Your guide to the many, many wine events in November. By Winnie Yeung

Hey, so eventually we are going to become a world wine hub (see story on page 10), but why wait ‘til then to get your drink on? This November is especially bibulous, with several wine festivals happening and lots of special wine dinner menus around the city—the only thing you have to worry about is your sobriety.

Festivals
Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival
Fri-Sun, Oct 30-Nov 1, 8:45pm-10:45pm (Fri),
1pm-10pm (Sat-Sun), West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade
Unbeknownst to most of Hong Kong, the Tourism Board named 2009 the “Hong Kong Food and Wine Year.” The highlight is the Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival this weekend at the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade (the seafront sidewalk outside of Elements mall). The public can buy a wine pass for $150 (which allows you to try 12 types of wine among the 150 food and wine booths), a Riedel wine glass (to use during wine tastings) and a $10 cash coupon for some reason, as well as a few other goodies. Details at www.hongkongwineanddinefestival.com.

Lan Kwai Fong Carnival 2009
Sat-Sun, Nov 7-8, 1pm-1am (Sat), 1pm-10pm (Sun),
Lan Kwai Fong
Ah, how could Hong Kong celebrate food and wine without
the annual Samba/Allan-Zeman-in-hula-skirt festival in that lovely little corner of Central? The Lan Kwai Fong Festival will once again host more than 80 booths over the weekend selling food, wine and handicrafts.

SoHo Wine and Dine Carnival—Village on the Hill
Fri-Sun, Nov 6-8, 4pm-11pm (Fri), noon-11pm (Sat),
noon-9pm (Sun), SoHo
On the same weekend, head up to SoHo for a “true village spirit” street festival with performances by street performers from Macau. Artisans will also be hawking their arts and crafts, and several restaurants in the area will be hosting $50 food and wine pairing menus.

Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair
Wed-Fri, Nov 4-6,10am-6:30pm, Convention and
Exhibition  Centre
Over 400 exhibitors from around the world will be offering their finest wines and spirits for tasting. Wine seminars are also being held throughout the fair. This is a trade event but Nov 6 is also open to public at $200 per person. Details: www.hktdc.com/hkwinefair/38.

Special Wine Events
SoHo Wine Walk
Wed, Nov 4, 6pm-9pm, SoHo, Central
Following the Food and Wine Festival is this wine walk event as part of the Hong Kong Food and Wine Year. On November 4 from 6 to 9pm, 50 restaurants and bars in SoHo will open their doors to offer wine samples. Wine passes are $100 for six tastings. Details: www.HongKongWineAndDineFestival.com.
   
Wine Tasting Class with Tapas
Tue and Thu, Nov 3 and 5, 7:30pm-9:30pm,
Alcove Wine Studio
Our favorite innovative (and gorgeous) Chinese restaurant Alcove is hosting wine-tasting classes for two nights. Students will enjoy the selected wines with an assortment of tailormade tapas. Fee $250 per person, a minimum of four people per class. Advanced booking is required. Alcove Wine Studio,
37 Staunton St., Central, 2975-9722/6803-1848.

Cooking Class with Wine
Oct 30 to Nov 8
Towngas Avenue, famous for its cooking classes, will now be hosting special classes where the tutor will teach you how to cook select dishes with wine. Call their studios in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui to find out what dish they are teaching on particular days. The fee is $330 per person, with all ingredients included. Each class takes a maximum of two hours.
Details: www.towngasavenue.com.

Special Wine Menus
Amber
The top restaurant in town has launched a bargain special Weekend Wine Lunch—$648 for six courses and seven wines. The dishes include its signature iberico pork belly.
Amber, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Rd. Central, 2132-0066, www.mandarinoriental.com/landmark.

OVOlogue
This chic Chinese restaurant is launching a special wine-pairing menu with vintages exclusively from Laurence of Margaret River in western Australia. The menu, at $698 each, includes eight courses and three wines. Available from Nov 1-Dec 30.
OVOlogue, 66 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai, 2527-6088,
www.ovologue.com.hk.

Domani
On November 21, this Italian restaurant is inviting Italian winemaker Giorgio Rivetti from La Spinetta wines for a special dinner. Executive chef Michele Bernacchia specially developed a six-course dinner to pair with the La Spinetta wines.
Domani, Level 4, Pacific Place Drive, Admiralty, 2111-1197, www.domani.hk.