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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 23, 2009

You'll want a glass of red with 'Terroir' K-drama

By Jeff Chung

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Han Hye-jin, left, and Kim Joo Hyuk star in "Terroir," a drama about venturesome Korean wine enthusiasts abroad.

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Love and wine will intertwine in a new drama debuting Monday.

"Terroir" (a French word used to describe the special characteristics of regional attributes that contribute to the grapevine, and ultimately, the wine) could capture the interest of the new generation of oenophiles who frequent the wine bars lining the streets of Kang Nam (south of the Han River).

Starring Kim Joo Hyuk and beautiful Han Hye-jin (Jumong), the drama shows Kang Tae-min (Kim Joo Hyuk) on a mission in France to find the rare wine Chateau Mouton Meyer 1945 (a fictional take on Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945) which was sold at auction in 2006 for $290,000. Tae-min's uncle is in the last stages of cancer and wishes to taste the elusive 1945 bottle. Kang crashes into a young woman, Lee Woo-ju (Han Hye-jin), on the streets of Paris and loses the wine but finds romance.

Woo-ju grew up at the Korean winery Nancho and is in Paris in search of her boy-friend, with whom she lost contact over a year ago. She accidentally trades wine bottles with Tae-min when they bump into each other.

When Tae-min's uncle dies and leaves him Nancho, Woo-ju persuades Tae-min to keep the employees when he starts his restaurant Terroir. Woo-ju is forced into doing menial tasks at Terroir, as she has no skills or experience. She does, however, have an uncanny olfactory sense and learns about wine. Later she realizes that she has the bottle of the rare 1945 vintage.

Through Woo-ju, a viewer will learn about the world of wine from grape varietals, storage of wine, how to drink wine and how to tell good wine from bad wine. But more importantly, Terroir will show how wine can help cultivate human relationships and connections.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'THE FAMILY OF HONOR'

Episodes 16 and 17

Tonight at 7:45: The secret is out as Young-in's pregnancy is revealed. Hye-joo is in a coma after drinking following Hyun-gyu's rejection. Dan-ah and Gang-suk stay at the hospital together. Tae-young and Mal-soon drink together and agree to be friends. Gang-suk asks Dan-ah if she wants to date him.

Tomorrow at 7:45 p.m.: Gang-suk and Dan-ah agree to date, on the premise they're doing it for the sake of Hyun-gyu and Hye-joo. Suk-ho and Young-in get married. Jin-ah throws a fit at Soo-young, and tells him not to approach her. Tae-young becomes friends with Mal-soon.

'GLASS CASTLE'

Episodes 15 and 16

Sunday at 6:45 p.m.: Joon-song's mom is pressuring him to rush the wedding. Joon-song's feeling pressured, so he goes to Min-joo's house to get her parents' permission. Min-joo's confused about what to do. Joon-song's mom meets Min-joo and gives her an ultimatum: Either get married now or end it.

Sunday at 7:45 p.m.: After a short break up, Min-joo decides that she doesn't want to break up with Joon-song and goes to meet his parents. Min-joo's mother has doubts about the match.

'TERROIR'

Episodes 1 and 2

Monday at 7:45 p.m.: Kang Tae-min is a young wine connoisseur who travels to France to procure a bottle of the legendary Chateau Mouton Meyer 1945. Lee Woo-ju is a young woman who uses her gift of a well-developed sense of smell to help her family's traditional Korean wine business. When Woo-ju travels to Paris to track down her wayward boyfriend, she and Tae-min have a chance encounter.

Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.: Tae-min loses the bottle of Chateau Mouton Meyer when he crashes into Woo-ju. As he flies back to Seoul dejected, he and Woo-ju have another chance encounter, not realizing that they had literally run into each other in Paris. Tae-min's boss becomes irate at Tae-min for losing the wine and vows to make his life miserable.

'THE PAINTER OF WIND'

Episodes 20 (finale) and director's cut

Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.: The competition between Danwon and Yun-bok ends up as a tie, and Kim Jo-nyun loses everything as a result. The king finds out that Yun-bok is a woman. To hide the fact that his late father's royal portrait was painted by a woman, he orders Yun-bok to go into hiding, and he is able to honor the late prince successfully. Realizing that being with Danwon would put him in danger, Yun-bok goes away, leaving only a portrait of her as a woman.

Thursday at 7:45 p.m.: Review highlights of past episodes with commentaries by actors and the director. Also get some history on the famous artists of the Joseon period.


Correction: "The Painter of Wind" will air at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The dates were incorrect in a previous version of this story.