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The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will go ahead with an “online + offline” format for the first time to give audiences at home and abroad a new gastronomic experience not bound by time and geographical constraints.The Festival, which will run for five weeks from 11 November until 15 December 2020, will feature a wealth of exciting online experiences, including an Online Wine Cellar, Gourmet at Home Menus, and live-streamed cookery and wine-tasting masterclasses on a new one-stop online platform. Offline experiences include special deals and gastronomic events offered by hundreds of dining outlets across the city for consumers to enjoy.

The highlight of the event is a diverse series of 34 online masterclasses, which viewers can enjoy for free no matter where they are. The masterclasses will be live-streamed on WineDineFestival.DiscoverHongKong.com for three consecutive Saturdays and Sundays from 21 November to 6 December 2020. They cover a wide range of topics, from wine and spirits trends to fine dining, healthy eating and the art of food plating.

Those who enjoy a tipple can tune in to the wine talks by Hong Kong-based, internationally acclaimed critic James Suckling and Master of Wine Debra Meiburg, who will share recommendations on the themes “New Wave Bordeaux” and “The Pacific West”.

Cocktail lovers should not miss award-winning mixologist Jay Khan’s masterclass, which will see the co-founder of Mexican bar COA whipping up tequila cocktails. For foodies looking to hone their skills in the kitchen, live cooking demonstrations – led by celebrated Hong Kong chefs such as Australian, Shane Osborn, of Arcane and Cornerstone and Vicky Cheng, of VEA Restaurant & Lounge.

Catch the all-women line-up on 28 November. Themed Lady’s Talk, five influencers who are shaking up Hong Kong’s food and beverage scene will each host a masterclass to share their unique take and expertise. The influencers in order of appearance are Shirley Kwok, founder of vegan bakery The Cakery, chef Vicky Lau of TATE Dining Room, certified sake sommelier Jamie Lo, Master of Wine Sarah Heller and actress-turned-winemaker Bernice Liu.

HKTB Chairman, Dr YK Pang said “Although the HKTB’s mega events have been suspended for some time, we are drawing on our ingenuity and resources to optimise and adapt promotions against the backdrop of a pandemic that will be with us for some time.

“That’s why we have decided to resume the staging of mega events, and adopt a new ‘online + offline’ format for the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2020. It is a new venture designed for the new normal in which we find ourselves. The HKTB is doing this to ensure people can join this annual event in spite of the pandemic, and to help our hard-hit businesses to promote their products and open up new business opportunities in these challenging times.”

“Our objective is to continue giving the Hong Kong economy a boost and to send out a positive message to the world that Hong Kong’s can-do spirit and love of life have not been dampened in any way by the pandemic, and that we can use our innovation to stage our signature events while we prepare to welcome visitors back to our city,” Dr Pang said.