WINE MATTERS
Philip Wong
DipWSET, FWS, IWS, FCPA
An Accountant-turned Wine & Spirit Specialist
I am a wine and spirit lover, an amateur chef and an accountant.
As an accountant, I have been trained to evaluate information via supporting evidence, pushing me to find out why I like or dislike a wine or spirit. Wine & spirit study has also confirmed my belief that some wine & spirit knowledge enables people to enjoy these beverages more. I have attained DipWSET - the highest level (the specialist level) of WSET, awarded with the Wine Australia Prize for the Asia Pacific region. In the latest WSET Spirits Level 3 Award, I got awarded with the Delamain Cognac Prize for the Asia Pacific region, again.
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Now, each time I open a bottle of wine or spirit, not only do I enjoy its colour, aromas and flavours, I am also excited about how it expresses its place of origin: the culture, the climate, the soil (for wine), the raw materials (for spirits), the production process, and so much more.
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I am a wine & spirit communicator, passionate about sharing my wine knowledge and experience via articles, posts or videos, contributing to wine & spirit columns on local newspapers, and other wine magazines. I published my first travelogue booklet about my wine trip to the
Okanagan, Canada in 2023 and am working on my second book on Chianti Classico!
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I am a WSET Certified Educator, teaching WSET courses at as well as hosting private tasting workshops. I have also been a Judge at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition since 2017.
I am a wine & spirit business consultant, advising hotels and restaurants on F&B business strategies, business performance improvements, wine and beverage up-selling skills and inventory management; assisting in planning, reviewing, designing wine lists and sourcing wines, and writing wine reviews and marketing brochures, etc. I also host and co-host wine dinners with local Chinese restaurants advising how local foods can be best paired with wines & spirits from all around the world.