Meet the sommelier: Reeze Choi

A Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Sommelier and WSET educator, Reeze Choi was crowned 2025 Best Sommelier of Asia and Pacific, came third in the 2023 Best Sommelier of the World contest and has won the Best Sommelier Greater China contest many times. In 2023, he began a winemaking project in Hiroshima, Japan, with Vinoble Vineyard & Winery. He’s the wine consultant for Hong Kong retail company Yata, and is a brand ambassador for Star Wine List, Saicho Sparkling Tea and Vivant temperature control devices. First memorable wine experience It has to be my first ever sip of wine, 16 years ago, while I was working in an Italian restaurant in Hong Kong. The wine was La Spinetta’s Moscato d’Asti, and the experience opened the door to the world of wine for me. I believe that, if it hadn’t been a fruity, fizzy, easy, sweet white wine, I wouldn’t be interested in wine today. It taught me to respect every palate, and to treasure every pour – we never know which pour is going to change someone’s life. [subscriber-content] My go-to everyday wines I don’t drink alcohol every day, so it’s hard for me to say. If I had to choose an everyday, go-to alcoholic drink, it would perhaps be the Japanese beer Kirin. If it has to be a wine, I’d go for sparkling wine – a Champagne such as Charles Heidsieck, Louis Roederer or Bollinger, or an English sparkling wine such as Gusbourne, Nyetimber or Black Chalk (a new discovery). German and Austrian Sekt, such as Raumland or Loimer, and Corpinnat such as Recaredo and Gramona are also good. I’m sounding greedy now… Favourite supermarket buy This question, I think, implies a stereotype about supermarket wine – a low-priced, commercial, bulk-production wine. One of my clients is a supermarket chain, Yata. I select wine for them to sell in their stores. I try to include some unique and interesting wines. I am happy and excited to have Domaine de la Touraize, Les Voisines, Arbois 2020 [a Chardonnay from Jura] on the shelf. I buy this wine from Yata if I need to quickly grab something. I think supermarkets should cater for different customer needs, but should also be a place to explore new things. If I had to pick a favourite ‘classic’ supermarket wine, it would be the entry-level wines from Gérard Bertrand, Susana Balbo, Robert Mondavi and Montes. Most embarrassing moment at work When I was a junior sommelier, I pushed a cork into a double magnum of Château Pichon Baron 2001 with an ah-so wine opener in front of an important guest. That’s why I’m so glad the Durand was invented. Death row food and wine order I don’t usually eat dessert – not because I don’t like sweetness, but because I care about my health and fitness a lot. But if I’m about to die, then screw it – let’s do a classic tiramisu paired with Marco De Bartoli, Marsala Superiore Oro Riserva 1988 (my birth year). Best food and wine match I’ve worked with While working for a Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong a few years ago, we welcomed Etienne de Montille for a special wine lunch. I suggested pairing the Domaine de Montille, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts Christiane 2006 with one of our signature dishes: slow-cooked pigeon smoked with jasmine tea leaves. The juiciness and Gamay flavour of the duck matched perfectly with the fruitiness of the wine. The dish’s smokiness danced a tango with the wine’s woody spices. I still recall that pairing, even after all these years. My fallback quick after-work meal There are so many! Sometimes, a mature Mont d’Or (a seasonal runny cow cheese from Jura), a warm baguette and a glass of Jura Chardonnay or vin jaune. Or a golden combo of Japanese cuisine – ramen, gyoza – and beer. Sometimes even a cheeseburger and a simple Beaujolais or Korean-style fried chicken with Champagne. Wine I’m most proud of on my list It has to be the wine produced by Takashi Yokomachi and myself, Project 933, Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2023 from Miyoshi, Hiroshima. The wine on my list that never fails to surprise guests Vin jaune. The uniqueness of the wine style always surprises my customers in both good and bad ways. Wines I would avoid ordering from a restaurant list I would avoid ordering a wine that would take me a few months to clear from my credit card debt. Wine region I’m most excited about at the moment Asia! I am an Asian and I produce wine in Japan. I feel really proud to see what we are producing now. It isn’t yet the best in the world, but in the past 10 years, we have definitely made huge improvements. To name just a few exciting wine styles, we have Chinese Marselan and ice wine, and Japanese Merlot and Pinot Noir. Wine style I don’t enjoy drinking Some of the unprofessional, funky, faulty wine marketed as ‘natural wine’. Not only do I not enjoy it, but I also think it is an insult to the low-intervention producers who make professional, clean wine. Best value wine region to drink I recently organised a wine dinner for a private client. My mission was to select wines from different European countries priced at around US$150-$200 per bottle. I realised that it is very hard to find an Austrian wine whose price reaches that level. Not even the best-known, top-quality Austrian wine costs that much. My favourite wine region to visit Alsace . From time to time, I remember the Christmas market in Strasbourg – the chilly weather, the bustling market, the smell of cinnamon and mulled wine. The region has a unique culture, friendly people and delicious wines. I miss it. [/subscriber-content] Related articles Meet the sommelier: Jeffrey Koren of The Chancery Rosewood, London Meet the sommelier: Ava Mees List of Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant Meet the sommelier: Isa Bal MS

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