Wine is art that's easy to appreciate

A successful reunion needs some planning ahead. Assembling the right blend of guests is important, and requires attention. Like wine, people may be "acid", "sweet", "bitter" Be aware that the pleasure of wine can feed passion around the table. Gathering people who have in common a true love for food and wine is the right recipe for a successful experience.

When it comes to wine, I like to be curious and inventive and do not shy away from new experiences.

With the many wonderful dishes of Chinese cuisine, which present a world of richness and subtlety, I never hesitate to serve different wines. They are the stars of the show: alive, maturing, blossoming or fading. If time permits, I have the older bottles rest upright one day before the meal (old wines, especially those made with cabernet sauvignon grapes, produce sediment as they age. The sediment will rapidly settle to the bottom where it remains after the wine is decanted). I make sure they are not too warm or too cold, for wines must be served at the right temperature.

I carefully choose the glasses. My preference goes to simply shaped wine glasses, made of transparent and thin glass or crystal. Finally, decanting the wine at the right moment, just before drinking, will give it some air, develop its perfumes and maximize the drinking pleasure.

Each occasion has its particular logic. Why not start a meal with the oldest or the rarest bottle on hand? The first wine is important. It opens the appetite and triggers the conversation. Served before the meal has really begun, it also comes at the most favorable time, when everyone is physically and intellectually alert, with fresh taste buds and acute sensation. Personally, I love to begin with an old bottle of our Chateau Lynch-Bages. Older bottles, the only time machines that really work, will spark ancient memories.

Every bottle contains a new experience, ready to escape at the first occasion. Trust your palate, and enjoy.

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