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Launched in 2007, Grape Wall of China covers everything from trade news to consumer tastings to winery visits. Sign up for the free newsletter here, follow on Facebook here and Twitter here, or get in touch with the administrator, Jim Boyce, at grapewallofchina (at) gmail. … Continue reading
Quotable Bettane | Blends and civilization, MWs as bad tasters & under-wined oak
Veteran French critic Michel Bettane visited Beijing two weeks ago and I joined his Chinese wine tasting. I'm interested in voices such as Bettane's because France, Italy and Spain are leaders as wine producers but UK people and institutions, and to a lesser extent US ones, are dominating the … Continue reading
China’s first million-point wine | Power tasting at DFC & Canaan
Fate has delivered me unto the land of Canaan thrice in two months. This winery, founded in 2006, and its sibling Domaine Franco-Chinois, founded in 1999, are in Huailai County, just outside Beijing. And they've been making some of China's most intriguing wine for years, although those are only … Continue reading
China wine stats | ‘If Penfolds were a country, where would it rank?’
China wine veteran The Cellar Rat posed an intriguing query recently as I wrote up some China wine import stats.
"If Penfolds were a country, where would it rank?"
(He also added, in time for Halloween, "The over-reliance of Penfolds for the Australian wine category is scary.")
Let's try … Continue reading
Revive la France! New vigor in fight for China market share
It's been a Franco-centric month as I looked at French initiatives that provide new vigor in a country where it has lost share. I went to the first Bordeaux Fete Le Vin in Miyun County. First Vinexpo Shanghai. Tasted the first commercial vintage of Lafite's Chinese wine, Longdai. And met Michel … Continue reading
Ganbei! Trade goes wild for Xi, Macron drinking wine in Shanghai
Trade people are going wild on WeChat over pics of Chinese president Xi Jinping and French president Emmanul Macron enjoying wine at the China International Import Expo today in Shanghai. My feed has featured a fast flow of the pair these past few hours. And 'enjoying' is perhaps not the best word … Continue reading