"I get nervous if I see a client with no beverage in front of them," says sharp, chic sommelier, Yvonne Cheung, as she rectifies abstinence with Cédric Bouchard's ‘Inflorescence'. The clean Champagne represents "a single variety (Pinot Noir), single area (Côte de Val Vilaine, Aube), and single year (‘08)," she says.

California-born with Chinese roots, Cheung is head sommelier at Café Gray Deluxe. "If VAT and general sales tax hadn't been removed from wine in ‘08, I quite possibly wouldn't be here," she says. "It offered a moment of accessibility which led Hong Kong to become wine centre of the world and gateway of wine to mainland China."

With a 14-metre bar, 14-metre open kitchen and double-height ceilings, the North American and Asian brightened European restaurant of Singapore-born chef, Gray Kunz is "casual in an upscale sense in that you can come in shorts - and almost residential" purrs Cheung.

Glimpsed from the 49th floor vantage atop the couth Upper House Hotel in Admiralty, lasers roam the harbour this Saturday night. They recurrently cast spotlight on Hong Kong's tallest towers: the International Commerce Centre (118 floors), and Tower 2 of the International Finance Centre (88). Fortuitous number eight is woven within their fabric. Both shot to the sky following Kai Tak airport's closure in ‘98 in favour of the sleek sequel out-of-town, Lantua. Carrier, Cathay Pacific culminated the ultimate departure - one of two airlines owned by the British-born Swire Group, who also runs this hotel.

Cheung's former roles included three years as wine director at Napa's Carneros Inn, and a stint as line cook on Nantucket island. But, considering the latter, she prefers to face customers. "There's a reason why front and back of house don't mix," she jokes.

Compared to North America, Hong Kong provided Cheung a moment of awakening. "I went from a slow economy to not being able to order enough wine in a week," she recalls. In her first months at Café Gray Deluxe, Cheung heavily scrutinised "the place and its spirit".  "I read a lot, and was under the impression that people would just drink expensive Bordeaux. But I was very pleasantly surprised."

Cheung addresses our press pack, dispatched from London. "Is there anything you don't enjoy?" she asks. "I'm not a fan of eels," pipes one writer of note of fact and fiction, who nonetheless "appreciates a good cockle". Bemused, Cheung assures him she will relay his penchants to Brooklyn-born chef de cuisine, Joseph Sergentakis.

Moments later, Cheung is back pouring biodynamic Slovenian, Movia ‘10 to partner with intricate, creamy millefeuille of small local crabs, ‘sam sing hai' (three dot crabs), fennel, piquillo peppers and hearts of palm. Although arguably mean in profile on its own, the Tocai Friulano brings deeply satisfying structure to the citrus-spiked gentrified lasagne, proving Cheung's sure-footed measure of taste and texture. She adds: "Food and wine can be enjoyed at all levels, but when it's something you love, or if it's your profession/obsession, it's like music or literature, it becomes something filled with intricacy, complexity, texture, and multiple dimensions when you're attentive."

Next, a paper bag of silky, easy-flaking Alaskan halibut in which it is steamed, with faintly curried onions, leeks, lemongrass and calamansi (Chinese orange) butter, is dramatically cut open with scissors at table, releasing steam. To work with it, Cheung pours bullion coloured Chardonnay into the broad bowl of a Burgundy glass (‘08 Wente Riva Ranch, Arroyo Seco). But, on paper at least (with paper-steamed fish), it feels out of place...
"It's assertive compared to the mineral, reserved wines before," admits Cheung. "But actually, the calamansi is the dish's ‘centre of place' which needs high acid and richness to balance out the über-flavourful butter."

Finally, roast duck breast with black cherry glaze, sautéed chard, toasted almonds and slow-cooked onion sauce is synchronised with Barossa Grenache/Shiraz (‘09 Charles Melton, Nine Popes). It echoes and accentuates the ripeness of the dish's flavours.

"The only time I tasted the dish was just before it was finalised," says Cheung. "Luckily, I asked Joey for a spoonful of sauce and a cherry (just to gauge the level of sweetness in the final product). It changed everything! I'd originally planned a red Burgundy, but realised it would be too dry. Given its chocolate-y flavours, smooth, luscious texture, and sheer ability to wrap itself around the game-and-fruit qualities inherent in duck, Nine Popes was the best option." Cheung, who is "curious about almost anything" and "obsessed with always wanting to be smarter," has served only one red wine tonight.

Perhaps it is time to reveal her wine ambitions? "I want to re-brand white wine in Chinese culture," she says, referring to China's national spirit, ‘Baijiu'. "In Mandarin, ‘Baijiu' translates as ‘white alcohol/wine', but the connotations are strongly-steeped in distilled rice beverages. Even if someone understands that one is referring to white grape wine, the feelings associated with rice spirits aren't abated. I believe this affects how people subconsciously perceive white wine. Sure, red wine has fame and status due to its' overall ability to age, complexities, and history, but there are sensational whites out there that are discredited without intention." Cheung believes that Asians are so particular about food "so they could be very particular about white wine too."

What does Cheung think of her country's vinous output? "While I've not had a lot of opportunity to sample Chinese wine, there's potentially a lot of notable bottles to come, especially given the scale of terroir compared to a small place like Napa."

What, I venture, does Cheung think of customers who wish to blend rare vintages with Coca Cola? "If my friends did it, I'd kick them out then call them up the next day - but I wouldn't kick out clients. But, as much as it breaks my heart, I'm not always right. I know fellow sommeliers with stories to tell about the temptations of switching wines, although I've never done that. Then again, my mum gave me processed cheese and bananas when I was a child. She read that calcium and potassium were good for the health in a magazine..."

Finally, with dessert of chocolate and cherries, Cheung chooses against making a match - "for a few different reasons". Cheung believes sweet wine should constitute a course on its own. "The Nine Popes makes for an interesting grouping, given its tendency to remind us of chocolate-covered berries. But given a second chance, I could pour Banyuls from Coume del Mas in the Roussillon."

Cheung studied Cultural Anthropology and East Asian studies at the University of California Los Angeles, including overseas studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, before focusing on food and wine at The Culinary Institute of America in New York. I ask about her major's relevance to her career. "The most common reaction I get from people is, ‘what can you do with that? -Teach?' But, actually, I use it every day, and it has had a profound Domino effect on what I do, from appreciating language, religion, history and psychology, and knowing how to apply it to understand how we behave as individuals in our communities and in our society. All this is so important when working in any industry, but especially hospitality. Coupling this with a structured study of wine has made for an enlivened career."

In addition to wine's study, Cheung is an artist of oil, acrylic and clay. "Clay holds the ultimate potential: a blob of sand and water. From poking it comes an idea; something you didn't necessarily plan." She pauses for some moments. "But you have to understand the medium..."

* www.cafegrayhk.com