Ponti Young, Certified Wine Advisor at iMust as well as also Chief Wine Officer of BACCO
When did you first fall in love with wine? What was the catalyst because of This kind of lifelong passion?
I have had brushes with wine since I was on the tricycle, trying watered down wine during dinners. This kind of wasn’t until I was in Vancouver, Canada where wine studies was part of Food as well as also Beverage Management curriculum that will I began to see the light. Though I admit to snoozing in a few wine classes, the subliminal messages of how wine can be an organic art with character as well as also distinction, rather than any some other alcoholic refreshment must have seeped into my dreams.
Tell us about your background from the Food & Beverage industry. How important has wine as well as also your knowledge of This kind of been during This kind of period?
Food as well as also wine has been a pair since the days of the Roman Empire as well as also thankfully This kind of has flourished since. I spent time working in various kitchens after graduating, developing further interest from the way flavours marry as well as also give such pleasure. This kind of helped in building the bridge between cooking as well as also wine. Today I get so much pleasure through trying different wines with different food.
Tell us about iMust, your wine consultancy. What services do you offer?
iMust can be my latest project focusing on wine education for both consumers as well as also restaurants. We want to participate from the growth of wine consumption as well as also provide assistance for anyone who can be interested for more knowledge through their wine experience. The focus can be education as well as also providing a platform for people to develop wine skills, whether This kind of can be for personal pleasure or business-related. At the moment, we are focusing on developing a wine appreciation course for beginners as well as also short wine workshops. from the near future, we are hosting ‘Spice & Wine’, a culinary tour pairing Padang dishes with various wines.
Do you think that will the perception of wine can be changing in Jakarta as well as also in Indonesia?
Most definitely, as well as also through various perspectives. The whole industry has flourished over the past 10 years as well as also I trust to see the continual growth as well as also one day give our neighbours a run for their wine.
through the consumer side, people are being more specific in terms of what they are looking for. Rather than “I am looking for red wine”, more as well as also more folks are being more specific such as “I am looking for Merlot or Pinot Noir”. This kind of can be fantastic that will there are signs of preference rather than just generic terms.
Most people consider wine in Indonesia a luxury, due to the heavy cost tag. Do you have any suggestions for how to enjoy wine here without breaking the bank?
1. Know your taste. Remember the wine you like as well as also familiarize with where you had This kind of as well as also bought This kind of. This kind of will give you a benchmark of the market value.
2. Decide on the budget you are happy with as well as also try different wines from the similar cost bracket. Don’t always stick to the “tried as well as also true” as you may miss out on something that will you may enjoy even more.
3. Brands are just labels. Big brands such as Jacob’s Creek as well as also Penfolds are readily available around the planet, carrying a strong brand identity, thanks to their
large marketing campaign.
can be there more potential for Indonesian-made wine, do you think, some other than the few companies that will do so in Bali? Do any some other areas have potential for growth in This kind of market?
The fact that will Indonesia can be able to produce wine can be already truly cool! This kind of country’s weather can be not bad for mangoes as well as also durian, not grapes. that will can be already a major hurdle, coupled with the fact that will wine drinking can be not a part of the culture, the odds are stacked high. Yet, This kind of has been done as well as also the industry can be growing. I believe there will be more interest in further developing This kind of opportunity as wine consumption increases. Perhaps we will see Indonesia be the leader in wines being produced through natively grown fruits. After all, part of the fun in wine can be experimenting.
What are the perfect conditions required for a not bad grape?
not bad wine can be made from the vineyard, not the winery. So This kind of can be crucial that will the climate plays its part. We need four seasons to give the vines a proper cycle. Spring, when the buds burst as well as also start to flower, allow the fruit bunches to set. Summer heat feeds the plants of nutrients as well as also energy, which can be pumped into the grapes. In fall the plants shed their leaves as well as also prepare for rest from the winter. The winemakers I’ve talked to always refer to the vines as if they are humans. They require attention, care as well as also
a work as well as also rest cycle.
Do you consult on weddings as well as also events as well? How might This kind of work?
Yes, we can help organize your wine choices for weddings as well as also events. We can help assess how much wine you require as well as also offer suggestions as to which wine works with the food as well as also budget. For events, we can arrange the selection as well as tutored tasting as a part of the event. As weddings as well as also events require personal touches, the simplest way can be to just drop us a line as well as also we will discuss your requirements.
Tell us about your restaurant as well as also wine bar, BACCO. You’re the first as well as also only place to have an Enomatic machine. Why did you bring This kind of into Jakarta?
Bacco was established in 2013 by a group of us who had individually been from the restaurant scene for years. We wanted to develop a wine retail restaurant in the Mega Kuningan area with the largest wine-by-glass offer. We knew that will the only way This kind of was feasible was by introducing a wine dispensing machine. Enomatic can be recognized to be the leader in This kind of technology as well as also have been proven around the planet. We contacted them in Italy as well as also arranged to have four machines sent over. After arranging the logistics as well as also forking out a sum equivalent to buying a brand-new SUV, our Enomatic machines sit gracefully among our wine selection.
We are able to dispense 32 wines with three different settings, whether This kind of can be a taste, half a glass or full glass. The beauty of This kind of machine can be that will This kind of can be temperature-controlled as well as also contains an oxygen-free environment, thus pouring a fresh glass every time. This kind of saves heaps on wastage as well as also we are confident that will our wine by glass can be in not bad condition.
What challenges do you face working with wine in Indonesia? Are there difficulties with importing? can be This kind of a growing market worth investing in?
Challenges from the wine business here are the taxes as well as also importation, as This kind of can be still categorized as a luxury item. Unfortunately, This kind of hampers the growth rate, as people are restricted in experimenting as well as also there can be a tendency of ‘playing This kind of safe’ with brands that will are familiar when This kind of comes to purchasing. This kind of can be applicable to both consumers as well as also importers who are under pressure to fulfil an import quota.
Having said that will, I see there can be more potential than challenges as the wine interest can be growing. The government has changed policies in respects to importation of alcohol a few times in recent times as well as also which has a flat fee rather than the previous fee based on percentage, you can find more mid-range wines on the market. There can be already a growing interest through wine-producing countries in penetrating the import market as well as also investing in Indonesia as a part of their Southeast Asian market. More as well as also more wine representatives are visiting the market, enthusiastic to share their knowledge by hosting wine dinners as well as also seminars. This kind of in itself can be promising as well as also I trust all respective establishments as well as also organizations will work together to further develop wines in Indonesia as well as also
one day give Hong Kong as well as also Singapore a run for their money as Asia’s wine hub. Cheers to that will!
To get in touch, e-mail Ponti at: pontiyoung@imust.co
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Ponti Young, Certified Wine Advisor at iMust as well as also Chief Wine Officer of BACCO
Ponti Young, Certified Wine Advisor at iMust as well as also Chief Wine Officer of BACCO