I have just finished my 10 days- wine trip in Italy. 10 regions for 10 days, which allowed me to have a profound understanding for different regions, and changed my perception to public safety in Italy completely…… Although I have been to this beautiful country for numerous time, every visit caused me a trembling feeling — A gypsy kid was nearly snatched my wallet in Rome during my first time visit in 20years ago. Therefore, I have become very careful about the Italian crime rate. If it is not necessary I would never plan an Italian trip. However, this wine trip brought me with new view for Italy, especially Verona, Florence, and even Rome. I followed with my friends to visit different attractive spots by walking through high streets and back lanes, and the feeling was extremely safety!!! I was glad to enjoy the lovely vibe of Italy, and removed my nightmare of the robbery. I even have an interest to buy real estate in Italy! The enjoyment of Italian trip has already finished, and I have to face the reality with busy work schedule now…… Our Wine Luxe International Awards is going to host at late August and early September, and invite notable wine critics from all over the world to taste and judge over thousands of wine. This year we form our first collaboration with SFBest, we will go to Shenzhen for evaluating the domestic wine in Chinese market, and select some gold medal winning wine to compete our award in Hong Kong. This year we also obtain the support from several consulates and officially recognized bodies, which strongly encourages the wine types from different country to participate the competition, for example, we add sake category in order to diversify and to be all- rounded for the competition. The annual Wine by the Glass Restaurant Awards and HK Top 10 Wine Pairing Restaurant Awards follows with Wine Luxe International Awards, and we have WINE & DINE Festival and Wine and Spirits Fair⋯⋯ Reality is cruel, I believe I won’t have any free day from now until the end of 2017. Deepest Condolences The death news of our friend Patricio De La Fuente, the founder of Link Concept, was an extremely sad thing happened during my Italian trip…… Everytime I was glad to meet Patricio (even though we were not close acquaintance), and discussed with different topics like wine and watches and the others. He was a passionate man, everyone admired his unrestrained attitude. Patricio had a great accomplishment, and I found out he was 3 months older than me, this is why people thinks he is great…… Patricio helped our magazine a lot when we started at the beginning stage, and kept on supporting us later. I am definitely appreciate — Patricio, I wish you can always be joyful with wine. I definitely cannot miss a winefriend like him when I meet him in heaven. 剛剛完成了意大利之旅，10日內去了10個地區，今次不但讓我對意大利不同的地區有更深刻的認識，更令我對意大利的治安完全改觀…… 雖然我去過意大利很多次，但每一次總是懷着戰戰兢兢的心情，因為我在20年前第一次去意大利的時候，便在羅馬遇到吉卜賽小朋友扒手，差一點便被搶去了錢包；自此之後，我便非常在意到意大利的治安，如非必要，也沒有想過安排往意大利旅遊。 但今次的行程讓我對意大利有了新的看法，尤其是在維羅納、佛羅倫斯、甚至在羅馬，我跟一班朋友在晚上穿梭於大街小巷，去到不同的景點參觀，也居然是十分之安全，讓我卒之能放心享受意大利的風情，把多年來的夢魘粉碎，甚至令我有興趣在意大利置業呢！ 享受完意大利的旅程，當然又要回到現實，再一次投入繁忙的工作中⋯⋯今年的Wine Luxe International Awards將在八月底九月初舉行，我們同樣邀請了各地知名的專業評審來到香港，為我們逾千款葡萄酒品鑒、評分。今年我們更首次與順豐優選合作，先在深圳為國內銷售的酒款進行評級，然後挑選其中的金奬酒參與我們香港的大奬賽。今年我們更獲得各國的領事及駐港機構支持，積極鼓勵不同國家的酒類參加，例如今年便增設了清酒類別的評分，務求讓我們的比賽更全面、更多元化！ 過了這次Wine Luxe International Awards之後，又是我們一年一度的Wine by the Glass Restaurant Awards 以及 HK Top 10 Wine Pairing Restaurant Awards，之後又是WINE & DINE Festival 和 Wine and Spirits Fair⋯⋯ 現實是殘酷的，相信由現在至今年年底，我也不會有一天是空閑的了⋯⋯ 深切的悼念 當我在意大利的時候，有一件讓我十分傷感的事情發生，就是我們的朋友、酒壇巨擘、Links Concept 創辦人Patricio De La Fuente的離去⋯⋯ 我跟Patricio 雖然並非深交，但每次見面總是非常高興，講酒講錶天南地北，他也總是熱情如火、滿場穿梭，其瀟灑的氣度也令人羨慕不已；後來才知道，原來他只是大我三個月，能夠有如此成就，又是教人讚嘆⋯⋯ Patricio 在我們雜誌剛起步時已經扶持不少，其後對我們也一直非常支持，我也實在心存感激⋯⋯Patricio, 希望您在天上繼續快樂瀟灑、把酒當歌，日後在天上再遇的時候，絕對不能少了這樣的酒友啊！
