05.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:36 pm by admin
Upcoming Beijing wine-related events
Thursday, May 15, 7:30 PM, Bookworm, RMB180
Australian wine tasting, 6 wines from 3 regions, by The Wine Republic; RSVP at 5869-7050 / events@thewinerepublic.com. (Note: RMB100 of each fee will go to the Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts in Sichuan.)
Friday, May 16, 7-8:30 PM, Bento & Berries (Kerry Centre Hotel), free
Henry Bourgeois wine tasting, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514.
Friday, May 16, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe (Sanlitun), RMB 100
Languedoc tasting, with 5 red wines; RSVP with Frank at 13701-178-073.
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM, Summer Palace (China World), RMB2008
“Road to Beijing” wine dinner and charity auction, 8 Chinese food-French wine pairings; auction of sports art and memorabilia (part of proceeds to Care for Children); RSVP at 6505-5838.
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM, Sheraton Great Wall Hotel (21F), RMB588
Grace Vineyard wine dinner, with Grace President Judy Leissner; by Torres China, RSVP with Sophie at sophie@torres.com.cn.
Thursday, May 22, 7-10 PM, Cafe Europa, RMB180
“Four continents” tasting, with NZ, US, French wines, and finger foods; RSVP Joseph Kiang at Cafe Europa @5869 5663 / 13910-097-621.
Thursday, May 22, 6:30 PM, Le Little Saigon, RMB70
Loire Valley wine tasting, with 7 wines and buffet; RSVP with Raphael at 13520-795-172 or raphael@bylweb.com.
Friday, May 23, 7 PM, Aria (China World Hotel), RMB1288
Guigal wine dinner, with 7 wines and wine makers Philippe and Marcel Guigal; RSVP with Danny at Aria (6505-2266, x36 / danny.kane@shangri-la.com) or Helen at ASC (6587-3803 / homedelivery@asc-wines.com).
Friday, May 23, 7-9 PM, Cellar Le Pinot, RMB50
“Wine & Lady” tasting party, with four wines; RSVP at 8515-1715 / zhoumeixing@lepinot.com
Saturday, May 24, Great Wall of China, RMB15888
Robert Parker wine dinner, by ASC; food by Blu Lobster; 8 wines rated 94+ by Parker; RSVP with Adam Steinberg at adamsteinberg@asc-wines.com.
Tuesday, May 28, 7 PM, Blu Lobster, RMB988
Alain Chabanon wine dinner, with winery owner Alain Chabanon, by East Meets West; RSVP with Blu Lobster (8882-6727) or EMW (6445-5797).
Friday, May 30, 7-8:30 PM, Bento & Berries (Kerry Centre Hotel), free
Deutz Champagne tasting, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514.
Tuesday, June 3, 4-8 PM, 1949: The Hidden City, RMB150
Global wine extravaganza, with leaders from 20 wineries - Joseph Phelps, Seghesio, Trimbach, Meerlust , Santa Rita, etc; by ASC; RSVP with Helen at helenlu@asc-wines.com.
Saturday, June 14, 3-6 PM, Ritz-Carlton Financial Street, RMB120
The Culinary Coin Festival, with free-flow Champagne / wine, coffee, chocolate, and more.
Saturday, June 14, 7-10 PM, Greenfish (Ritz-Carlton Financial Street), RMB2008
Dinner with Volker Drkosch, 1-star Michelin chef; RSVP at 6601-6666.
Saturday, June 14, 7-10 PM, Cepe (Ritz-Carlton Financial Street), RMB2008
Dinner with Claudio Sadlerm, Michelin star chef; RSVP at 6601-6666.
Saturday, June 14, 7-10 PM, Qi (Ritz-Carlton Financial Street), RMB2008
Dinner with Eric M. Johnson, from Shanghai’s Jean George; RSVP at 6601-6666.
Note: To get a wine event listed, send event info, preferably in text format, to beijingboyce@yahoo.com. If you intend to attend any of the above events, it is best to confirm with the venue ahead of time.
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05.14.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 2:09 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
From organizing events to visiting wineries to creating a newsletter, Jenn Hinkle has been a fixture on the local wine scene. Here’s her take on wine and Beijing.
How did you get involved in the Beijing wine scene?
I moved to Beijing from Seattle, where there was a huge wine culture due to the many Washington wineries. Knowing I wanted to learn about wine and I was new in town, I decided to check out the various events.
My first event was a Beijing Wine Club trip to Taillan winery followed by a BBQ in Shunyi at Palette Vino’s place, which was fun. At the time, however, it was actually hard to find out about all of the wine tastings, since not all the events were listed in That’s Beijing or the other expat magazines. I started up an informal wine newsletter so I could consolidate all of the events in one place for other wine lovers.
After about a year of doing that, the expat magazines seemed to have taken the hint and now have regular columnists that showcase wine events, wines for purchase, and other wine knowledge. I also worked with Beijing Wine Club planning non distributor-centric wine events.
All of it has been great fun. More recently, I’ve gotten pretty busy, so I am mostly involved in just drinking and enjoying wine!
What are the best and worst things about the scene, and how has it changed during your time in Beijing?
The worst thing: a lot of events are STILL distributor-centric. Typically it will be events from one or two wineries, usually set up to showcase the wine maker who is visiting Beijing.
For me, the best and most informative ones are when a few varietals are selected so you can learn how, say Pinot Noir, tastes different coming from different regions and climates. Often, to do this well, you have to cross distributors’ lines.
Another thing I don’t like is how many of the events have a “wine party” feel, where it seems that the primary focus is getting trashed, and you have to search for someone to actually tell you about what you are drinking. While I don’t want to go to wine events that are stuffy with enophiles trying to out-snob each other, I do want to go to events where they provide opportunities for someone who wants to learn.
The best thing - can I list three?
1. There are SOOO many more opportunities then there were a year and a half ago. Little wine bars are popping up and new distributors are trying their hand at the Chinese market, providing more choices.
2. The big wine tastings with over 100 wines. While intimidating, they are a great opportunity to try wines to find what you like that you can later purchase. Two such events were Torres Taste of Nations and Palette Vino’s 100 wines for 100 kuai.
3. Independents (i.e. non-distributors). There are more “independent” people who do wine events and education, like Frank Siegel of Sequoia Cafe and Fongyee and Edward from Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting. It is also exciting that these wine events have more and more Chinese attending.
What has been your experience with Chinese wines?
Sadly, Chinese wines have a long way to go. Most, I find, are largely unpalatable. Perhaps the only exception to this is Grace Vineyard, a wine that tastes like it could be Western-made, but even then, I am not overly impressed. Grace, however, does prove there is potential in the wine market.
What advice would you give to people, whether they are expatriates or locals, who are getting into China’s wine scene?
Go to Sequoia Cafe on Fridays. (Get on the mailing list first!) Frank always has interesting tastings. A lot of wine lovers go to these, including one regular who is a wine maker himself, so if you want to learn about wines in a very casual way, this is it. Frank does not stick with one distributor, so you get a good chance of getting a cross section of tastings. It’s also a great way to make friends. If someone is seriously interested in wine education, check out Dragon-Phoenix Consulting. Fongyee and Edward put on first rate wine courses and are great people to boot!
If you were to recommend three “good value” wines in Beijing, what would they be?
Ah! A tough one. For just regular drinking, I like the Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc (readily available at April Gourmet). While it is not going to win any wine awards, at about RMB80 a bottle, it’ll do and tastes good chilled while grabbing a bite to eat outside.
Another refreshing wine is the Broadbent Vinho Verde. A wine that is meant to be drunk young and fresh, this is incredibly refreshing, with a slight fizzy characteristic. I think it is about RMB120 a bottle and is available through Cellar le Pinot.
For red, the Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid wine at about RMB128, readily available at April Gourmet.
Though, honestly, I would tell anyone not to listen to me! Drink what you like!
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05.13.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:54 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
My truest test of which wines are “good value” to me is whether or not I buy them or recommend them to friends and readers. I have done so many times with wines such as Grace Vineyard Chardonnay (RMB60/Torres) and Heartland Shiraz (RMB150 / Palette) - I find the first good for those who want to try a Chinese wine and the second good for those in need of a bottle to take to a friend’s house. I also recommend many other wines to friends and readers, from the Gruner Veltliner at Cafe Europa to some of the offerings at this year’s Palette and GELIPU-Winelink portfolio tastings.
I am updating that list to include the French wines selected by Alain Leroux (a contributor to this blog) and available at the Guanghua Road and Sanlitun North branches of Sequoia Café.
I doubt you will find better-value French wine in Beijing than the five-entry level bottles - Vale Viognier 2006, Vale Merlot 2006, Vale Syrah 2006, Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and Louxor Chardonnay 2006. All of them hail from Languedoc Roussilon and cost a paltry RMB65 per bottle. Numerous people, including two wine distributors, told me the Viognier offers especially good value.
I also like the slightly more expensive Domaine Des Oliviers Cotes Du Rhone 2006 at RMB100 and the Chateau Ayraud Corbieres 2004 at RMB134 (60 percent Grenache, 40 percent Syrah).
Leroux worked with winemaker Jean Berteau, based in France, to pick about two dozens wines to bring to China, and these have been categorized into “full-bodied whites”, “smooth reds”, “big reds” and so on at Sequoia Cafe to make things easier for the consumer.
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05.09.08
Posted in Huiqin Ma at 3:33 pm by admin
By Ma Huiqin
(The translation below first appeared here. The original interview in English is here.)
我的朋友Jim Boyce在3月5日采访了英国的葡萄酒大腕Jancis Robinson 原文见：http://www.grapewallofchina.com/page/3/，我的两个三年级的本科生赵丹和刘茜做了翻译，我对文稿进行远不完美的审阅和校对，我想这样的交流有利于我们跨过语言的障碍，倾听不同的声音。
昨晚，我在北京港澳中心瑞士酒店的Flow休闲吧对来自英国的著名葡萄酒作家简妮丝·罗宾逊（Jancis Robinson）进行了短暂的访谈。罗宾逊女士拥有一个广受欢迎的葡萄酒网站（Web site），她还为《金融时报》每周撰写一篇专栏，负责《牛津葡萄酒词典》的编辑工作，并且和另一位世界知名的葡萄酒作家休·约翰逊合作撰写了《世界葡萄酒大全》一书。
问：在本次访问中国期间，您在葡萄酒领域发现了什么变化吗？
答：这是我第三次来中国，三次访问分别在2002、2003和今年。我有点失望，因为在我看来中国葡萄酒的品质并没有进一步的提高。酒在风格上仍是波尔多一般葡萄酒的稀释版，而这种类型的酒是目前世界上最难卖的。
上海米氏餐厅Marcus Ford和他的朋友组织了一场有15款红葡萄酒的盲品。我想说的是它们都不是能让我眼前特别一亮的葡萄酒，尽管有三四个还算相当不错。出于我对中国人的工作态度和决心的信任，我曾经希望，这些酒会展示出最近五年来的进步，但结果并非如我所期待。
问：您去过中国的哪些葡萄酒产区，它们是否与您的预想相同？
答：我2003年去过新天和几个河北的酒厂，昨天去了怡园。当然，西部地区的地形是完全不同的。
从规模上来说——新天有大面积的葡萄园，那些农户的葡萄园看起来不是为农民所有，而是归新天所有，而怡园酒庄周边有农民承包的土地。
问：你对中国葡萄酒和所使用的酿酒葡萄品种的总体印象是什么？
答：说到葡萄品种，除了赤霞珠和美乐你很难尝到其它的。说实在的，我想不出还有哪个国家像这样拥有如此广大的葡萄栽培面积，却只种植了极少的品种。
最常见的葡萄酒的风格，干瘦干瘦的，红色而单宁感强，是最糟糕的配中国菜的酒。
问：您会给初涉葡萄酒的中国人什么样的建议？
答：我想说的是不要听信广告，而应该尝试多种不同风格的葡萄酒。根据你所吃的食物，可以尝试一款果香浓郁的白葡萄酒，甚至一款果香饱满的红葡萄酒。不要认为葡萄酒一定得是赤霞珠或者美乐品种。鲁信博士牌雷司令（美夏代理）的亲和性很好。不少业内人士告诉我，如果拿这款酒送人，人们会很喜欢。
笔记：我随身带了2003水晶干白和2005玫瑰蜜各一瓶，这两款酒都是云南红的产品，而且都是用杂交葡萄品种酿制的。鲁宾逊快评如下：玫瑰蜜配菜可能有一点偏甜，但是它在入门级的酒中是非常棒的。水晶干白的香气对我而言实在是太不熟悉了，非欧洲种葡萄的特点非常突出。
有关简妮丝·罗宾逊关于中国的更多信息，请参见‘中国的葡萄栽培与酿酒’The vinification of China和‘我的中国冒险 II’ My Chinese adventures - Part II。《城市周报快递》This City Weekend post包括一个博客空间以及对罗宾逊女士最近在上海国际文学节上讲话的记录。
感谢港澳中心瑞士酒店提供品酒的玻璃杯（顺便提一下，我发现在每周二、三、四下午5:30到7:3在Flow休闲酒吧会有买一增一特别的活动。）访谈结束后，我与酒店的 Dominik Hager 以及Nathan Wang 坐在一起，让他们品尝了这两款酒。他们俩都不喜欢水晶干白，觉得这款酒很奇怪（这款2003年的酒也许应该更早饮用，而且酒温也过高）。而对于玫瑰蜜，他们都认为其香气非常浓郁。王先生说这款酒酒体单薄，但作为清淡型的葡萄酒还可以。他品尝中国葡萄酒已经有超过十年的经验了，因此希望近期能够有机会采访他一下。
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Posted in Jim Boyce at 1:25 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Formerly employed in the U.S. wine sector, Pat Fromm has been an active consumer in the Beijing scene. I asked her about her experiences both here and at home.
You worked in the U.S. wine sector before moving to China. What did you do?
When alcoholic beverages moved from state-owned to private sector in West Virginia, I was the first salesperson for the capital city of Charleston. I knew very little about wine so I enrolled in a wine appreciation course at the local college. Imagine, getting credit for tasting three to five wines in an evening! They were the most fun college credits I ever earned.
The successful introduction of wine to a state that was forty-ninth out of fifty in wine consumption depended on advertising and merchandising. I was involved in the merchandising and I let Bartles and Jaymes and their little red truck advertise to TV viewers.
In grocery stores, my responsibility was to convince retailers to cross-merchandise wine with every department in their stores. Fortunately, for my profit margins, we didn’t have those little tasting stands like they do here in China.
What’s your take on the availability and quality of wine and wine events here in Beijing?
It’s great to see so many tastings! It’s a great way to increase consumption and bring drinkers along to more sophisticated tastes.
I don’t clearly understand the wine import business here and often wonder why a particular grocery store can sell bottles of wine for less than the so-called “distributor.” It seems to me that the availability of wine here is more influenced by politics than by good wines. Albeit, I have no trouble finding a drinkable red wine almost anywhere.
The condition the wines are stored in is another story.
As a consumer, what would you like to see in the Beijing wine market?
Is reduced price asking too much? More Oregon and Washington state wines as well as some Pacific coast wineries from California. And more wine bars.
How many Chinese wines have you tried and what is your opinion of them?
I haven’t really kept a journal of Chinese wines and there are currently none in my preferred wine list. I do think they are developing, slowly but surely, as more and more foreign viticulturists and vintners are coming to China to manage growth and production.
What are your observations of local wine drinkers, whether in terms of consumers, acquaintances or friends?
My “friends” are definitely not wine snobs, and I, too, often look for what’s available in the bargain category. As for the acquaintances I party with, most bring along what’s cheapest in the local shop that night. Very few actually give much thought to how it goes with the food. That may change now that I’ve started a gourmet food group!
If someone new to Beijing asked you to recommend three wines that he or she could buy here, what would they be?
Of course I’d have to first ask, What do you like? My general recommendations, based on what I’m drinking now, would be:
• 2003 Hill of Gold Shiraz by Rosemont Estate
• The Reunion Mourvedre Shiraz and Grenache by Rutherglen
• Shiraz 2003 by Brookhampton
And the only interesting white I’ve had had in China - from Moet!
Pat Fromm: Good wine, good food, good times!
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05.07.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 8:10 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Upcoming Beijing wine-related events
Thursday, May 8, 7-9 PM, Med (Block 8), RMB100
Ladies Wine Club, with Italian wines and five-course meal; contact Kristen at lum.kristen@gmail.com.
Thursday, May 8, 7-8:30 PM, Amigo (Central Park), free
Chilean wine festival, with 16 wines, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514.
Thursday, May 8, 7 PM, Prego (Westin Financial Street), RMB100 preregistered / RMB120 at door
Kim Crawford tasting, by ASC; RSVP at 6587-3808, x200.
Friday, May 9, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe (Sanlitun), RMB 150
Pinot Noir tasting, with 4 wines and food; RSVP with Frank at 13701-178-073.
Friday, May 16, 7-8:30 PM, Bento & Berries (Kerry Centre Hotel), free
Henry Bourgeois wine tasting, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514.
Thursday, May 15, 7:30 PM, Bookworm, RMB180
Australian wine tasting, 6 wines from 3 regions, by The Wine Republic; RSVP at 5869-7050 / events@thewinerepublic.com.
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM, Cafe Europa, RMB180
Pinot Noir / Sauvignon Blanc tasting, by ASC; RSVP at 6587-3808, x200.
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM, Summer Palace (China World), RMB2008
“Road to Beijing” wine dinner and charity auction, 8 Chinese food-French wine pairings; auction of sports art and memorabilia (part of proceeds to Care for Children); RSVP at 6505-5838.
Friday, May 23, 7 PM, Aria, RMB1288
Guigal wine dinner, with the winery’s E. Guigal, by ASC; RSVP at 6587-3808, x200.
Saturday, May 24, Great Wall of China, RMB15888
Robert Parker wine dinner, by ASC; food by Blu Lobster; 8 wines rated 94+ by Parker; RSVP with Adam Steinberg at adamsteinberg@asc-wines.com.
Tuesday, May 28, 7 PM, Blu Lobster, RMB988
Alain Chabanon wine dinner, with winery owner Alain Chabanon, by East Meets West; RSVP with Blu Lobster (8882-6727) or EMW (6445-5797).
Friday, May 30, 7-8:30 PM, Bento & Berries (Kerry Centre Hotel), free
Deutz Champagne tasting, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514.
Note: To get a wine event listed, send event information, preferably in text format, to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.
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05.06.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:54 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
I joined six Chinese wine writers on April 26 for lunch with Chateau Latour GM Frederic Engerer. Organized by ASC at the Hyatt’s Made in China restaurant in Beijing, the event saw us try his 1995 and 2001 wines with Chinese dishes, including Beijing duck, and discuss Chateau Latour in particular and the wine industry in general. I asked him three things.
Has he tried any Chinese wine?
He said that regrettably he had not.
What does he think about China’s growing influence on the Bordeaux market?
He said that countries such as China are changing the customer base for Chateau Latour: “It’s going to be a different profile of customers.”
“We are not responsible for the tripling of prices,” he added. “It’s out of our hands. Our goal is to provide the best wine every year.”
What does he think of screw tops and has Latour experimented with them?
He reacted strongly to the issue of screw tops. He called them “artificial” and questioned how well wine will age with their use.
“If you make wine to drink in 18 months, then [screw tops are] wonderful,” he said, but added that corks are better for storage. “It’s not a matter of traditional versus modern. It’s understood that our wines last 50 years.”
He gave no indication that Latour had experimented with screw tops.
“Our goal is to get cork better. With screw tops, it’s a different product. They call it wine, but we don’t,” he said, and cited his displeasure with the screw top lobby.
He pointed at the wine we were drinking: “Do you want this wine touching something artificial?”
When asked about glass closures, he said that Latour used some of these with its 2000 vintage and would give the wine a try in 2010. He added that Latour used glass closures in the 1820s, 1830s, and 1840s.
As for the food and wine pairing, some of the initial dishes proved too spicy - particularly those from southwest China - so the “heat” was reduced for the remainder, with the Beijing duck being an OK match. On top of talking to a leading Bordeaux personality, trying new food and wine combinations added to the fun.
Note: The wines we tried were Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, 2001; Chateau Latour Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac, 2001; and Chateau Latour Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac, 1995.
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05.05.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:43 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
The Friday night tasting (RMB100) at Sequoia Café in Sanlitun two weeks ago featured Chilean wines from Terra Mater. We worked our way through a Chardonnay, Merlot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel-Shiraz and two Sauvignon Blanc. My favorites were the Terra Mater Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (dry grass and crisp fruits on the nose, and a juicy body, though some found it too acidic) and Zinfandel-Shiraz 2005 (an 85-15 percent blend with a rich fruity - plum - nose, though the body came off as weaker than expected). Both wines cost RMB143 per bottle.
Other tasters liked the Reserve Sangiovese 2006 (ample fruit and a nice mouth feel, but it smelled a bit rubbery to me). Terra Mater wines are distributed by DT Asia.
Later that night I checked into the second anniversary of Cellar Le Pinot, a tightly designed and decently stocked wine shop near the Hyatt Hotel.
Some two dozens were available for tasting (RMB50) and the shop offered a 20 percent discount on all wines.
I bought two Chinese wines I have not seen before: a bottle of “Night” by Suntime (Xinjiang) and a bottle of “Vintage” wine, which I believe is an export-only brand using grapes from Xinjiang (the back label was in French and Dutch). I’ll put these bottles into a future blind tasting.
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