Sonia's tipsy life (我的微醺生活)

又是一年了。在2021年的最後一天，我有些話想說。。。2021 has come to an end.  On this last day of 2021, I have something to say...

不知道大家是否有關注最近很火的NFT話題呢？ NFT指的是「非同质化代币 non-fungible token」。而这个Token是区块链上的数据单位，它是一种新形态的数位资产。那麼，基於區塊鏈技術所發展出來的NFT，和葡萄酒又有什麼關係呢？Have you heard of a recent hot topic called "NFT"?  It refers to "Non-fungible Token". This Token is a unit of data on the blockchain, which is a new form of digital asset.  So, what is NFT exactly, and what does NFT have to do wine?  

這集是基於最近的一項研究報告。兩杯葡萄酒下肚之後，人的感官潛能居然被激發了！怪不得那麼多的藝術家都是酒類愛好者。因為對周遭的敏感度增加，他們創作出的作品也特別生動活潑、深刻動人。微醺之後，你是不是也覺得第六感特別敏銳呢？This episode is based on a recent study.  Wine can stimulate one's sensory potential! No wonder so many artists are wine lovers. Because of their increased sensitivity to their surroundings, the works they create are particularly vivid, lively and profound. How about you?  Does booze also make you feel that your sixth sense is particularly sharp?

朋友們是不是有過這個疑惑 - “同樣一個產區或葡萄品種、同一個年份、甚至同一個酒莊，為什麼一瓶會比另一瓶貴好多呢？”  沒錯，這一集我們來聊葡萄酒的定價。Have you ever wondered why one bottle of wine is so much more expensive than another，even though they are coming from the same wine region and made by same grape varietal?  Yes, let's talk about wine pricing in this episode. 

這一集聊的是波特酒 (Port wine)。這是一種加強型葡萄酒。因為它特別的釀造過程，波特酒通常喝起來甜甜的。而且，它和雪茄還是好朋友哦！週末夜晚，享受雪茄之餘，可以試試搭配一杯茶色波特。感受菸草和葡萄酒在口中混合後的美味～In this episode, Im going to talk about Port wine. It is a fortified wine. Because of its special winemaking process, Port usually tastes sweet. And, it goes super well with cigars (Big smile on my face just thinking of the pairing ^^)!  On weekend nights, while enjoying a cigar, try to pair it with a glass of tawny Port.  Relax and feel the magic of aromatic sensation of blending the two in your mouth~

你知道搖滾樂手邦喬飛，流行歌手Pink粉媽，好萊塢型男演員布萊德比特，喬治克隆尼，前NBA明星球員Dwyane Wade韋德，美國前總統特朗普，還有中國大陸的名人馬雲和姚明有什麼共同點嗎？他們都有一個共同的抬頭，就是酒莊莊主。那麼你知道，這些名人為什麼會買酒莊呢？這集我就來聊下，名人買酒莊。Rock star Bon Jovi, pop singer Pink,  Hollywood actor Brad Bitter, former NBA player Dwyane Wade, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and mainland Chinese celebrities Ma Yun and Yao Ming all have one thing in common, which is they all share the same title - Winery Owner!  So why these celebrities would buy a winery? Let me explain in this episode. 

最近葡萄酒圈有個新聞，而這則新聞大概也只有對葡萄酒特別關注的人才能看到。那就是《神之水滴》（大陸、台灣翻譯《神之雫》）這部漫畫又要翻拍成日劇了。為什麼說「又」呢？那是因為這部葡萄酒漫畫太紅了！2009年第一次被拍成日劇，而2022年又會再被拍一次。而且將由法國女星Fleur Geffrier飾演漫畫的主人翁 - 神咲雫！There is a recent news in the wine circle, and the news is probably only for those who pay special attention to wine， which is the famous Japanese manga The Drops of God  (神の雫, Kami no Shizuku) will be made into a Japanese TV series AGAIN.   And this time, Shizuku Kanzaki (神咲雫) will be played by a female French actress, Fleur Geffrier.  How exciting! 

“Motherhood—powered by love, fueled by coffee, sustained by wine!  ” - by a wise Wine Mom這兩年，因為疫情的關係，絕大部分的時間我都是在家上班。多了時間陪父母和孩子，是幸福也是壓力。而且自從小朋友在家上課後，我的壓力飆升。當我感覺快喘不過氣的時候，我會放下手邊的工作。聽段音樂，開瓶葡萄酒，靜靜地享受和自己「獨處」的時間...Ever since the beginning of this Covid-19 outbreak, I have been WFH.  Spending more time with elders and children is a blessing and a stressful experience.  At times while the children are home schooled, it could drive my stress level 10X!  And if I feel like I'm about to stress out, I will drop everything I'm doing, turn on the light music,  open a bottle of wine, and just spend some alone time with myself... 

如果到了一個場合一定要喝酒，要記住幾個方式來保護自己。第一，避免喝醉，第二就是避免被下藥！那麼要如何避免這些酒局的風險呢？聽今天這一集的分享吧。If you can't avoid alcoholic beverage on an occasion, remember a few ways to protect yourself.  First, it's to avoid drinking too fast & too much!  Second is to avoid being drugged!  In today's episode Im going to share how to protect yourself from these risks.  And remember always be cautious when out and about.  Be safe!

***酒後不開車，安全有保障*** 這其實也不是什麼新技能。只不過，在台灣網購葡萄酒還不被法律允許。疫情全城居家隔離期間，想要輕鬆線上買酒，還是有難度的。但其實網購葡萄酒有很多好處，趕快立法開放吧！Making online purchase is actually not a new skill.  It's just that buying wine （and all the alcoholic beverages）online in Taiwan is not yet legally allowed. It's difficult to buy wine, especially when you're quarantined at home during the epidemic.  With so many benefits to buying wine online, how about let's get the legislation in place asap! 

年輕時剛開始出入高級餐廳的時候，曾經因為不熟悉高級餐廳的點餐方式、用餐流程或習慣，而犯的一些尷尬錯誤。雖然當時可能很糗，但現在想起來都是有趣的經驗。現在都20多年來。事過境遷，我就拿出來和大家分享一下，讓大家開心開心。I was sort of intimidated the very first time dining at a high-end restaurant.  Sure the meal would be delicious, but navigating the norms of a classy restaurant felt like an elaborate performance more than a fun night out.  And surely I created several embarrassing moments for myself.  While the rules around a fancy meal seem confusing at first, once you get the hang of them, it can actually be enjoyable.  In this episode, I'm going to share with you these funny moments and what I've learned from those experience.   ^^ ~Sonia

The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous patriotic poet Qu Yuan.  There are plenty of information online to tell the story of Qu Yuan, if you don't know it already.   Anyway, the holiday falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and people eat Zongzi (sticky-rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves,) and race long, narrow wooden boats decorated with dragons to celebrate the holiday.  In this episode,  I will introduce how to pair wine with various styles of Zhongzi, also to introduce similar foods around the world. 中國三大節日之一，端午節即將到來！端午節的淵源，據說是來自於愛國詩人屈原投江的故事。故事呢，小時候大家都聽過，這裡就不重復。那麼離端午兩周不到，在接下里的幾天里，網上和超市裡將會擺滿各式樣的美味粽子。那麼這一集讓我來說說粽子和葡萄酒的搭配建議，以及盤點一下世界各地的“粽子”！

..在众多的香气中，最让我心动的是红烧肉的香气。尤其，如果锅里炖的是红烧蹄膀，那基本上是要过年了吧！...(蹄膀) 在炖煮的过程，厨房总会飘出甜滋滋、浓浓的肉香，把孩子们各个都馋得不行。... 过去的日常生活或许看似平凡。但回忆就像是调味料，将这些琐碎家常，调理成了一道道的美味片刻。The smell of slow-cooked pork belly which wafts through the air reminds me my childhood Chinese New Year‘s Eve dinner time spent with my family.  My grandma was once the best cook and she has created so many great dishes and wonderful memories for me.  In this special day, I want to say "Happy Mother's Day" to my grandma, and to all the moms in the world.  ❤︎

一瓶進口價5歐不到的歐盟餐酒，居然要價人民幣999，或一款波爾多優質酒（Bordeaux Superior AOC）賣人民幣2888！是真的嗎？在中國，這個現象叫做“掃標價”或“掃碼價”。這是為什麼呢？聽聽這集的Podcast了解一下吧！A bottle of "Vin de France" level wine, imported for less than 5 euros,  sells for RMB 999, or a Bordeaux Superior AOC sells for RMB 2888.  What!? Is it for real?  In China, this phenomenon is called "Barcode price" or "Label price".  Why is this? Listen to this episode to find out!

This topic popped up in my head couple days ago while my family were chatting about milk.  Are there really obvious differences of milks from major （milk） producers than independent dairy farms?  Maybe not. It's your preference that matters! Within the budget, pick one which satisfies your taste and nothing else. Not so much different is wine!  We shouldn't make our purchase decision solely based on wine's appellation.  What your preference matters, too.  Pick one bottle that you enjoy is far more important than its origin, and price!前幾天喝牛奶的時候就想聊聊這個了。從單一奶源聯想到葡萄酒產區，還有中國國內葡萄酒的定價問題。想想，其實農產品之間的市場情況還挺相似的。

On Feb 1, the WSET made an official announcement on its Chinese WeChat official account that they will put their WSET related activities on hold, which includes all WSET courses and related examinations. We don't know how long this pause will take, so perhaps it's time to self-study wine. XD英國WSET（葡萄酒和烈酒基金會）這個月初公布即將暫停中國業務。這個消息一出，震驚了整個酒圈。正在學習WSET的同學首當其衝，完成課程陷入未知。而尚未報名WSET，但想學酒的同學，也許這是個機會好好思考自己是否需要上課學酒。或，聽我分享我的自學經驗，自己試著自學葡萄酒吧! XD

The meaning of gifting has been carried through thousands of years’ history. Now in modern China, it is deeply immersed in people’s lives. The 2021 Chinese New Year is coming soon, do you have a good idea of what a good gift to give? Here is my suggestion =D

當倒數那一刻結束時，2021年終於來臨。無論你2020年過得如何，新的一年讓我們一起充滿正能量的迎接它。It is 2021! No matter what you experienced in 2020, lets move forward with a positive attitude and face any challenges coming our way with no fear! 

2020年快結束了，你收穫或者失去了什麼呢？今年是特別不容易的一年，希望疫情在2021年消失，大家身體更健康，生意更紅火。2020 is almost over.  Year 2020 is a  tremendous changing  and suffering year.  Pandemic  caused millions of lives and more has lost their jobs.   And it caused upheaval in wine business as well...To discover more about me, you can visit the link here https://app04csshye7030.h5.xiaoeknow.com/v1/course/column/p_5fcfb793e4b04db7c093a786?type=3

你知道葡萄酒有所谓的“高分酒“，有没有好奇过这分数怎么来的呢？高分就是好酒吗？Being one of the wine columnists and panel judges in China, I constantly encounter questions such as "can you comment on this wine?" or "is this a good wine"? In this episode, let me tell you how I evaluate wine, and the secrets of high-score wines.

If you can't avoid doing blind tasting at a wine party, why not enjoying it!

Fake wines are more ubiquitous than you know, especially in China.  It can be quite complex sometimes to determine whether a bottle of wine is real or fake.   In this podcast, let me share with you some of my tips to spot a fake bottle.  But remember! At the end of the day, it all comes down to educating yourself on how the wine you want to buy is supposed to look and on its history.  Good luck!  

Leonardo da Vinci was many things - a painter, an architect, an engineer, a theatrical producer, and, a wine making consultant. Growing up in the Tuscany area, Da Vinci enjoyed observing natural wonders and loved to have a glass (maybe several glasses) of good wine everyday. In the 16th century, he even gave advanced winemaking technique recommendations which are commonly practiced by winemakers today. Could Leonardo Da Vinci be a man from the future?

I went to see Amy Poehler's 《Wine Country》 the other day. The movie is good, it has some good humors and Napa scenery is beautiful. Most importantly, some movie plots resonated with me at a very personal level, especially having been living in China for so many years. Here are my thoughts...

Do you know why we say "toast" before we drink? Here are some fun facts about "toast". Sit tight and let me tell you a story...

In 2012 I came back to my homeland.  I was among tens of thousands of overseas returnees and landed in Beijing.  While I started my new life as one proper local residence, here are the basic things I had to learn all over again.  In this episode, I shared my odd experiences about giving tip at restaurants. XD