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3 minutes with…Jiachen Lu



1. What is your wine mission?


Putting smile on people’s faces with wines and food pairings; after all, wine and food always bring people together.


2. Next big thing in wine?


WSET Diploma D3 exam and D6 research paper


3. Your ‘go to’ glass after a hard day?


Good bubbly!


4. Music paradise?


It depends…could be classical music or classic rock. No Rap!


5. Preferred colour?


Wine or Clothes? 😜

For wine, I like all colors (although the orange ones not as much); For clothes, I love blue.


6. Favourite film?


The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

(Well, technically not a movie…I just don’t remember how many times I have watched it…)


7. Fondest vintage?


I wish I’d choose my birth year. But no. It was a terrible vintage…

So 2012 it is!


8. Oak or stainless steel?


Both, as long as it is diligently used by good producers.


9. Best place to eat?


Places with interesting wine lists and delicious food.


10. Food and wine matching purgatory?


Dry wine with dessert – I want to taste more than just alcohol out of my glass.


11. Guilty food and wine match?


“Proper” fried chicken and vintage Champagne.


12. Favourite wine writer (apart from yourself)?


It is difficult to choose just one…there are so many great wine writers…


13. Wine ‘fad’ irritation?


“Clean wine”, “Zero Carb/Sugar/Skinny wine”. “Pure wine”…


14. Most delicious cheese?


Saint-Félicien and Roquefort


15. Inspiring novel?


Wei Cheng (Fortress Besigned, by Qian Zhongshu), one of the masterpieces of Chinese literature which has been translated into English, German, French, Japanese and Russian. I have been reading it at least once every year since I was 8 and always learn something new from it all the time.


16. Damascene wine moment?


Leading tutored tasting for Le Cordon Bleu Wine Workshops at Tower of London Food Festival 2019 – Love talking about wines!


17. Most beautiful vineyard in the world?


I certainly need to travel more, particularly in Europe. I did enjoy my visit to the Benziger Family Winery and see their beautiful certified organic and biodynamic vineyard.


18. Ideal last sip?


Vintage Port of my “conception year” – again, my birth year was a terrible vintage…


19. Next place to visit?

I have a trip back to Sonoma booked for September. Very excited!


20. Best advice?


Put down the preconceptions and taste with an empty mind (and an empty glass😉).




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