As we bid farewell to our dearest Chairlady, here's the journey of her
life. Indeed, we have lost a dedicated leader but her principle of life, will always be our guide in facing obstacles and challenges. Following is special report from The Star.
Cheers, Ellen
By SUZANNE LAZAROO
star2@thestar.com.my
Malaysia’s wine scene recently bid farewell to Ellen Yeow, one of the
pioneers of the industry. We raise a glass in memory of a trailblazer.
ELLEN Yeow had tannins running through her veins. Had she been poured into a
glass, she would have been a complex, formidable red, those tannins forming a
solid backbone but leading into a long, sweet finish. That was Tai Kar Cheh
Ellen (big sister Ellen) to those who knew her, a fitting moniker for the lady
who cut such a swathe in a traditionally male-dominated wine scene, and paved
the way for many more to follow.
Ellen Yeow, 1947–2012
Yeow died on Aug 21, at the age of 65, after a battle with cancer; her good
friends raised one of many last toasts to her in a memorial verse in The Star:
“In fertile hills/ along the vines/ and sun kissed grapes/ her spirit walks/ her
laughter/ bubbles in a Champagne flute/ her scoldings/ sharp as new born malt/
her friendship/ sweet fragrant dessert wine/ in the deep depths of a dark hued
red/ her very being shines/ her soul now/ at journeys end/ in the vineyard of
The Lord”. It was a meaningful, wine-sprinkled tribute to an old friend, now far
away.
“I can just hear her say ‘such bad verse – can’t you do better than that!’
... that’s dear Ellen for you!” says lawyer Wong Swee Min, one of the poets and
a childhood friend. Together with his younger brother, and Yeow and her cousins,
they formed a small band of brothers (and sister) in their stomping grounds of
the Hicks Road-Tong Shin Terrace area (now Changkat Bukit Bintang) in KL.
He recalls her as more “snips and snails and puppy dogs’ tails” than “sugar
and spice” – hers was a feisty, strong personality that was to stand her in good
stead later, when she joined the wine industry.
In the 1970s, the wine industry in Malaysia was still in the embryonic
stages, with just a few individuals striving to bring wine culture into the
country. Yeow was one of these dedicated wine-lovers.
She joined importers and distributors Caldbeck MacGregor right after she
graduated from Britain and returned to KL; although she initially knew very
little about spirits and wine, she soon developed a keen interest to complement
an already refined palate.
“There weren’t too many women in the wine and spirits industry then, she was
among the very first,” says Wong. “That made her unique, and coupled with her
friendly and pleasant disposition, willingness to learn and industrious nature,
it meant that the macho bosses and veteran colleagues went out of their way to
take her under their wings and teach her the trade.
“And being able to match them glass for glass was no doubt a great help when
it came to being accepted as ‘one of the boys’,” he adds.
Her sharp palate and great olfactory senses made it easy for her to learn the
trade quickly, and sniff out grape treasures.
A passion for fine wine and the art of marketing it was born; and as Yeow’s
knowledge and experience grew, so did her involvement with the gourmet scene and
several international organisations. She served as president of the KL branch of
the International Wine and Food Society from 2000 to 2003, during which time she
was awarded the Bronze Andre Simon Medallion.
In 2001, Yeow joined Asiaeuro Wines and Spirits as a consultant advisor, a
post she retained to the end. She was responsible for developing the wine
portfolio for both New and Old World wines, but was considered an expert
particularly in the field of French wines.
“Her keen interest and vast knowledge in this field took Asiaeuro to great
heights,” says Toh Sek Piew, Asiaeuro’s operations director and a long-time
collaborator of Yeow’s.
“She always had a keen eye for good wines with good value. And during her
tenure here at Asiaeuro, she trained a few wine aficionados with strict guidance
and tremendous pressure – she only wanted to work with the crème of the
crop!”
“Ellen was a loyal and kind friend, and a diligent mentor – however, she was
not one to suffer fools gladly! Few are her friends and co-workers who have not
at one time or another been soundly scolded for what she considered acts of
foolishness or inappropriate conduct,” recalls Wong with fondness.
Yeow believed that everyone should drink the best wine they could afford,
with a constant admonishment to not “waste precious liver and stomach space” on
plonk.
“Her passion for wine and her willingness to share her knowledge and her
bottles of wines and malts brought many of us to not only the enjoyment of them,
but also to an understanding and deeper appreciation of their respective
subtleties,” says Wong.
“For certain she helped develop the fine wine market in Malaysia beyond plonk
and the mundane and ordinary. And she foreshadowed the acceptance and progress
of women in the world of wines and sprits in this country – not by the glimmer
of a shapely leg glimpsed in a cheongsam slit but by sheer talent and
perseverance,” he adds.
Yeow has embarked on her last journey now, no doubt wineglass in hand. The
only thing left to say is: Salut and safe passage.
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