Guy Soon

Co-author with Patrica Guy of Wine with Asian Food (Tide-mark Press )

Read the review here.

How did you get on to wine?

Mum stopped buying Woodwards Gripewater (in those days it contained a tiny bit of alcohol) when I began walking and so I moved onto dad's Tawny Port that was on the bar trolley. However it was the Mateus Rose at Christmas dinners and then later, a Chassagne Montrachet that I was allowed to taste in a restaurant when I was 16, that turned me onto wine. I began exploring wine as an adult when working for government - I was tasked with organizing lunches and dinners for foreign dignitaries and had to select wines. A short stint in the Foreign Service had its benefits - duty-free wine - and so I unabashedly exercised the privilege. Later I moved to Sydney, Australia, and just could not resist visiting the neighborhood wine shop on a regular basis, so much so, one day was offered a job at the shop. Needless to say, I became their best customer too, since i maximized my quota of staff discounted wines.

A little later, I enrolled in Roseworthy College for a wine marketing course with the idea that I might one day export wine to Singapore (this was in the late 1980's), but when I arrived at the college in South Australia, I was told the marketing course had been canceled as the professor in charge of marketing had walked out. Meanwhile, furniture and all my belongings were arriving by truck from Sydney. There was nothing left to do but to try out the winemaking course. And since then I have worked as an assistant winemaker, worked in France, US, Australia, run my own wine shop, managed investment wine portfolios and taught wine. Also I have been writing about wine for more than 10 years, 3 years for The Sunday Times and 6 years for The Star already.

The wine I enjoy drinking is the wine that is in my hand at the moment. Although I do confess I love well made biodynamic wines - and well matured wine. Favorite varieties are Pinot Noir, Nero d'Avola, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Tempranillo and Syrah, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner and Furmint. Over the years my wine taste has gone full circle - from sweet whites, to dry whites to dry reds to heavy reds, to stickies and sparklies, from new world to old world and back to new world - but now any good wine is much appreciated - especially wine that has not yet been over-reviewed and whose prices have not yet risen.

When did you start reading, and what did you like to read a kid?

I read everything and anything i could get my hands on - fairy tales, the adventurers (teacher hauled me up for bringing the adult book to school), Hardy Boys.

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

Lots and lots. Dad said, I won't buy you toys - that you get once a year, but anytime you want books, we'll go shopping.

When did you think about becoming a writer?

I never did. I was back in Singapore from France, for a visit and someone told me the national newspapers was looking for someone who had a knowledge about wine to start a weekly column on wine and I should go meet the editor.

Was there someone who got you interested in writing?

At university. I was a foreign student and my other foreign student friends from Asia had to take English remedial classes. I wrote some of their assignment essays and they bought me beers.

How do you write? Do you have a daily routine?

I write daily because of the various magazine assignments but my work is not very inspired. However, once in a while, in the middle of the night, or whilst gallivanting in town doing nothing, an idea comes to me and I have to get back to my desk...

What's good about it? What do you hate about it?

A writer, as long as one is not pigeonholed into one topic, has a great life as you can explore lots of subjects and experiences, and then share these in a story or article with others in your own way.

What's some good advice that you've received concerning writing? What's some advice that you could offer young writers?

Live and try to experience everything, good, bad, dangerous, etc. (but know your limits so you don't get into too much trouble or cause others trouble) - because you can't write if you have not experienced it.