOZA Taipei

VINOZA 

vinoza.com

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信義店

106 台北市大安區仁愛路四段122巷59號

(近信義安和捷運站1號出口)

Xinyi Store

106 No.59, Ln. 122, Sec. 4, Ren’ai Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan
(Near Xinyi Anhe MRT Station Exit 1)
(At crossroads Xinyi & Renai sec. 4, and close to Pico Pico Restaurant & Bar)
Phone: (02) 7709-7730

Hours:
Monday-Saturday      10AM-10PM
Sunday                      12PM- 8PM

    I first found myself at Vinoza, because of this bottle of deliciousness on the right ( Plansel Selecta, Variety: Touriga Nacional Country: Pourtugal) A classmate of mine I met in wine school had brought it to a class dinner and as soon as a took a whiff... I was lost in a field of violets! It was absolutely divine. In my pursue for my new found addiction "violets, lush blackberries, and pipe tobacco in a bottle" I had to know where this bottle could be found.              

 Vinoza is more of a shop than a bar, but the store does have a bar counter in the front, and a room in the back, where tastings are usually held. There are also cheese platters and a wine dispensing machine if you would like to try some of their wines by the glass.  

As soon as I walked in the door I was given a glass of Prosecco!  Now that's what I call service.  The staff at this shop are a friendly bunch and also well informed on the wines that are on offer. Vinoza carries wines from: Argentina, South Africa, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. 

Test Your Taste

 vinoza.com/explore-your-taste

So what is this explore your taste concept all about?  Pretty much this is a tool to help the staff, and you find a bottle that you may like based on the flavors and aromas that you are already comfortable with/accustomed to. Some of us might like herbs, grass, hay, or even the scent of a barnyard. "Yes some wines can actually have a barnyardy aroma." But if some of those aromas are or are not your forte, you can let the staff know and they will be sure to find something to your liking. 

Jade: Fresh and crisp aromas and flavors

Topaz: Elegant and delicate aromas and flavors of delicious ripe fruit

Ruby: Hints of spice and herb aromas and flavors with more density

Sapphire: Rich, full-bodied, powerful aromas and flavors

 When I paid a visit to Vinoza this time around they were having a big seasonal sale.

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