Grape Wall of China

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

Corks vs. screw tops, Bali wine, and Santa Claus: Just another Friday night with Frank

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By Jim Boyce
I’ve spent a great deal of time drinking and thinking about wine this past year and have emerged with mixed opinions, but happily I just got an email from regular commentator 8 Songs that [...]

Aussie rules: A team from Down Under tackles terroir

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By Jim Boyce
Three things impressed me at a recent Landmark Australia event in Beijing:
The inspired Australian approach to promoting wine in China (which partly explains why that country, and not Italy or the United States, is the number two exporter to China).
The notable Australian ability to seem even-handed – and even humble – when telling someone [...]

Grape Press – Frankenwine: Chinese scientists make shocking discovery

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By Jim Boyce
Call it Frankenwine.
According to the The Daily Telegraph, a system is being developed in China that uses electrical equipment to speed the aging process of wine, “turning young wine from an undrinkable bitter grape juice into a quaffable beverage fit for any table.”
A team led by Xin An Zeng, a chemist at the South [...]

Foxy grapey: Chinese wines from Yunnan, Ningxia, Hebei

By Jim Boyce
On Monday night, I tried three Chinese wines at Duck de Chine with a group of beverage researchers that included visiting Aussie wine critic Jeremy Oliver and fellow Grape Wall contributors Nicolas Carre, Frankie Zhao, and John Gai. Here is the lineup and the results.
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Yunnan Crystal Dry White 2002 (Yunnan / ~RMB30 if [...]

Tasting time Beijing: Taittinger, Gerard Bertrand, I Am Paradox

The parade of wine events continues in Beijing with the next few days seeing more than a half-dozen tastings and dinners. Tonight sees everything from a free Petit Bordeaux tasting at Amigo to an organic wine and food dinner at the Hilton to a Taittinger Champagne dinner at the newer Hilton in Wangfujing. Add in [...]

Jeremy Oliver: China book launch slated for March

By Jim Boyce

Australian wine critic Jeremy Oliver, who spent the past week in Shanghai and Beijing, will soon reach out to the local market. I caught up with him last night in the capital and he said that Trends publishing will release his book on wine in March. Expect a tome of up to 300 [...]

Wine Word: Top Cellar GM Julien Bonnard

By Jim Boyce
Wine importer and retailer Top Cellar started business about two years ago in Beijing. I talked to GM Julien Bonnard about the company’s strategy, customer mix, and forays into China’s second-tier cities as well as the biggest challenges he faces.
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What strategy has Top Cellar followed over the past two years?

We wanted to create [...]

A mystery solved: What does Foreign Girl taste like?

What does Foreign Girl taste like?
Strawberries.
So concluded a group that last night tried a bottle of this liquid concocted by Chang Bai Shan Wine, located in Jilin province in northeastern China. I bought it in Beijing at Carrefour.
Actually, no strawberries here, but a friend who guessed “strawberries and herbs” gets points as this light (8 [...]

ASC opens Hong Kong office

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By Jim Boyce
I have been mulling over a post about Hong Kong-based wine distributors such as Watson’s and Links moving into Beijing and now comes news that ASC has expanded the other way. Earlier this week, the company opened an office in Kong Kong and, according to a press release, as of January 1 will [...]

Grape Press: Latour in Hong Kong, Halliday in Taiwan, mangosteens in Thailand

Some China-related wine news from the Web…
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Halliday in Taiwan
Food Week reports that Australian wine critic James Halliday is heading to Taipei this month “as part of an Austrade initiative to promote premium Australian wines to consumers, tastemakers, and buyers in Taiwan and China.” Taipei-based Yvonne Chan of Austrade is quoted as saying, “Cultural similarities mean [...]

French Wine Paradox: What to buy with 500 kuai

By Jim Boyce
It is one thing to try wines and another to buy them. The first helps you learn what you like while the second forces you to decide what you can afford. Case in point: At a recent Carrefour wine fair, I eventually chose three bottles that gave me the best blend of taste [...]

The Hilton Food & Wine Experience: Ten thoughts

By Jim Boyce
Ten thoughts – all I can manage after a heavy weekend of tasting – about last Saturday’s eleventh annual Hilton Food & Wine Experience in Beijing.
1. This remains a “must attend” event for me: A chance to choose among hundreds of wines and meet fellow consumers. Enjoying it is a matter of keeping a [...]

  • About Grape Wall of China


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    A nonprofit blog by wine professionals and consumers.


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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


    Alain Leroux
    Wine maker, consultant


    Li Demei
    Wine maker


    Huiqin Ma
    Professor


    Campbell Thompson
    The Wine Republic co-owner


    Brian Yao
    Consumer


    Frankie Zhao
    Pro-Wine Training & Consultancy owner


    Jim Boyce
    Consumer, blog administrator