Grape Wall of China

A China Wine Blog: The Scene in the World’s Largest Market

Price trumps product: The wines of China producer Chateau Junding

By Jim Boyce I wrote Monday about Chinese boutique wineries leveraging their local know-how to target moneyed customers at home. Case in point: Chateau Junding. This relatively new Shandong operation includes spectacular facilities and surroundings, is backed by Great Wall wines producer COFCO and a sophisticated marketing campaign, and targets spenders who have enough cash [...]

Beijing tasting time: Hilton Food & Wine Experience, and more

One of the best Beijing wine events of the year – The Hilton Food & Wine Experience – is tomorrow (Saturday) from 5 to 8 PM. With hundreds of wines available to sample as well as tea, coffee, chocolate, cheese, and more, the eleventh annual edition of this event should again offer excellent value at [...]

Internal use only: Why boutique wineries in China are staying home

By Jim Boyce Mike Steinberger of Slate wrote about the China wine scene earlier this year and we traded emails ahead of time on a few topics. One of them: Is the trend to create ’boutique’ wineries, often with Western consultants, turning out pricey wines that might appeal to international consumers and not just Chinese [...]

Hilton Food & Wine Experience: Win tickets, a deluxe room, and breakfast

By Jim Boyce This might interest wine fans in Beijing: I am running a contest on my nightlife blog with prizes for the Hilton Food & Wine Experience this Saturday, November 29. This annual event is among my “must attends” because it offers the chance to sample hundreds of wines, meet fellow wine drinkers, and [...]

Joining the bunch: Li Demei, wine maker

Li Demei is joining the group of contributors at Grape Wall of China, a nonprofit site that brings wine consumers, distributors, makers, academics and consultants together to talk about the country’s wine scene. Li has been heavily involved in China’s wine scene as a wine maker, consultant, writer, and speaker. A graduate of ENITA in [...]

Grape Press: Hong Kong auction, Down Under downsizing, Gallo on China

Some China-related wine news from the Web… – Asian wine investors are still flush with cash, according to this post: Wine lovers from across Asia showed their love for a fine vintage is recession-proof when they bid up to almost 40,000 US dollars for each rare bottle, auctioneers said Sunday. One unnamed bidder bought three [...]

Wine Word: Fermentation author Tom Wark

By Jim Boyce Tom Wark is author of Fermentation, which comes with the tag line, “A blog set inside the world of wine public relations – where the media, the culture and I mingle. He is founder of the American Blog Awards and has spent nearly two decades in wine PR, including with Wark Communications [...]

Grape Press: Chinese oak, Rockets wine, Italy targets China

Some recent stories about the China wine scene… Chinese oak: Knock on wood Wines and Vines reports that a Spanish cooperage is selling Chinese oak to European wineries: Seasoned winemakers who once turned up their noses at oak grown outside the famous forests of France have grown to accept, and even sing the praises of, [...]

Tasting time Beijing: Vinitaly, Beaujolais Nouveau, FWP half-price sale

Expect a bounty of Beaujolais Nouveau parties next week as well as the Vinitaly 2008 event (see below to register). On top of that, this Sunday will see a half-off sale by French Wine Paradox (again, see below to register). Here is what’s coming up. (For the long-term look, check this events page.) – Thursday, [...]

Vinitaly: Coming this month to Beijing, Shanghai, Macau

Look for Vinitaly China 2008 to roll into Beijing (Ritz Carlton Chaoyang) on November 19, Shanghai (Four Seasons) on November 21, and Macau (Venetian) on November 22. According to Asia Business Group, organizer of the Beijing leg, this event debuted in China 10 years ago and will include wines from six areas of Italy, including [...]

The CIVC in Beijing: Protecting the Champagne appellation

By Nicolas Carre, Whether you call it Champagne or Xiang bing, this French wine is a favorite the world over. But there is a difference between Champagne and sparkling wine, and the wine growers from that region have given Wang Wei the responsibility of protecting their appellation in China. She is head of the locally [...]

What pairs well with a wine shop? A nice kitchen and clean toilets

Palette Vino opened its new wine bar, shop, and restaurant on Saturday night, but let’s put aside the food, the wine, and the lovely courtyard at this Dongsishitao spot for a moment. Here are two “intangibles” that impressed me: – The kitchen: Fronting the courtyard, it is brand spanking new, glassed in so patrons can [...]

Wine Word: Gelipu head Danny Wu

Danny Wu is head of GELIPU (GLP), a Beijing-based company that distributes Australian wines and is involved in a retail outlet. I asked him about the strategy of focusing on wines from a single country, the consumer trends he sees, and more. – GELIPU is focused on Australian wines. What are the pros and cons [...]

Tasting time Beijing: James Bond, Palette Vino, and more

James Bond is in the wine spotlight in Beijing on Saturday as Domus holds a “Quantum of Solace” bash and ASC organizes a three-part night that includes cocktails at the St. Regis, dinner at the Park Hyatt, and the party at Domus. Meanwhile, Palatte Wines opens its third retail outlet, this one in Dongsishitiao. Here [...]

Re-bottled: ASC Fine Wines withdraws bid for Sino-French

By Jim Boyce ASC Fine Wines Founder Don St. Pierre Sr. told me last week that the company has pulled out of a bid for Sino-French Demonstration Vineyard, a noncommercial project near Beijing that many deem to make some of China’s best wines. The deal would have seen ASC partner with French winery Cos d’Estournel. [...]

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    Nicolas Carre
    Sommelier

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    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

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    Consumer, blog administrator

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