June 8th

In response to increasing interest in European wines, the IB Hotel Group in Daegu has organized a wine festival involving several Spanish bodegas (wineries). The wine-tasting event will take place on June 8th for W25,000 per person. Last year over 600 people attended this event, and the numbers keep increasing with each year. With the Inter-Burgo Hotel only 5 minutes away by taxi from the KTX station in Daegu, it’s an easy trip from Seoul. Those who attend or even simply call the IB office for details can also get a 50% discount on all stocked Spanish wine.
053-602-7113 (Deagu ), 02-413-4871 (Seoul)

Words by Joshua Hall and shot by Flash Parker

Green Gallery is a special place with an amazing garden dotted with intimate alcoves, gazebos and palms. This Bundang wine bar and tea house has carefully groomed moss along the wall, tropical ferns, herbs and masses of greenery that wrap around heated benches and tables under huge trees.  It’s like a giant conservatory with good wine and refined teas.
There’s a reasonable selection of pastas, salads and pizzas on the menu which go for an average of W16,000. There are also dinner sets starting at W28,000. Stay away from the quesadillas but go for the mushroom pizza: herby, savory and just the right amount of cheese.
On the menu are twenty-five teas to choose from including rooibos and elderberry, which is good for flu or recovering from last night’s excess. The wine list here is limited but there are some good options at W80,000. Avoid the Gluhwein, but if you’re looking for something refreshing and fun, the red wine smoothie isn’t bad. It’s really a slushie with wine. My friend kept raving about it.
The service at Green Gallery is quick, attentive and there’s a little bit of English spoken. Unfortunately they have some absurd ideas about glasses here and serve red wine in white wine glasses. The reason according to them is that the red wine glasses take up more space on your table. Insist on them giving you proper glasses.
Green Gallery has plenty of atmosphere and is a real haven from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s family friendly and the soft jazz adds a nice touch. It’s a truly unique place to enjoy good wine and food. And they throw in a free potted plant with the bill.
Green Gallery is open 11 am to 1 am every day. Reservations essential on weekends. 031-717-1678.
Directions: Green Gallery is a 5-minute walk from the subway. Go out exit 4 from Jeongja station (Bundang line). Take the first left, then the third right. Walk 30m. It’s on your right. There’s a gazebo and a big dog outside. Underground parking is available.

Beyerskloof Synergy Cape Blend 2005
This is an intelligent blend of grapes from one of South Africa’s top producers. It’s 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Pinotage, 19% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. This wine had a gamey nose, smoky notes and some earthiness. Dash of wood and wild bush. You can really taste the 20 year old vines. Oak aging for 14 months adds some cream and vanilla. Modern but finely put together. A well structured wine with good balance. Seriously good for W69,000 a bottle.

Words by by Joshua Hall and shots by Shawn Parker

Spanish music, flamenco and wine in the suburbs of Seoul? No, it’s not a kimchi western but a bar called Bodega in Jamsil. And the wines are shocking—shockingly cheap! I enjoyed a great sparkling brut for W55,000 and a lovely albariño blend for W80,000 (Spanish white wine). They also have a wide selection of tapas, seafood and cold cuts, which are also incredibly inexpensive. Bodega is owned by a Korean fishing company with connections to Spain so they import the wine and food directly and pass on the savings.
While it may be out of the way for some, Bodega offers a quiet and informal atmosphere for a date or dinner meeting. Located next to Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, it has a large open pub-like space and three private dining rooms for groups or couples. Twice a month, there’s a flamenco dance performance with a set menu. You get salad, steak, tapas, dessert and glasses of house white and red wine for W60,000. Best to check the website for performance times.
Bodega is Spanish from top to bottom, so if you’re looking for French wines or Italian pastas you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s Spanish wine and food only. The food could be better: the desserts lacked imagination and the fried prawns were simple and rather boring. However, the grouper steak with clams was a great hunk of white flesh. Fresh, satisfying, and a good match with the albariño blend from Terras Gauda (D.O. Rias Baixas).
The prices here are great but the downside of Bodega is finding the place. Once you get there, the wines speak for themselves. And don’t forget about the flamenco.

Palacio de Bornos NV Brut
This value-for-money sparkling had a touch of sweetness on the bouquet and creamy chocolate mousse notes that were very enticing. A structured flavor profile and clean line from entry to finish. Composed with some minerality. Fresh citrus and grapefruit on the finish, slightly yeasty and creamy. Very moreish. W55,000 a bottle.
Getting There It’s a 10 minute walk from Jamsil St. (line 2) behind Lotte World. Take exit 2, walk 5 min towards Seokchon lake, then turn left after crossing the Seokcheon lake bridge. Turn right at the next intersection. Cross diagonally at the next intersection to your left. It’s in the basement of the Inter-Burgo building. Open every day 11:30 am – 11.30 pm.
bodega.co.kr, 02-3432-8686

If you’re looking for reasonably priced wine in a quiet backstreet near Gangnam St. (line 2), then Sideways is the place. It’s casual, relaxed, and the people are friendly.
Sideways is owned by French winemaker Anthony Dufour, who spends half of the year in France and half here with his Korean family. His wine, Agapê, is on the list, as well as plenty of others from around the world. However, the wine list is a little unfocused and skims over some major wine regions, including New Zealand. Still, there are enough choices here to keep even seasoned wine drinkers happy. Anthony updates the wine list every three months (a rarity in Korea), so you don’t have to worry about the vintages on the list and vintages you’re served being different.
The interior at Sideways is modern, yet relaxed and friendly. If you want a weekend seat on the white leather sofas, always popular with couples, be sure to make a reservation. The lighting is low and soft, too low for my old eyes to read the wine list, but great for chilling out at the end of a long day.
There are some decent pastas and salads on offer. We had the gorgonzola pizza and lasagne. The thin-crust pizza looked somewhat less than appetizing, but thankfully it tasted better than it looked. My friend liked it; I was unimpressed. The lasagne, however, was fantastic. Based on Anthony’s mother’s recipe, it was hearty, wholesome and meaty. We ordered another. I would visit again just for the lasagne.
Sideways is a chance to get away from the masses and enjoy some good wine without breaking the bank. It’s a nice place to meet people too.

Graffigna Malbec Grand Reserve 2005
Argentina does Malbec well and this value-for-money bottle is no exception. Violets and old-fashioned roses on the nose. Smooth cherry and strawberry core with animal musk and dog fur running round the edges. Clean finish. Great with food but splendid on its own. W59,000 a bottle.

Getting There It’s a leisurely 10 minute walk from exit 7 of Gangnam St. (line 2). Turn right at the second alleyway, just between City Theater and Holly’s Coffee. If you keep going straight up the hill till the road curves to the right, you’ll see Sideways on the right side. sidewaywines.com, 02-555-9925

Words by Joshua Hall

Photography supplied by Sideways

If you’re looking for a wine bar with style, sophistication and a wine list with breadth and depth, then this is the place for you. Sure, it’s pricey—but intelligent service, a live jazz band and Apgujeong real estate don’t come cheap.

The interior of Vin Ga is designed to emulate a “wine cave” with plenty of brick and wood and warm lightning. It’s a lovely interpretation of a wine cellar, but it’s a bit short on charm. There are just too many hard surfaces, although the racks of bottles in the cellar are pleasing to the eye. They have a private room available, which could come in handy for tastings with friends or corporate dinners. There’s live music every evening including good jazz. Thankfully, the performance won’t drown out your conversation.

Vin Ga is located in the basement of Podo Plaza in the Apgujeong area of Seoul, which houses the Korean branch of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust wine school, a wine shop and a culinary academy in addition to the wine bar. Vin Ga offers the standard variety of side dishes, salads and cheese and fruit platters. They don’t do dinner; the focus here is on wine after dark. Stick to the basic cheese platter to avoid ridiculous prices.

The staff here are well-trained, fluent in English, and know how to think on their feet most of the time. The wine list is formidable for the average drinker, but the staff are quick to help out with a recommendation. Classy and refined, this wine bar is all about business. If you’re entertaining clients with expensive tastes, Vin Ga is the perfect choice. Be sure to book ahead for a Friday or Saturday night.

It’s easier to drive there, but Vin Ga is also accessible by subway. Take ex. 2 out of Apgujeong St. (line 3) and hang an immediate left, right, and left. Stay on this street until you pass the middle school on your left and reach the main road. Podo Plaza is the distinctive building just across the street. It’s open from 6 pm to 2 am every day but Sunday. 02-516-1761, Podo plaza 634-1 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. podoplaza.co.kr         by Joshua Hall

Duckhorn Goldeneye Pinot Noir 2006 is a sexy wine from the Anderson Valley north of San Francisco. It’s firm and rich with lush cherries and molten density. There are cinnamon, dried herb and orange zest flavours with a hint of cedar. It needs time but is a real treat now. Wine Spectator gave it 90 points and I would agree with that. This good pinot goes for a mean W190,000 a bottle, but it’s worth it if you love Pinot as much as I do.

Dove Quando Wine Bistro is a reasonably priced bistro with a great atmosphere perfect for a date or a relaxed evening with friends. The place is rustic, romantic and intimate.

Dove Quando’s small but friendly interior makes it better suited for meeting a friend or date than holding a business meeting. Flower-filled vases dot the rustic wooden tables, French musical posters adorn the walls, and classic 1950s jazz fills the air. The crowd here is young, mostly females and young couples on a budget.

This place offers Italian grill food, pizzas and pastas. The pastas were a little bland and lacked passion and care. The wood oven pizzas, though rich with punchy flavours, were simple and unpretentious like the bistro. My favourite was the gorgonzola pizza: a lovely thin crust, honey and tangy cheese. The service is fast and friendly.

The wine menu was reasonably varied and had a good selection of Italian, Chilean and American wines, all at reasonable prices. We had Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel 2005 from California. There were balanced black liquorice, animal and cedar notes on the bouquet as well as a nice line from entry to finish. It had a smooth entry, with violet, mint, bright raspberries and cherries; soft and well-integrated tannins, complex and layered. A classic Zinfandel. At W43,000 a bottle, it was a bargain.

The downside of Dove Quando is getting there. It’s at the very end of Samcheong-gil near the tunnel, a 20 minute walk from Anguk subway station. However, if the weather’s fine, it’s certainly worth taking a stroll down this fashionable street as you browse through boutique shops and cafes.

Dove Quando Wine Bistro is open 10am to 2am, and closes at 10pm on Sundays. 02-736-7320.

by Joshua Hall

Shots by R.L. Baldwin (heartsofartichoke.blogspot.com)

“Dulce Y Suave” means sweet and smooth, and this wine bar is certainly both. The interior is warm and inviting. Red brick walls and dark wood tables are lit by the golden light of chandeliers and candles. It’s cosy without feeling outdated. There’s also a small garden courtyard at the back and a patio in the front, great for drinking chilled chardonnay when it’s warm once again.

The wine menu here is extensive with a great selection of wines from around the world. Cheaper wines starting at W49,000 a bottle are listed first. All the wines are reasonably priced with a lot of good wines going for W80,000 a bottle.  Dulce Y Suave does volume rather than rare vintage wines, so make sure you check the vintage of the wine when it’s presented to you. What they have in stock is usually a different vintage from what’s on the menu. If you need them to recommend a wine be sure to ask one of the managers. The table staff are lacking in wine knowledge and skills and have even missed a corked wine on occasion. Don’t expect the same level of service you could find somewhere more up market. What you get here is exceptionally good value for money and a great atmosphere.

One of the lovely things about Dulce Y Suave is the cheese. A small cheese and salami platter is complimentary and unlimited. If you’re feeling hungry, light pastas and salads are also on the menu. The garlic spaghetti is fantastic. We had a cheese and fruit platter to cleanse the palate before the wine.

A good wine to drink at Dulce Y Suave is Jorio, an Italian red wine produced from 100% Montepulciano grapes in the Abruzzo region. There were smooth plums on the palate backed up with enough earthiness and tannins to keep the wine balanced. Ripe liquorice and a little saltiness made this wine even more interesting. The fruit reminded me of black forest ice cream I had as a child: vanilla ice cream, raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries in a cone. Jorio is great value at W55,000 a bottle.

Dulce Y Suave is always packed with young and fashionable people, but you can usually find a single table. It’s best to book if you have more than four people in your group. It’s on a street behind Garosu-gil close to Sinsa Station (line 3). Open every day from 5 pm to 3 am. club.cyworld.com/dulceysuave, 02-515-6750