Featured
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
Risky business | DBR Lafite doubles down in Shandong
It's tough to be number one. As the most famous foreign wine brand in China, Lafite has instant name recognition and an eager consumer base that forks out the big bucks. It also faces a steady flow of copycats, fierce competitors and high expectations.
Expectations are notably lofty for its … Continue reading
Flat as a pie | What a China pizza fest says about Italy’s wine performance
Oh, Italy. Your reputation for luxury brands and sports, notably football, is strong here in China. You are a major tourist draw. Your culture and history are well-known compared to many others. And who doesn't like pizza? It's ubiquitous in China.
Yet Italy's share of China's imported bottled … Continue reading
Pontyfications | Bordeaux’s China exodus, ‘passionate’ distributors & new niches
Helene Ponty has partnered with distributors in fifty-plus cities in China to sell her family's Bordeaux wine. She's everywhere from "tier one" metropolises like Beijing and Chengdu to more isolated places like Heihe, a town of less than 100,000 that borders Russia. As a follow-up to our … Continue reading
Taste | Lucashof wine from Pfalz
I don't join many wine dinners because you always hope to show up at 7 PM and leave at 9 PM but end up returning home at 3 AM. How does that happen!?
But I did join the Lucashof tasting at Hulu last week because 1) I haven't seen China rep David Kempf for years, not since he was at Chateau Nine … Continue reading
Festival mode | Zhang Dongli brings Bordeaux’s Fete Le Vin to Beijing
As a veteran in tourism and event planning, Zhang Dongli has a long history of pairing France and China. Zhang's most recent project, Bordeaux Fete Le Vin, aims to get them raising far more glasses, too.
Zhang's life in wine began with the French Tourism Office in Beijing, where she promoted … Continue reading