Lucky Chin’s – American-Chinese Classics by Chinese-American Chef in South Jakarta
Is Rolling Out Mobile Ordering for Better Customer Experience
31 December 2022
No Comments
Ajeng Wulandari of Wineslab, is brimming with fantasy, from one bottle to another, usually aided by a celebrated international and local wine. This wine enthusiast encourages your stories to unfold in ever more fantastic versions.
Our team at SELESA has been lucky enough to sit down and share wine with her, talking about her journey, her wines, her standing in the local wine community. In this quick interview, Ajeng as a certified WSET Level 1, lets us in on the process of tasting and appreciating wine through a fantasy storytelling.
Currently, Ajeng has also been working with a couple of hotels in Jakarta, in order to support the relationship with the property and the local wine producers . With the growing number of wine consumption in Jakarta at the compound of annual growth rate of 6.07% (CAGR 2021-2025), local vineyards are seeking direct relationships with the consumer as a means of differentiating themselves within this increasingly competitive environment.
1. How do wines get rated for Wineslab?
By evaluating the balance (acidity, tanins, fruit), the length, intensity & complexity. For me personally, the more complex the better.
2. Can you explain the rating scale?
I don’t give ratings to wines. I don’t believe that a simple one dimensional scale can describe a complex wine. If a wine is so simple that it can be described by a single number, it is probably not worth drinking.
3. How did you get involved in the wine industry?
My first wine story was in 2001, when I was a regular at a wine lounge in Jakarta, Vin+. I had the opportunity to taste many wines there and discovered that there was something other than Zinfandel Rosé by Beringer, that was so often served at that restaurant, and it changed my perspective at that age. By the time I was 20, I was kind of jaded already. In 2017, I worked as a wine concierge for Premium wine lovers in Jakarta.
In 2019, I took a class of The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in Wine House, Melbourne. I took the exam to give myself a bit of a confidence boost and add credibility to my brand! Overall the class was mostly review, but the experience was invaluable.
4. What is the process for tastings?
We taste wines blind, so they are hidden away from my view, and I taste them without knowing which is which. But the most important key points are to understand your taste palette and work towards building a taste memory. Your wine memory is something you can refer to when tasting new wines and finding new favorites.
5. What kind of qualities make for a stand-out wine?
What makes a bottle of wine become more interesting and compelling is the character behind the bottle–not the grape or terroir (the backdrop). Of course, the plot (the wine itself) is important, but with many wines, there are still chapters that have yet to be written and are waiting to be experienced months, years or even decades down the road. The bottle you open today is not going to be the same bottle–the same story–that it’s going to be when you pick up the bottle again.
Even after the cork is pulled, a great wine (like a great story) will unfold itself over the course of each glass. Change of direction, build-ups and plot twists are around the corner with the next pour.
6. What are your favorite varieties to taste?
I taste a lot of phenomenal Pinot Noir, and am a big fan of Burgundy (Vosne Romanee). But I love overlooked or forgotten varieties quite a bit as well, and enjoy all types of well-made wine that reflect where they were grown.
7. What’s the strangest or most unusual wine you’ve tasted?
I’ve had some pretty unusual experience with Vigoner wines in recent years that leave a mark on both your palate and your mind. It has an overpowering flavor note of coconut, reminiscent of bitter citrus rind on the finish.
8. How’s the wine enthusiast scene in Jakarta?
I’m forecasting higher growth for Indonesia’s wine market, thanks to a rise in disposable income.
9. Can you tell us a fun fact about you?
In the 1960s, my grandfather used to run a whiskey store and liquor distribution company in Menteng, Jakarta. I think what I’m doing now it’s like written in my DNA!
10. Where can the people find you and what are you promoting now?
People can follow me on Instagram at @wineslab. I am working recently as a wine consultant at Hotel des Indes, Jakarta. The wine and cigar lounge is truly a hidden gem, filled with fascinating wine collections of good value. I offer wine programs for companies as another way to stand out, while helping to promote local businesses, local producers and foster community in the area. I also run a Wine Concierge Club, a curated experience just for you. The Club offers a wide array of wine-related services including wine etiquette, private and corporate tastings, and personalized consulting services.
Wineslab’ monthly events will be available starting April 2021 through delivery and event prepaid booking, exclusively on SELESA.
The Deets
| Location | Wineslab |
| Address | By appointment only |
| Opening Hours | By appointment only |
| Phone | |
| @wineslab | |
| Type | Community, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Consultant, Wine Concierge |
[tribe_tickets post_id=”3792″]
Is Rolling Out Mobile Ordering for Better Customer Experience
From the ground up A group of young farmers behind Bali’s food innovation.
The Bak Zhang of your fantasy that you never knew you wanted, the deboned duck dish that took 48 hours long to cook, to indulge in.
From the home kitchen to outlets strewn around the city, this family is bringing traditional Indian food to be closer and more accessible to modern city dwellers.
At Akar restaurant, Chef Mac is reinterpreting Indonesian food to be more progressive but empathetic, and—most importantly—delicious.
Pouring stories, one wine bottle at a time
Contact on Whatsapp
