Uncorked: Ashley Gao

Ashley Gao is the head sommelier of The Opposite House, a Swire group owned hotel in Beijing. After graduation, it did not take long to kindle Gao’s interest in wine as she gained first-hand experience working in a Chinese winery in Hebei province in northern China. Shortly afterwards, Gao cut her teeth working for a wine company and later for Conrad Beijing as its sommelier before joining The Opposite House. She recently chatted to dbHK about the best advice she learned from reading Chinese Taoism and why she would never serve wine at her funeral.

What vintage are you? 

1987.

What bottle sparked your love of wine? 

Château Nubes 2007, Hebei, China. My first job after graduation was working at a Chinese winery named Château Nubes. Back then, I didn’t know much about wine. It was definitely the first sip of a Chinese wine that lived up to international standards.

What would you be as a wine? 

I think I’m a medium-plus bodied, fruity new world Shiraz or Merlot or Spanish Tempranillo.

Where are you happiest? 

A place where I’m surrounded by friends, family and of course wine. All of those mean happiness.

What’s your greatest vice? 

I like drinking wine!

Best advice you ever got? 

For the advice, I have to say it in Chinese: 道曰：我有三宝，一曰，勤；二曰，俭；三曰，不敢为天下先 [Which translated into English means, Taoism says, I have three treasures. The first one is diligence, the second one is thrift and the third one is humility]. This is my life advice.

Your cellar’s underwater, which bottle would you dive in and save? 

The one which is easy to get, and I would try to get as many as I can.

What’s the best and worst thing about the wine business? 

The best thing about the wine business is knowing how to enjoy life and getting to know the people who know how to enjoy life.

For the worst part, I haven’t found it yet. I guess as long as you love what you do, there will not be a bad part.

What’s on your wine bucket list? 

I don’t really have a wine bucket list. I love what I have. I enjoy and respect each bottle that I own.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? 

I want to invite my family, my friends and all the people who ever helped me before.

Personal satisfaction (Parker points – out of 100)？

88.

Which wine would you like served at your funeral? 

I guess I would not serve wine at my funeral. I would leave my wine cellar to the people who love wine as much as I do.