What To Drink During A Typhoon

Hong Kong’s recent severe tropical storm Doksuri came and went with a whimper overnight leaving local people upset as they had to go to work the following morning as the storm had passed. For those who don’t know, typhoons are a regular occurrence in this part of the world at this time of the year and is measured from 1 to 10 according to the proximity of the eye of the storm to Hong Kong (signal one being the furthest away and signal 10 being right on top of us).

Hong Kong has seen its fair share of devastating typhoons. In 1937 an un-named typhoon struck the territory, killing 11,000 people and when I was a kid here growing up I can remember Typhoon Ellen in September 1983 which took lives and caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the city.

Buildings nowadays are set up to be able to withstand nature’s fury, but the signal strengths have not changed. So, when the signal hits number 8, we shut down businesses for the duration, head home and sit it out – but what the hell should we drink while watching the chaos outside from our living room windows?

My initial thought is vintage champagne, and if not vintage then any kind of champagne. Most of us have a bottle or two in the fridge and there is nothing like the ferocity of millions of little bubbles bombarding your glass as you watch the wine speeds hit the one hundred kilometer an hour scale. There is something surreal sipping a good glass of champagne, almost calming, as the chaos continues outside.

For the recent typhoon here I went for a Washington State Chenin Blanc from the Kiona winery. I love this wine’s off dry sweetness as it drinks so easily and makes you feel like a kid again drinking fruit juice as the rain drives into the taped up windows. I paired this with some 5J Iberico ham from Spain and the match was divine.