Decanter World Wine Awards 2013: 20 Chinese wines nab awards, led by Great Wall, Helan Mountain

Posted on | May 22, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Decanter has released the results of its 2013 World Wine Awards and 20 entries of the 49 entries from China received a ranking of “commended” or higher. While the total number of wines receiving awards was higher this year, the pickings were slimmer, with silver the top achievement. The vast majority of awards were taken by Domaine Helan Mountain and Xi Xia Wang in Ningxia and by mega operators Dynasty and COFCO, the latter by its brands Great Wall and Chateau SunGod.

Wine operators in China have been entering the annual Decanter awards for the better part of a decade. The most press came in 2011 when a Ningxia wine — “Jia Bei Lan Dry Red 2009” from Helan Qing Xue — won a “regional trophy“, went on to claim an “international trophy” and caused quite a ruckus — see Decanter’s response to the ruckus. Last year, a wine from Chateau Reifeng-Auzias won a gold medal. (Note: I have tried wine from Reifeng-Auzias twice and found it sub-par.)

It is obvious, but worth mentioning, that the awards do not indicate the best wines in the world, or even in China, but the best wines of those entered and as determined by the judges.

Here are this year’s award winners. This info is re-organized from the Decanter site. See the image below for the official list.

Silver

• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2011, Ningxia
• Great Wall Terroir 2006, Shandong

Bronze

• Château Sungod Prime Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Hebei
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Ningxia
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Merlot 2010, Ningxia
• Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Pinot Noir 2010, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery Merlot Imperial Noble Cask Collection 2003, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery Premier Royal Selection 2008, Tianjin
• Great Wall Terroir Reserve 2008, Hebei
• Great Wall Terroir Riesling 2011, Shandong
• Ningxia Xi Xia King Winery Italian Riesling Dry White Wine 2011, Ningxia

Commended

• Chateau Hedong Manor Chardonnay 2012, Ningxia
• Château Sungod Reserve Riesling 2009, Hebei
• Domaine Helan Mountain Xiao Feng 2010, Ningxia
• Dynasty Winery You Like NV, Tianjin
• Great Wall Centenary Old Vine Longyan 2012, Hebei
• Great Wall Chateau Huaxia, The Chief Winemaker’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Hebei
• Great Wall Chateau Yunmo 2010, Ningxia
• Ningxia Xi Xia King Winery Chardonnay 2011, Ningxia
• Xiangdu Les Champs D’Or 2003, Xinjiang

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See also:

• Decanter Wine Awards 2012: Did China wine more medals because it had more entries?
• Decanter Wine Awards 2012: 17 wines, 9 producers in China receive regional recognition
• China wine word: Decanter’s Sarah Kemp reflects on Jia Bei Lan brouhaha
• From Xinjiang to Liaoning: Five years of Decanter awards for Chinese wines

Portfolio tasting in Beijing: Sample 60 wines from 90 Plus for 80 rmb

Posted on | May 21, 2013 | No Comments

Wine shop operator 90 Plus will hold tastings on May 25 and May 26 at Zun Club just off Workers Stadium East Road. The daily rmb80 entrance fee gets you samples of more than 60 wines from 2 PM to 6 PM.  On top of that, those buying bottles can get a 20 percent discount on wines in the 90 Plus portfolio and a 50 percent discount on the more than 100 wines being de-listed by the company as it revises its offerings.

Nicolas Carre of 90 Plus says that some of the de-listed wines will be made available on both says.

“We won’t sell everything on Saturday,” he says. “That mean people who come on Sunday can still get deals.”

Welcome to the club: ASC opens The Wine Residence in Shanghai

Posted on | May 21, 2013 | No Comments

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By Jim Boyce

ASC Fine Wines opened the Wine Residence — a 6500-square-meter facility for events, education and storage – in Shanghai last weekend. An ASC press release states that more than 50 senior representatives from the world’s wineries attended the launch, including Christophe Salin of DBR Lafite, Jean-Philippe Delmas of Chateau Haut-Brion and David Dearie of Treasury Wine Estates. It also states that the facility will provide “an exceptional 360 degree wine experience“. I’m not sure what that means but it raises the image, at least in my mind, of guests being spun around in chairs while strategically placed staff members douse them with a steady flow of Laurent-Perrier. Sign me up.

The Wine Residence will have space for classes, tastings, dinners and other events as well as a cellar and wine lockers. Customers will be able to buy wines from the ASC portfolio and Bordeaux Grand Cru and other top wines. Wine will start at rmb200 per bottle. Those interested in membership have two options. Social membership is for those who purchase more than rmb75,000 and includes discounts and other benefits. Full membership is for those who purchase more than rmb150,000 and includes use of the storage space in the cellar.

ASC reports it has offices in 26 cities, a staff of 1100 and brands from 14 countries. It also has major facilities in Beijing and Hong Kong.

WFOE for sale: Shanghai-based importer and distributor Mervin Fine Wines

Posted on | May 21, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

The following info is via Melody Mast of Shanghai-based Mervin Fine Wines. Mervin — a fully licensed and foreign-owned company (WFOE) in the wine import and distribution sector — is up for sale. The operation includes an office in Shanghai, a sales team and established distribution channels. Mast says the company has about 200 labels and holds these licenses and registrations:

• “WFOE business registration in Shanghai (Minhang District) and business/ enterprise certificate
• “Alcohol license – Allowing Mervin to sell alcohol wholesale
• “Import license – Allowing Mervin to import goods, alcohol in particular
• “Food hygiene license – Necessary to do the alcohol business
• “Tax registration – Allowing Mervin to invoice to companies

Mast says the company has an established client base, both in and out of Shanghai, that buys on a regular basis. For more information, contact Melody Mast at admin (at) mervinfinewines.com.

WoSA Sommelier Cup: Mainland China semi-final slated for Beijing

Posted on | May 16, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Full-time sommeliers from mainland China have the chance to go abroad as part of a competition run by Wines of South Africa.

The WOSA Sommelier Cup involves three rounds, starting with an online test in June and then, for those who make the grade, continuing with a semi-final in Beijing on July that involves a blind tasting and role-playing. The winner of that contest will head to South Africa in October to spend five days touring the country’s vineyards and then compete in the Sommelier Cup final against candidates from 10 countries. Here are the key dates:

May 31: Registration for WOSA Sommelier Cup
Jun 07: Online test with multiple choice and essay questions
Jun 15: Semi-finalists announced by this date
Jul 10: Semi-finals in Beijing, with blind tasting and role play
Oct 07: Finalist starts five days of winery tours in South Africa
Oct 12: Final, including theory, blind tasting and role play

Sound good? For more info on the program as well as travel subsidies for the semi-finalists, see this page.

China wine portfolios: CWS adds Inner Mongolia’s Chateau Hansen

Posted on | May 16, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Importer and distributor China Wines and Spirits is now handling wines from Inner Mongolia-based operation Château Hansen. Established in 2005 as the third international arm of the HWS Group, CWS carries wine from about a dozen countries, including Italy, France, Australia, South Africa and India.

Hansen is on the edge of the Gobi desert in Inner Mongolia but close to key wine-making areas in neighboring Ningxia region and Gansu province. Wine maker Bruno Paumard says production has risen from 400,000 bottles to 2 million bottles over the past few years.

CWS will add several wines from Hansen, including two made from locally esteemed grape Cabernet Gernischt and a late-harvest dry wine made from Semillon and Riesling sourced in Gansu province. The wines are already available in Beijing at Grand Hyatt and 1949.

Other China-based importers and distributors with local labels include Torres, which handles Shanxi-based Grace Vineyard and Ningxia-based Silver Heights, and The Wine Republic, which handles Ningxia-based Helan Qing Xue.

In April, CWS officially announced Oliver Halley, owner of its parent company HWS Group, bought Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay in Burgundy.

Pairing at Pinotage: Cheese and South African wines in Beijing

Posted on | May 14, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

I’m not the biggest fan of wine and food pairing given that many people tend to take it too seriously and that individual tastes differ. But with a group of friends in can be fun and that goes when using beverages from single malts to pale ales and foods from tofu burgers to Sirloin steaks.

The new branch of South African restaurant Pinotage in Beijing now offers fun pairing potential with its new lineup of cheeses. Rather than sticking four slabs of cheese in front of four wines, Pinotage chef Amber Deetlefs has added sweet, savory and other elements in what co-owner Toby Cao calls “a South African way”.

That first one on the left (see photo above) includes goat’s cheese and some interesting textures and tastes via pine nuts, pickled beet roots and a beet root reduction. That beet helped boost the pairing with the Bon Courage Shiraz – in my humble opinion: yours might well differ — and is fun to try against the Dornier Pinotage, the KWV Merlot and the Boland Shiraz-Cabernet. The other cheeses included Gorgonzola with blackcurrants and candied walnuts, Camembert with sage and honey, and Emmental with smoked ham hock and truffle oil.

The cheese sampler is rmb75 and flights of four wines are rmb75 to rmb100. One option is to go with a friend, get two wine sets and split the cheeses. Or, for maximum tasting, get your own cheeses and divide each into four parts so you can try them against each wine, thus giving sixteen pairings. You can get more pairings if, like me, you do stuff like pull off some of the blackcurrants to try on their own against the wines.

For more about Pinotage, see this post about the opening night dinner a few weeks ago. You don’t see a lot of venison Wellington in Beijing.

Flour power: Opera Bombana in Beijing started to make these loaves of bread in 2006 http://www.beijingboyce.com/2013/05/14/batter-up-opera-bombana-started-to-make-this-bread-in-2006/ #yeast #beijing #operabombana

Chateau Hansen in China: Bruno Paumard pursues wine in ‘Grand Cru style’

Posted on | May 10, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Inner Mongolia operation Chateau Hansen will soon launch a new ‘Red Camel’ wine that wine maker Bruno Paumard says is made in “Grand Cru style“. I tried five Hansen wines yesterday and will write about those and the winery soon, but for now a quick post about this new bottle. Paumard says the wine is 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and production will be limited to a few thousand bottles. We tried a sample, with final bottling to be done in the next month or two. In Paumard’s words:

“Here’s the way we do it. First, the grapes came from one parcel, only planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, from [the neighboring region of] Ningxia. These vines are up to 12 years old. We have two harvests. The first is when the grapes are around 12 degrees and about one-third of the grapes are not harvested. The second is a very late harvest, when the leaves are gone and only the grapes are left and they are very dry. We made four barrels of wine with this second harvest and are keeping it new French oak for 26 months. It is very minimalist. We wait until the wine gives signs it wants to get out of the barrel. The blend is 30 percent from this second harvest and 70 percent from the first harvest.

Paumard says an exclusive contract with the vineyard provides control over the grapes and allows him to keep the site organic. “The farmers are very happy because there is no problem with disease,” he says.

The wine we tried is deep purple. The initial smell is mild faint dark fruit that steadily gains strength and intensity and includes aromas of sweet oak, vanilla and cassis. The wine is juicy and round and after a half hour became a little “chewy”. It had spiciness from mid-palate, nice tannins and a touch menthol at the finish. The wine didn’t fully open during the tasting and it would be interesting to see how it develops over a few hours or when decanted.

Paumard says he will take a half-dozen bottles to the London International Wine Fair later this month.

More of Hansen and Paumard soon.

Wine jobs in China: The Loop wine shop in Bejing seeks manager

Posted on | May 8, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Soon-to-open wine shop The Loop in the Sanlitun-Gongti area seeks a manager. The position includes dealing with walk-in and established customers, arranging deliveries, organizing tastings and, no doubt, sampling quite a few bottles. The ideal candidate is able to function in Mandarin and English, has a strong interest in wine, and is available to start work when the shop opens in June. The successful candidate will be paid a salary plus commission. The Loop also seeks a part-time sales assistant.

The Loop will primarily focus on wine retail and hold occasional wine tastings, cooking classes and other events.

If interested in this position, forward your CV to Weiley Lu at luweiley (at) gmail.com

Attn F&B managers in China: ‘Sommelier’ to be an officially recognized profession

Posted on | May 6, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

China is on the verge of designating “sommelier” –  “新职业” in Chinese — an official profession, says Tommy Lam, a driving forces behind the initiative. Lam says it has been a three-year project with the Department of Labor to get to this point and he is seeking help from those in the  food, beverage and hotel industry to finish it off. In short, he needs managers of F&B outlets to take about three minutes to fill in this short survey:

You can download the survey in Word format here. Fill in the sections with red letters. Send it to tommylam (at) awi-edu.com. Then feel good about yourself for helping to make “sommelier” an official profession.

Here is Lam’s letter to the industry:

“Dear Friends in Food and Beverages and Hotel Industry,

“Re: China Sommelier Survey

“China National Sommelier Association is into the final and most important stage of founding.

“”SommelierV侍酒师” will now be included into the new edition of the “Profession Directory of China”. This will definitely give sommeliers in China proper recognition.

“We have developed a three-level accreditation system for the Labor Department, which means there will be a systematic training for floor staff, starting with simple basic beverages services, up to a certified professional sommelier.

“The final piece of work is 200 surveys.

“This survey is to find out the average number of people employed in each food and beverage establishment and hotel, and we will work out a ratio of how many beverages services staff might require one sommelier from the industry.

“A sommelier could become the KEY to your beverage and non-food revenue and the up-keeper of your beverages services standards.

“We need to have your support by filling in the survey form:

“Fill in ONLY page 3. Page 1 and 2 are a brief outlines of a sommelier’s responsibilitues. Email me back within the next week to: tommylam (at) awi-edu.com.

“This survey is in Word document format, so you can easily type in your answer.

South hemisphere smackdown: Australia vs New Zealand blind tasting in Beijing

Posted on | May 6, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Call it the wine equivalent of Crowded House versus Air Supply, Edmund Hillary versus Steve Irwin, The Conchords versus Dame Edna and Les Patterson, the sheep versus the bilby.

New Zealand and Australia wines will square off in a blind tasting this Saturday at The Big Smoke in Beijing. All of the wines are imported by cool climate specialist The Wine Republic, which includes investment from The Rathbone Group in Australia.

The Aussie side will include representation from Yering Station, Hewitson and Xanadu while the Kiwis are coming at them with a team that includes Kumeu River, Seresin and Greywhacke.

The tasting is 4 PM to 6 PM and costs  rmb150 for 10 sample. At 6 PM, the staff will count the votes and declare New Zealand the winner (okay, maybe that’s just a bit presumptuous).

To book a spot, email Renee at renee (at) thewinerepublic.com.

Best wine experience in Beijing? My three nominees for the Time Out awards

Posted on | May 3, 2013 | No Comments

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By Jim Boyce

I sat on the judges panel for the Time Out Beijing food awards this year and one of the categories up for grabs was “best wine experience“. Beijing is tricky as a wine city. A superb range of wine is available here, top restaurants tend to have diverse lists, and it is possible to attend tastings and dinners with visiting wine makers and winery owners at low cost.

On the other hand, prices are high (due to tariffs, economies of scale and other factors), sales have traditionally gone to knee-jerk Bordeaux and Chinese options, and a good wine bar scene is something we still await. Beijing has some good places, from Modo (under renovations) and Pudao Wines with their enomatic machines to hutong hideaways Palatte Vino and Vineyard Cafe to the reliable shops Jenny Lou’s and Jenny Wang’s to some of the city’s fine dining establishments — but the beer, whiskey and cocktail scenes are much healthier.

Anyway, we were asked to nominate venues for best wine experience, which meant restaurants, given food is a key part of that experience. Based on my memory of dinners and tastings past and on visits to about a dozen establishments to recheck the wine lists, these are the notes about  the three nominees I submitted to Time Out. There must have been some agreement at HQ since all three received at least a merit award.

“TEMPLE RESTAURANT BEIJING

“Wine fluidly fits into any experience at Temple, whether in the form of a bottle with dinner or Sunday brunch or a glass in the bar overlooking the venue grounds. And it fits most any budget, from lower-priced bottles such as Pikes White Mullet from Clare Valley in Australia for rmb210 and a Ferraton Pere et Fils from Cotes du Rhone in France at rmb220 to top-end Burgundy and Bordeaux for tens of thousands of rmb. In between are some 700+ wines on a list that leans toward France but not too heavily and includes more than a dozen countries thus making it possible to please most any palate. Temple has stocked some of China’s better wines, more than a dozen, including options from Grace Vineyard (Shanxi), Helan Qing Xue (Ningxia), Sunshine Valley (Gansu) and 1421 (Xinjiang). You can also splash out on Yao Ming Family Reserve for rmb12,5000. Add excellent food and service, placid surroundings, and proximity to the Forbidden City, and this ranks as a top wine experience in the city. And for those simply seeking liquid refreshment, you can order any bottle off the menu at the bar.

“GRILL 79 / ATMOSPHERE

“Beijing’s highest restaurant and bar [on the 79th and 80th floors of China World Summit Wing] also field one of the city’s most diverse wine lists. The main wine guide, at Grill 79, includes more than 600 options. There are 14 wines by the glass, including a Champagne and a rose, and a well-balanced selection from the world’s major wine regions and some minor ones, too. Those upstairs at Atmosphere Bar can enjoy bottles off the same menu, and the same spectacular views of the city, although the bar has its own by-the-glass list. The bottle prices are fair for a venue of this caliber, with Billi Billi Shiraz from Mount Langi Ghiran in Victoria in Australia at rmb340 and Warwick Old Bush Pinotage from Stellenbosch in South Africa at rmb375. The menu includes nice picks from producers like Shaw & Smith in Australia and Springfield Estates in South Africa, plenty of Grand Cru, China favorites Silver Heights and Helan Qing Xue, and seventeen wines in half-bottle format for lighter tipplers. The combination of price, choice, service and setting make for a good wine experience.

“MAISON BOULUD

“Boulud’s wine list comes in two volumes — one for whites and one for reds. There are the obvious French choices and also an impressive Champagne list, with nearly 80 options, including a good selection of vintage bubbly. The California selections are also notable for its who’s who of quality Cabernet blends from Napa Valley as well as other wines, including Cabernet Francs, Zinfindels and Pinot Noirs and bottles from northern neighbors Oregon and Washington. France, Spain and other major regions are well-represented and there are also some fun finds, whether it is in terms of grape varieties, such as Sylvaner, or countries, such as Lebanon’s Chateau Musar. There are 13 wines by the glass, starting at rmb70, and affordable bottles for around rmb300. If you want to splurge, there is a bottle of 2000 Petrus for rmb106,666. Given its historical surroundings, the food and service, and the option of imbibing in the bar, the dining room or a private space, this is a good place for a wine experience.

Jancis Robinson Q&A: On China’s wines, Cabernet Gernischt, ‘American Wines’ & more

Posted on | May 1, 2013 | No Comments

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By Jim Boyce

English wine writer Jancis Robinson has been visiting China and its wineries for more than a decade, with her most recent trip being to Ningxia last fall to taste ~50 wines and tour the region’s operations. This week I asked her a few questions about China’s wine scene (my highlights).

What is your general impression of the progress in wine quality?

The number of good wines suddenly seemed to increase considerably a couple of years ago and is continuing to do so at a heartening rate.

When you visited Ningxia last fall, what most impressed you and what most caused you apprehension about the wine scene?

I was most impressed by the sheer number of decent wines but was apprehensive about the high yields. I felt the wines could be much better.

Some in Ningxia want to identify the region with Cabernet Gernischt (Carmenere). What do you think of that position?

I don’t think there is much point in specialising in a single variety. This would limit choice. All those countries / regions that at one stage were associated with a single variety are desperately trying to prove how versatile they are. And Carmenere is a difficult grape to love. Too tough and green! It’s also quite difficult to ripen properly — especially at high crop levels.

If you had to pick one wine that you have tried from China to show the potential of the country, what wine would it be?

Silver Heights, Emma’s Reserve 2009 — but I am probably out of date. I dare say there is a new raft of good wine being produced which I have not yet tasted.

The World Atlas of Wine, written with Hugh Johnson, is the most recent of your books translated into Chinese. Are you planning any more translations?

Yes, the book that came out in March by me and Linda Murphy called American Wine will be published in Chinese.

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Also from Grape Wall:

• Tasting and touring in Ningxia: A dozen pics from Jancis Robinson’s China trip
• Ningxia wine awards: Jancis Robinson, Huiqin Ma among judges of 49-bottle contest in Yinchuan
• Jancis Robinson: On wines and wineries in China

(NOTE: Issue 4 of the Grape Wall e-newsletter GWoC Talk is out. Sign up here here and see a sample here. You can also follow me on Weibo here and on Twitter here and here.)

Wine jobs in China: New Zealand Trade seeks business development manager

Posted on | May 1, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

While not focused solely on wine, this job at New Zealand Trade & Development in Beijing will no doubt involve the good drop. The office needs a business development manager who is seeking “the chance to unleash the potential of New Zealand businesses in China”. The ideal candidate has a background in China’s food and beverage sector, understands the local supply chain and has experiment in promotion and brand building. From the job posting:

Based in our Beijing office, your key accountability will be to develop market opportunities for New Zealand businesses operating in the Food and Beverage sector and to assist those businesses to enter, establish, and grow in the market. You will be energised by the ability to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the businesses in this market, how we stack up against the competition and reshape strategies and business models accordingly. It is expected that you will lead the development & strategy for key food & beverage sectors including seafood, wine and meat.

You’ll be fantastic at building relationships globally to ensure you are aligned and working in sync with our New Zealand and globally based teams. In return you’ll join an organisation that is passionate about growing New Zealand, work within a lively team environment with focused and experienced leadership.

Yep, I have a feeling that job will entail imbibing a significant amount of quality Kiwi wine. In any case, for more details and the specific qualifications required see here. The application deadline is 5 PM on May 17.

South African wine in China: Pinotage II to open this weekend in Beijing

Posted on | April 29, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

The second branch of South African restaurant Pinotage is set to open in Sanlitun Soho this weekend, says partner Toby Cao. The venue is directly across from the Adidas shop in Sanlitun Village and a few meters from where the Intercontinental hotel will open. It shares the complex with venues like Argentine restaurant Che Diego and Korean restaurant Ssam.

Pinotage includes a stripped down dining room (think simple wood furniture and white brick walls), a room with “chef’s table” that adjoins the kitchen and a wine bar. The latter is managed by Johnson and can comfortably seat ~30 people, including a dozen or so at a long bar, and includes trays for flights of up to eight wines. The menu includes ~60 wines that Cao imports from a dozen or so South African producers, including Babylonstoren, KMV, Boland Cellar, Bon Courage, Rooiberg, De Meye, Sarah’s Creek, Arabella, Jacqures Bruier, Papllion and Simonsvlei. Here’s hoping Pinotage stocks other South African wines available in Beijing, such as those from Springfield Estates.

Cao also plans to soon launch a smart phone app in English and Chinese so customers can get more info on the wines and order them for delivery.

In terms of food, he says chef Amber Deetlefts will present a very different menu that at the first Pinotage and says it is “modern” South African cuisine. I’ll have more on this soon. The hours will be noon to 2 AM daily, with lunch, dinner and bar menus available.

Opening dates can be a bit tricky in Beijing, so if you plan to head over to Pinoage this weekend I suggest first giving the place a call at 5785-3538.

Wine deals in China: Double credit days at Pudao Wines in Beijing & Shanghai

Posted on | April 29, 2013 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Whether you interpret it as doubling your credit, drinking for half price or both, Pudao Wines in Shanghai and Beijing have an excellent offer the next few days. Charge your wine card from April 29 to May 1 in Shanghai or on April 29 and April 30 in Beijing (closed May 1) and Pudao Wines will double the amount. Thus, add rmb100 and get a rmb200 credit, add rmb1000 and get a rmb1000 credit, and add rmb8888 and get a rmb17,776 credit. This should justify taking that Inglenook sample up to a full glass.

Also, I stopped into the Beijing branch a few days ago and saw some bin ends for sale, including two bottles of The Stump Jump — see photo below — for rmb159 total.

 

 

 

Gaia Gaja: On Chinese wine consumers, Italian imports, auctions & more

Posted on | April 28, 2013 | 1 Comment

By Jim Boyce

Gaia Gaja of Piedmont-based winery Gaja has been to China over a dozen times since her first visit in 2005, including one trip that took her off the beaten path to backpack in Yunnan. She visited China this week and stopped by Beijing for a wine dinner — squeezing a tea tasting and nightclub visit into her itinerary as well — and I had the chance to ask her a few questions today about the wine scene.

On the Chinese wine consumers she has met…

“People in China are very confident about saying what they think about wine. In some other places, people are polite and quiet during the dinner and then, at the end of the meal, make some jaw-dropping comments.

“People here are straightforward. They ask questions and they start making distinctions right away — which wine is lighter, which wine is more balanced. This is the thing I have noticed, that people in China understand lightness, delicacy, elegance.

On why imports of Italian wine in China are so low, falling far behind other sources such as France, Australia and Spain…

“Our position [as a source of wine] is about the same as the United States. We lack support from the government and a good national program for promotion. When I was in Hong Kong, I met the representatives of a company that teaches WSET. They have classes for Spanish and French wines and asked if I would help establish an Italian class. I went back to Italy and contacted a national sommelier association about the project — I never heard back from the group.

On involvement in the Hong Kong fine wine auction scene…

“Last year, for the first time, we supplied wines directly for auction. There were eight lots, with the biggest one being 24 bottles [a vertical collection of Sori San Lorenzo Barbaresco]. We did it with Acker Merrall & Condit for an auction at the end of November.

On the situation in China’s neighbor, India…

“It has been a much more quiet market than China. A big problem is that different states have different taxes and the taxes are very high. Also, there are still not many big distributors. There are many young people in India drinking whisky and beer, so the habit of consumption is there, but wine demand is low and has fallen below everyone’s expectations.

On Chinese consumers when they first try Gaja wines…

“I expected it would be difficult because of the tannins and because Barbaresco and Barolo are so refined, require such focus, that I thought people would have to learn step by step to understand them. But I found people in China understand it very quickly, that they can detect how the perfume changes in the glass, so I see something special about this market, an ability to quickly appreciate delicate tastes and textures.

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GWoC Talk Newsletter

China wines, consumers,
industry leaders & more
See sample here.

Grape Wall Challenge 2012

December 12, F By Tribute, Beijing

Click for the 2011 results.
Plus the 2010 results
and the 2009 results.

Ningxia vs Bordeaux 2011

December 14, Zun Beijing

Five wines and five judges each from China and France. Results here. More coverage here

North by Northwest 2011

November 12, Hilton Beijing
Click here for results.

Wines tasted from:

• 1421 (Xinjiang)
• Grace (Shanxi)
• Hansen (Inner Mongolia)
• Helan Mountain (Ningxia)
• Helan Qing Xue (Ningxia)
• Jade Valley (Shaanxi)
• Rongzi (Shanxi)
• Silver Heights (Ningxia)
• Sunshine Valley (Gansu)

Grape Wall Challenge 2011

November 8, Modo, Beijing

Click for the 2011 results.
Plus the 2010 results
and the 2009 results.

Participating distributors

• ASC
• Aussino
• China Wines and Spirits
• East Meets West
• French Wine Paradox
• Links
• Mercuris
• MPC
• Summergate
• Torres
• 90Plus

Grape Wall of China Feed

• Portfolio tasting in Beijing: Sample 60 wines from 90 Plus for 80 rmb

The Wine Word

Talks with wine people in and out of China (in chronological order).
Click the asterisk for the post.

Benjamin Wallace *
Author, Billionaire's Vinegar

Julia Zhu *
Sommelier, Hilton Beijing

Shinya Tasaki *
World sommerlier champ

Tommy Lam *
Wine educator

Miguel Torres *
President of Torres

Alder Yarrow *
Author, Vinography blog

Leo Liu *
Operations manager, Sureno

Olivier Six *
La Baie des Anges wine bar

Jeff Gao *
Wine consumer

Charles Carrard *
French Wine Paradox distributors

Jean-Luc Thuvenin *
Chateau Valandraud

Brian Yao *
Wine consumer

Patricio de la Fuente Saez *1*2
Links Concept director

Rebecca Leung *
Wine blogger

Julien Bonnard *
Top Cellar retail, distribution

Tom Wark *
Fermentation blog

Danny Wu *
Gelipu distributor

Zeon Chow *
Rutherford Bench/Napa Reserve

Ch'ng Poh Tiong *
Writer, publisher, consultant

Danny Kane *
Manager, Aria, China World Hotel

Jean-Michel Cazes *
Chateau Lynch-Bages

Nicholas Carre *
GM, Maxim's Beijing

Robert Joseph *
Writer, entrepreneur

Tyler Colman *
Blogger, author

Carlos de Jesus *
Amorim communications director

Frankie Zhao *
Wine consultant

Arcy Yin *
Editor (Food & Wine China)

Natalie MacLean *
Author

Peter Gago *
Penfolds chief wine maker

Gaia Gaja *
Gaja winery

Frederic Choux *
DCT Wines owner

Group interview *
20 global winery reps

Guy Wittich *
Event organizer, consumer

Robert Parker *
Writer, critic
Chinese translation *

Jenn Hinkle *
Event organizer, consumer (Beijing)

Pat Fromm *
Consumer, ex-industry (Beijing)

Wolf Blass/George Samios*
Wine maker / Foster’s PR

Frederic Engerer *
Chateau Latour president
Translation *

Alberto Fernandez *
Torres China GM (Shanghai)

Steve Clarke *
China Silk owner (Xinjiang)

Tim Hanni *
Educator

Jancis Robinson *
Writer, critic
Translation *

John Gai *
Palette Wines owner (Beijing)

Ethan Perk *
Jebsen (Beijing). Note: Now at ASC

Zhang Ning *
Yunnan Red wine maker (Yunnan)

Shan Shumin*
Yunnan Red GM (Yunnan)

Wu Kegang *
Yunnan Red CEO (Yunnan)

Chantal Chi *
Writer (Shanghai)

Jeremy Oliver *
Wine writer, critic

Marc Curtis *
China Wine Tours leader

Eddie Osterland *
Sommelier, educator

Frank Siegel *
Event organizer (Beijing)

Judy Leissner *
Grace Vineyard CEO (Shanxi)

Don St. Pierre, Jr. *
ASC managing director (Shanghai)

Dan Siebers *
Summergate North China manager



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Grape Wall of China Challenge

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Groups

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About Grape Wall of China

A nonprofit collaborative blog

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Email: beijingboyce at yahoo.com

Grape Wall Contributors

In alphabetical order (see full list)


Nicolas Carre
Sommelier


Chantal Chi
Writer


Yvonne Chiong
Sommelier, consultant


Judy Leissner
Grace Vineyard CEO


Li Demei
Wine maker


Huiqin Ma
Professor


Campbell Thompson
The Wine Republic co-owner


Frankie Zhao
Pro-Wine Training & Consultancy owner


Jim Boyce
Consumer, blog administrator