The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is inviting wine and food lovers in the capital city for an extravagant feast on May 28 to sip selected wines and foods and to witness the inauguration of the hotel’s Connoisseur Club.
Metropole Hotel opens club for wine enthusiasts
By Binh Nguyen in HCMC
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is inviting wine and food lovers in the capital city for an extravagant feast on May 28 to sip selected wines and foods and to witness the inauguration of the hotel’s Connoisseur Club.
The hotel expects a handful of Hanoi’s dedicated wine drinkers to converge at its trendy Italian restaurant and lounge Angelina for the first of the Connoisseur Club’s series of events, designed to introduce Hanoi’s wine enthusiasts to vintages rated 90 points and above by world-acclaimed wine writer and critic, Robert Parker.
Guests of the club’s opening ceremony will savor vintages from high-end Italian winery Massolino and a dinner prepared by celebrated Michelin-star chef Dell’ Aquilla of the Hotel Altira in Macao.
Thibault Souchon, the hotel’s director of food and beverage, said the club was born to recognize the hotel’s most loyal wine customers. “We built the Connoisseur Club on the concept of sharing and discovery,” Souchon said.
“Wine tasting is not new to Vietnam, but the Metropole always aims for a more selective and memorable experience. A Connoisseur Club event is a one-of-a-kind affair that gathers members for the best wine tasting in the country,” Souchon added.
There is no fee for joining the elite wine club, as the hotel selects members and gives them a 50% discount at one event of their choice. Depending on the availability of wine, events may include 20 to 40 members.
In October, club members will gather in the ancient Temple of Literature, one of Hanoi’s most culturally-significant sites, for another premium wine and dinner pairing. In collaboration with supporting wine suppliers, the hotel plans to present a different rare wine every two months, complemented by tailored menus from visiting and resident star chefs.
“The Metropole Hanoi will continue to host bi-monthly wine dinners open to hotel guests and residents,” Souchon said. “The Connoisseur Club is about enjoying outstanding wines, expanding knowledge and developing a passion. We want them to come away feeling they have shared in something unforgettable.”
Opened in 1901, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi reigns as the Grande Dame of Vietnamese hospitality and one of Southeast Asia’s most iconic hotels. In 2009, the 364-room hotel became the first in the Sofitel portfolio to acquire Accor’s Legend brand distinction.