Grape Wall of China

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

Beijing bubbly: Champagne really sucks…

By Jim Boyce
… the money out of our pockets. And I mean the price of mass market bubbly such as Mumm or Moet & Chandon. Consumers typically face a price of RMB700 per bottle at bars or clubs that paid ~RMB250 or sometimes even less to buy it.
The reality is that choice is often not [...]

Tasting time in Beijing: Cedar Creek wines from Australia

By Brian Yao
The Kerry Center Hotel branch of Top Cellar recently hosted a tasting of Cedar Creek wines from Australia. Guests in Beijing joined the wine maker Graham Cranswick from Cedar Creek to try three reds and three whites, including the winner in the red wine category of last March’s Grape Wall of China Challenge, [...]

Photo essay: Pouring, pondering, and penning at China National Sommelier Competition

By Jim Boyce
Posts about the China National Sommelier Competition have been, um, pouring onto this blog. Last week I posted the full results as well as an interview with Shinya Tasaki, who oversaw the judging. Next up: photos from the event. And I have a few more posts in the queue…
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See also

What happens if I [...]

What happens if I eat the cork? Q&A with world sommelier champ Shinya Tasaki

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By Jim Boyce
Shinya Tasaki won the world’s best sommelier title in 1995, chairs the technical commission of the ASI (International Sommelier Association), and oversaw the jury at the China National Sommelier Competition in Shanghai this week. If someone has unusual questions about how to serve wine, Tasaki should be able to answer them, right? Here [...]

China National Sommelier Competition: Full results

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By Jim Boyce
As mentioned yesterday, Hans Qu of the Intercontinental Hotel in Shenzhen took top spot at the China National Sommelier Competition on Tuesday in the Westin Bund in Shanghai, while Vivian Tian of the Kee Club in Shanghai took second place. Both will go to Osaka for the Asia-Pacific competition organized by the Association [...]

China National Sommelier Competition: Hans Qu of Shenzhen Intercontinental Hotel takes top spot

By Jim Boyce
Hans Qu of the Intercontinental Hotel in Shenzhen took top prize in the final round of the China National Sommelier Competition held in Shanghai yesterday. Vivian Tian of the Kee Club in Shanghai took second place. Both will go to the Best Sommelier of Asia-Oceania competition to be held in Japan this November.
The [...]

  • 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