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认识庄布忠先生是在去年7月的一个香槟的品酒会上，谦和与诚恳给我留下了深刻的印象。当时由于人多未能进一步的沟通。可能是缘分吧，我们竟在半年之后又见面了。对于在世界各地飞来飞去的他，安排这次采访实在不易。
面对镜头和采访，谦逊、和蔼、敬业的庄先生为浮躁的我上了一堂无声的课程。同样，通过这次采访，更加让我感受到“葡萄酒”真正的醇香和浓郁⋯⋯
酒尚：您是从什么时候开始喜欢葡萄酒的？
庄：在我十八岁的时候，父亲喜欢上了葡萄酒。家里总是存放着许多葡萄酒，父亲为人慷慨，他喜欢和家人、朋友一起分享，当然也包括我。可以说我开始喜欢喝葡萄酒是因为家里冰箱里就有葡萄酒而且可以免费品尝。
VINO VOGUE:Since when did you become interested in wine?
Poh Tiong:When I was about 18 years old, when my father started drinking wine. He has always been a very generous person so, there was always wine at home and he shared his new-found enjoyment with the family, including me. There was always wine in the fridge at home. You could say that I started drinking wine because it was free.
酒尚：在当时，是不是有一支引领您进入葡萄酒世界的葡萄酒？
庄：没有。我开始喝一些果味浓郁的葡萄酒，后来开始尝试精酿葡萄酒。对我而言，或果味浓郁、或甜、或干型的葡萄酒都可以，只要是做工精致，酒体平衡。
VINO VOGUE：Is there a certain bottle of wine that made you take your first step into the world of wine?
CH’NG：No, not really. I started with fruity and then went on to enjoy more subtle wines. There’s nothing wrong with a fruity, sweet or dry wine as long as the wine is balanced and well-made.
酒尚：在你的记忆里，最令你您难忘的葡萄酒是什么？
庄：在我工作期间，我品尝了多种不同品牌的葡萄酒，其中包括四个年份： 19世纪出产的名特堡（Chateau Montrose）、1945年的木桐（Mouton-Rothschild）、1961年的庞马（Chateau Palmer） 、1967年份的伊甘( Chateau d’Yquem)、20世纪50年代的香槟酒、20世纪40年代的卢瓦尔河谷沃弗莱酒、以及从印度尼西亚沉没的法国轮船上打捞上来的19世纪出产的Bordeaux干红。不过最令我难忘的一款葡萄酒是1966年份罗马内·康蒂(Romanee-Conti)。这款酒拥有纯净草莓香味，清新、优雅，品质卓越，充满了诗意。
VINO VOGUE：Which is the most remarkable bottle of wine that you can recall?
CH’NG：In the course of my work, I ’ve tasted many different wines including four vintages from the 19th century of Chateau Montrose, 1945 Mouton-Rothschild, 1961 Chateau Palmer, 1967 Chateau d’Yquem, Champagne from the 1950s, Loire Valley Vouvrays from the 1940s and 19th century Bordeaux reds recovered from a French ship that sank off Indonesia but the most memorable wine I have ever had was Romanee-Conti 1966. The fruit was pure strawberry and very fresh and supremely elegant. It was simply sublime, poetry in a bottle.
酒尚：当时，人们是如何看待葡萄酒呢？
庄：三十五年前，也就是我刚刚开始喝葡萄酒的时候，葡萄酒的消费在新加坡、香港还不普及。在当时葡萄酒完全被视为西洋货。
VINO VOGUE：What does "wine" mean to most people at that time?
CH’NG：When I started drinking wine about 35 years ago, it was not as common as it is today in Singapore or Hong Kong. Wine was considered something of a Western thing.
酒尚：您是学习法律专业，在进入葡萄酒领域工作之前，您做过何种工作呢？
庄：我是在新加坡开始法律学习但在新西兰完成学业。虽然在大学期间我学习的是法律专业，但我一直作为许多报刊杂志的自由撰稿人，所涉略的题材包括各类书评，当然其中也有关于葡萄酒的。同时我还在多家广播电台做古典音乐和流行音乐的主持人。也曾主持过一系列电视节目。
VINO VOGUE：You studied law in university. What did you do before you take a job in the wine?
CH’NG：Although I studied law, even when I was at university (I started in Singapore but finished my law studies in New Zealand), I was writing as a free-lance journalist and contributed to magazines and newspapers. I wrote on various subjects including book reviews and, of course, also about wine. I was also working as a free-lance dee-jay in radio stations for both pop music and classical music. And also presented a series of television variety shows.
酒尚：什么时候您开始想做葡萄酒杂志的？
庄：1991年在我创办第一家葡萄酒杂志——《葡萄酒评论》之前，我一直为各报刊杂志的葡萄酒专栏撰稿。后来，有一天我决定专门从事葡萄酒业这一行，因为我想做出前人没有做过的、属于我自己的事业。
VINO VOGUE：When did you get the idea of starting a magazine on wine?
CH’NG：Before I started my first wine magazine, The Wine Review, in 1991, I was already writing wine columns in newspapers and magazines. Then, one day, I decided to specialise completely in wine because I wanted to give birth to something that did not existed before, somethingthat I could call my own.
酒尚：做杂志之初，您的目标是什么？
庄：1991年的时候，个人电脑还只是初露头角。可是我知道我得学习用电脑，不仅要学着打字，还要学着电脑排版，因为我预见到在未来的新闻出版业中电脑将发挥非常重要的作用。
另一个重要目标是（要改变葡萄酒文化传播中当时的状态），我对那些只喝名酒的假内行已感到唾弃和厌倦，他们不但没有负责任地向公众提供酒的信息和品酒要诀，还四处炫耀他们所饮佳酿的不菲价值并看不起喝普通酒的人。事实上，这些人对酒的所知甚少，却又一遍遍地重复着他们知道的那一点点东西。
第三个目标是我想通过将葡萄酒与亚洲美食，尤其是中国饮食进行搭配来推广葡萄酒。1992年我们首次组织了这样的午宴，在新加坡果园路上的国立马里特斯宾馆将著名的海南鸡肉饭与香槟、两种白葡萄酒和两种红葡萄酒进行搭配。有一百多人参加了这次午宴，他们都很愉快，并发现将葡萄酒与中国美食搭配并不是件难事。午宴非常成功，令每个人都大开眼界。
VINO VOGUE：What did you aim at when you determined to start the magazine?
CH’NG：At that time in 1991, the personal computer was just starting to become popular. I knew that I had to learn how to use the computer, not just to type articles but also how to do desk-top publishing because I could see that that was going to be very important in the future of journalism. Another very important aim was because I was sick and tired of wine snobs who instead of spreading wine information, education and enjoyment responsibly, they were more interested in boasting about how expensive the wines they were drinking and looking down on people who could only afford to drink simple wines. In fact, wine snobs are usually very ignorant about wine. They only know a little bit about wine but keeping repeating the say things over and over again. The third very important aim I had was to promote wine by pairing wine with Asian food, especially Chinese cuisine. The first such public luncheon we organised in 1992, we paired a champagne and two white and two red wines with the famous Hainanese Chicken rice at Singapores Mandarin Meritus Hotel on Orchard Road. More than 100 people signed up for the event. Everyone had a great time and discovered how easy it was to pair wine with Chinese food. It was a great success and a wonderful eye-opener.
酒尚：出版第一本杂志之后的岁月中，您为何又创办了一系列其他得杂志？
庄：公众对葡萄酒的兴趣是越来越浓，这种趋势不是法国独有而是遍及了世界各地。同时人们对葡萄酒的了解更加全面和考究。我之所以发行多种杂志一是应社会需要；二是葡萄酒不仅是我从事的职业而且是我喜爱、品味的物品。
VINO VOGUE： You've made many magazines since the publishing of the first one over the years, can you tell me why?
CH’NG：The public keeps getting more interested in wine, not just from France but from all over the world. The public is also becoming more knowledgeable and sophisticated. I publish more magazines because of the demand and also because wine is not only my job but it is also something I enjoy and love very much.
酒尚：现在除了杂志还有很多相关的活动在展开，这也是您当初进入葡萄酒行业的工作目标吧？
庄：我认为组织越来越多和葡萄酒相关的活动，如葡萄酒知识讲座、培训和配食等，都顺其自然的事情。虽然杂志有效传播了有关葡萄酒的资讯和培养信息，但举办各种相关活动可以更加走近消费者并与他们一起分享那些难以溢于言表的葡萄酒知识和经验，例如在现场和他们一起品酒评酒，或者是组织酒宴现场进行葡萄酒配食。
VINO VOGUE：More activities except magazines are held by now, is this the goal of your media career?
CH’NG：It is only natural that I organise more activities such as wine lectures and training and dinners ！ because although magazines are a very useful tool to spread wine information and education, activities allow you to meet the public and share what you know about wine with them which the written word cannot convey such as tasting a wine with them and describing it on the spot. Or organising a dinner where the wines are paired with several courses.
酒尚：这么多年过去了，葡萄酒也被越来越多的人认同和喜爱，在您看来，促成这一变化的主要原因又哪些？
庄：我们看到，最近几年来，越来越多的人们喜欢上了葡萄酒。这种现象背后有多方面的因素发挥作用。原因之一是人们生活水平越来越高，收入增加，当手头可以任意支配的余钱增多，人们必然开始尝试新食品、新饮品、新时装和到世界各地观光度假。
另外一个原因是在二十和二十一世纪，大众传媒发挥了重要作用。通过报刊杂志、电视电影、国际互联网络，无论身处何处，从斯德哥尔摩到上海还是从波士顿到北京，人们都可以迅速了解当前的世界潮流，如时装、美食、电影明星的潮流导向。而葡萄酒就是当今世界的潮流之一。
VINO VOGUE：Wine has been accepted and enjoyed by more people over so many years. What are the main reasons to effect this change?
CH’NG：We have seen, in the last few years, more and more people starting to drink wine. There are several reasons for this. The first is affluence. When people have more disposable income, they like to try new food, new beverages, new clothes and new holiday destinations. Another reason is that in the 20th and 21st centuries, with mass media including magazines, television, movies and, of course, the internet, trends whether in fashion, food and movie stars are known from Stockholm to Shanghai, Boston to Beijing instantly. Wine is very trendy today.
酒尚：你认为什么能够影响您对一款葡萄酒的感觉？
庄：每种酒的基本成分其实都大同小异。只要你心情好，品尝任何酒都会觉得它比平时更好。而你如果心事重重，再美味的食物品尝起来也索然无味，因为你的注意力并不在食物上。无论普通还是高级，所有酒都有一些基本特性：色泽、香气、口感、酸度、酒体和单宁（尤其是对于红葡萄酒）。与茶一样，经过陈酿的酒、采用周到的侍酒都能提升对酒的感觉。但是，即使你有好酒，却不得不与一些虚荣或者粗鲁乏味的假内行一起分享，你也许想赶快离开，让他们自己喝去吧。与知音一起喝酒，酒才会更滋味。另外, 别人付酒钱时，酒也会格外好喝。
VINO VOGUE：What could affect your understanding of a certain bottle of wine?
CH’NG：The fundamentals of wine are always the same. A wine, any wine, always tastes better if you are in a good mood. If you are stressed, even great food tastes ordinary because your mind is pre-occcupied. All wine, simple or great, possess certain basic characteristics: colour, aroma, flavour, acidity, structure and, particularly in the case of a red wine, tannins. Like tea, all wine always tastes better if it has been stored, and served, properly. If you have a great wine but has to drink it with a wine snob or someone who is rude or boring, you cant wait to leave, let alone drink with that person. A bottle of wine always taste better when it is enjoyed in the company of people we enjoy being with. Wine also always taste better when someone else is paying for the bottle.
酒尚：在您关注的领域，我发现主要是法国的葡萄酒，您是否关注其他地区出产的葡萄酒呢？比如中国的葡萄酒。
庄：我主要关注波尔多，也比较关注香槟。我每年都要访问波尔多地区四五次,去香槟出产地二三次。不过我也经常去西班牙、意大利、澳大利亚、新西兰、南非，当然，还有中国。在评酒的文章里，我谈到了世界各地的酒。但是因为我专长评波尔多和香槟, 人们就常常忘记我也评价世界各地的酒。另外，我也常常去苏格兰，因为我喜欢威士忌。偶尔我也去葡萄牙，因为我还喜欢波特酒。
VINO VOGUE：I've noticed that you've been focusing on French wine. Did you take wine from other countries into consideration? Chinese wine, for example.
CH’NG：I specialise in Bordeaux and, to a certain extent, Champagne. I visit Bordeaux about four or five times a year. And Champagne probably two or three times. But I also visit Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and, of course China. I write about wines from around the world but because I specialise in Bordeaux and Champagne, some times people forget that I also write about wines from all over the world. Actually, I also visit Scotland because I love whisky. And, ocassionally, Portugal because I also love Port.
酒尚：最关注葡萄酒的哪些方面？
庄：好酒就如同好的饮食必须是平衡的。我认为新鲜和优雅对于葡萄酒十分重要。通常我喜欢酒体适中的葡萄酒。但是我也能享受醇厚的酒，如果它们酒体平衡的话。我不太喜欢口感强烈、如同被抽了耳光一样强烈感觉的酒。口感清淡的酒也能很可口。我们应当记住口感清淡并不代表经过稀薄似水。比如，鱼肉比羊肉清淡，但是你不能说因为鱼肉清淡而就不如羊肉好。
VINO VOGUE：What aspect of those wine do you care most?
CH’NG：A good wine, like a good diet, has to be balanced. Freshness and elegance are very important to me. I generally prefer medium-bodied wines. But I can also appreciate full-bodied wines provided they are balanced. I dont like heavy, in-your-face wines. Light wines can also be delicious. We must remember that light does not have to mean diluted or watery. For example, fish is lighter than mutton. But you wouldn’t say that fish is an inferior meat to mutton just because it is lighter.
酒尚：对于那些法国以外的葡萄酒您是怎么看待？
庄：很多国家和地区都出产好酒，不仅仅只是法国。但是优秀的葡萄酒中无论汽酒、白酒还是红酒，干酒还是甜酒，口感清淡的还是酒体强劲的，法国酒绝对占最大的市场份额。这种情况有点像汽车业。世界上许多国家都生产好车，但是我们不得不承认，世界上最漂亮的好车绝大多数都来自意大利。
VINO VOGUE：What do you think of those wines, which are from countries other than French?
CH’NG：Great wines are produced in many regions and countries, not just in France. But France produces the lion share of the greatest wines in the world, whether sparkling, white or red; dry or sweet; light or full-bodied. It’s a bit like cars for example. There are several countries in the world that produce great cars but, let’s face it, Italy produces the majority of the most beautiful cars in the world.
酒尚：我知道您也举办侍酒师培训。然而在中国，这个职业很多读者不是很了解，您是不是可以简单的介绍一下？
庄：侍酒师的工作就是在餐厅或者酒吧里给客人提供的酒服务。通常侍酒师还要负责选择确定酒单。在把酒侍奉给顾客之前，侍酒师还要对酒进行品鉴以确认酒没问题。但是大多数客人并没有意识到这也是侍酒师的分内工作，当他们看到侍酒师尝他们的酒, 会觉得这个侍酒师简直贪得无厌而且不尊重客人。所以，大多数侍酒师不再尝客人的酒，而是在开瓶后倒少量酒在杯子里让客人自己尝。侍酒师还需要问客人是否进行倒瓶、醒酒。此举对陈年甚至新酿红酒都非常有用，因为酒的单宁味可能会很重。此外，当客人不确定选什么酒来搭配食物时，一个见多识广的侍酒师应当给予建议。一个负责的侍酒师一定不能只想着将最昂贵的酒卖给客人。因为一个好的侍酒师不但应该考虑为食物搭配好酒，还应该从经济的角度为客人着想。他不应该像某些餐厅的经理和侍者，只会向客人推荐昂贵的鱼翅、鲍鱼和燕窝。一个侍酒师的工作不是宰客，而是确保客人喝得高兴，下次再来。
VINO VOGUE： I know that you organizer the Sommelier Seminar, but Chinese reader knows little about sommelier; would you please make a brief introduction about sommelier?
CH’NG：A sommelier is someone whose job it is to serve wine to the customer in a restaurant or wine bar. Usually, the sommelier is also involved in selecting the wines that will be put on the wine list. A sommelier is also responsible for tasting the wine before serving it to the customer. This is to ensure the wine is alright. But most customers dont realize that this is also the sommeliers job and when they see that happen, they may think that the sommelier is being greedy or disrespectful. So, most sommeliers dont do that but, instead, after they have open the bottle, the sommelier pour some wine into the glass and then let the customer try it. A sommelier is also responsible for asking the customer if he would like to decant a wine to let it breathe. This is very useful for old red wine and even a young red which may be too tannic. Also, if a customer is not sure about what wine to select with his or her food, a knowledgeable sommelier can also make a suggestion. A responsible sommelier must not try and sell the most expensive wines to a customer. Instead, a good sommelier should take into consideration not only the suitability of the wine with what the customer will be eating, but must also take into consideration the customer’s budget. He should not, like some managers or waiters in restaurants, only recommend expensive sharks fin, abalone and birds nest. A sommeliers job is not to kill the customer but to make sure the customer has an enjoyable time, to ensure that the customer will return again.
酒尚：您创办“亚洲侍酒师组织”的初衷是什么？
庄：当时，创办“亚洲侍酒师组织”目的有二：一是促进提高亚洲，尤其是中国、马来西亚和新加坡葡萄酒服务质量。因此我们每年都要在这三个国家召开亚洲侍酒师研讨会；二是通过亚洲侍酒师组织加强亚洲各地区葡萄酒专业人员之间的沟通与联系。
VINO VOGUE： What's your purpose of founding the organization Sommelier Of Asia?
CH’NG：To promote good wine service in Asia,especially China, Malaysia and Singapore. These are the three countries where we conduct sommelier seminars every year. Another aim is to use the organization to help wine professionals in Asia to get in touch and connect with each other.
酒尚：那么对于中国菜和葡萄酒的搭配您做了很多的尝试，您有什么感想跟读者分享一下？
庄：人类是一种受习惯支配的动物。五千年前埃及人和苏梅尔（现在的伊拉克地区）人发明了啤酒，而今全世界都畅饮着这种饮品。现在当你喝着啤酒吃着北京烤鸭或者广东烤猪扒时，你并不觉着你正将古代中东饮品和中国美食搭配在一起。但是如果喝的是葡萄酒，你的想法就不一样了，因为人类酿造葡萄酒的历史并不长。葡萄酒其实不是西方饮品，而是发源于中东和地中海地区。就好比全世界都喝茶, 而茶起源于中国。当英国人就着茶吃三明治时，他们觉得很自然，一点都不觉得这是一种东西合璧的搭配，因为这种吃法已经小有历史了。而且如今越来越多的人喝起了咖啡——这种源于非洲的饮品。当中国人吃饭时喝白兰地，他们也不觉得奇怪，尽管白兰地是法国酒，一种西方饮品。所以我们应该抛弃那种葡萄酒不能与亚洲或者中国食物搭配的错误观点。事实上，中国饮食菜系繁多，原料丰富，菜式富于变化，非常易于与葡萄酒搭配。甚至连川菜都可以与红葡萄酒搭配，只要你选对了可以配合辣味的酒。
VINO VOGUE：You've made many attempts to combine Chinese food and wine. Are there any thoughts you'd like to share with us?
CH’NG：Human beings are creatures of habit. The whole world drinks beer which was first produced, about 5,000 years ago in Egypt and Sumer (in present-day Iraq). When you drink beer with Beijing Duck or Cantonese Roast Pork, you dont think you are pairing an ancient Middle-Eastern beverage with Chinese food. But, with wine, we make the distinction because we have not been doing it for a long time. Wine is not a Western product but, originally a Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean beverage. The whole world drinks tea which, of course, originates from China. When someone in England drinks tea with sandwiches, they consider it very natural and not a clash of East and West because they have been doing it for quite some time. And more and more people are drinking coffee today, which originally came from Africa. When Chinese people drink cognac with food, they dont feel strange even though cognac is also French and a Western beverage. So, we should stop thinking that wine cannot be paired with Asian or Chinese food. In fact, Chinese food, with so many different provincial cuisines and using so many different ingredients, is very versatile and can be easily paired with wine. Even Sichuan dishes can be paired with wine provided you choose wines that can handle the spiciness.
酒尚：那么，在你的很多活动中，我也看出来与其说是您在做葡萄酒和中餐的搭配的尝试，不如说是两种不同的文化，不同的表达方式的碰撞、结合。您是怎么想到要做这样的尝试，包括演奏古琴这样很中国风格的内容。
庄：从很小的时候，我就很喜欢音乐，各种音乐。无论西方音乐还是东方音乐，古典还是现代（除了说唱音乐）我都喜欢。我最喜欢古琴，它能演奏出世上最寂寞的声音，我因此而喜欢她。同时它是个中国乐器，因为我的根在中国（我的祖父是新加坡的福建移民，外祖父是广东移民）。葡萄酒是文化的一部分，对我来说，听着美妙的音乐，比如古琴，再品味着葡萄酒或者茶，是一项绝佳的享受。
酒尚：虽然现在没有听到音乐，没有喝到葡萄酒，但您这番话让我感觉到已经身临其境了，被美妙的音乐，被美好的酒所环绕⋯⋯这似乎就是世界上美好的事物，给我们带来的最直接的通体感受，如沐春风！谢谢您跟我们分享了这么多您多年来的感受和经验，同时也祝福我们共同热爱的葡萄酒能让更多人感受得到！
VINO VOGUE： In my understanding it's a combination of two different cultures rather than Chinese and wine. How did you get the idea of this creation, including the introduction of GU QIN?
CH’NG：I have always loved music, all kinds of music since very young. I love both Eastern and Western music, classical or modern (except rap). My favourite music is the GU QIN. The GU QIN produces the loneliest sound in the world. I love it for that reason and also because it is a Chinese musical instrument and because my roots are Chinese (my grandfather migrated to Singapore from Fukien and, on my mothers side, from Guangdong). Wine is also a part of culture. So, to drink wine, or tea, and listen to great music such as the GU QIN is, for me, a wonderful privilege.