Wine of Honour of French GourMay 2023: French Sparkling Wines
Every time hearing the “pop”, we know it’s time to celebrate! French sparkling wines have been served to mark memorable events – birthday, graduation, marriage, party etc. In France, it is ordinary to enjoy “les petits plaisirs de la vie” (little pleasures in life) over a glass of sparkling wine for its extraordinary taste.
Blossoms of Bubbles: Characteristics of French Sparkling Wines
The clink of the bubbly glass is a musical display of affection. The tenderness behind the wine production is palpable on our palate. For example, premium producers will harvest grapes by hand and handle as gently as possible to keep the bunches intact and healthy. Through every sip of the delicate fizziness, we savour the vibrant elegance in the mouth.
Every time we pour a glass of French sparkling wine, a dancing bloom of bubbles gets on the stage, a bubbly spectacle that unfolds in a glass. It is the well-known sparkling winemaking savoir-faire in France that gives birth to those elegant and fine bubbles. The transformation of sparkling wines can be a bit of a mystery. If we look beyond the chemical reaction, who would you watch the bubbly spectacle with?
Convivial Companionship：Bubbly Feast in May
French sparkling wines share interesting similarities and differences in terms of production methods, flavour, heritage, terroirs, etc. Apart from being a symbol of joy and festivity, French sparkling wine offers impressive versatility when it comes to food and wine paring. With different terroirs, French sparkling wines elevate the dining experience and make delicious combination with diverse cuisine: cold or hot starters, seafood, white meats, cheeses, and of course desserts.
BUBBLE UP with us this May – more than 140 partners – over 50 restaurants, 20 wine importers, 50 food and wine retailers and 9 learning centres in Hong Kong and Macau – will join hands to celebrate French GourMay 2023 by creating dedicated Bubble Up menus, wine tastings, promotions and workshops on French Sparkling wines.
Santé, à la ville, à la vie ! (Cheers to this city and to life!)
French GourMay Food & Wine Festival Chef Ambassador – Mr. Olivier Elzer
Stepping into his 30th year in the global gastronomic industry, and 14th year of working in Hong Kong, Mr. Olivier Elzer is considered one of the best French chefs known for his modern take of French traditional cuisine. Olivier was bestowed with the distinction of Knight in the Order of Agricultural Merit of the French Republic by Consul General of France Mrs. Christile Drulhe on 29 November 2022, as one of the most prominent promoters of the French cuisine and its products.
With 23 Michelin stars, Olivier continues to enthrall local gourmets at L’Envol and Clarence. As the Ambassador of the Excellence of French Gastronomy in Hong Kong, he believes that breakthrough can always be achieved, and we can discover French cuisine in a new way.
Chef Olivier’s passion for French wine clinks with the “French Sparkling Wine” theme of the 14th edition of French GourMay Food and Wine Festival 2023, in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the French May Arts Festival. His aspiration goes in line with the mission of French GourMay this year, as the Festival presents a wide range of French sparkling wines in Hong Kong and Macau.
Photo Captions
Photo 1. French GourMay Food & Wine Festival 2023 officially kicked start today at the JC Cube at Tai Kwun in Central. Officiating guests included (from left)
Ms. Sylvia Chung, Chief Business Impact Officer of Chinachem Group;
Mr. Xavier Mahe, General Manager of French May Arts Festival;
Ms. Karena Lam, Ambassdor of French May Arts Festival;
Ms. Pansy HO, Co-chairmen of the Board of French May;
Ms Christile DRULHE, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau;
Mr. Raistlin Lau, Under Secretary of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau;
Ms. Winnie Yip, Executive Manager, Charities (Sports and Culture) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust;
Mrs. Mignonne CHENG, Co-chairmen of the Board of French May;
Mr. Olivier Elzer, French GourMay Chef Ambassdor;
Mr. Bertrand Quevremont, Director of Business France, French Trade Commission in Hong Kong;
Mr. Ken Ng, General Manager, Event and Product Development of Hong Kong Tourism Board
Photo 2 : French GourMay 2023 invited Michelin Chef, Mr. Olivier Elzer as the Chef Ambassador.
Media Contacts :
Ms. Phoebe GUO
Agrotech & Communication
Business France
Mr. Luka Fung
Communication
Business France
About French May & French GourMay
Established in 1993, French May (www.frenchmay.com) is one of the largest cultural events in Asia. With more than 150 programmes presented across two months, it has become an iconic part of Hong Kong’s cultural scene that reaches out over 1 million visitors each year.
Being an important part of French May since 2009, French GourMay (www.frenchgourmay.com) organized by Business France – French Trade Commission, has been celebrating and promoting the French food and wine culture in Hong Kong and Macau. It has become in a few years, thanks to a strong communication and involvement of the gourmet community, a major food and wine festival. Every year in May, French GourMay presents a different region (Midi-Pyrénées, Rhone Valley, Provence, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, Champagne etc.), introducing and encouraging people to experience the dining culture in French style and letting go through an authentic French gastronomic journey through a network of more than 200 local partners.
About Business France
Business France (www.businessfrance.fr) is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It promotes France’s companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and runs the V.I.E international internship program.
Founded on January 1, 2015 through a merge between Ubifrance and the Invest in France Agency, Business France has 1,500 personnel, both in France and in 70 countries throughout the world, who work with a network of public and private-sector partners.