Grape Wall of China

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

Wine in Beijing: The City’s Best Deals, Part Three

Posted on | January 7, 2011 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce (t.sina / Twitter)

A few months ago, I wrote a story about the Beijing wine scene for lifestyle magazine City Weekend. Here is the third of three parts of that story, reprinted from here with permission from City Weekend. (See part one here and part two here.)

(Photo: City Weekend)

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Pair with Brunch

Self-described wine “geeks” can endlessly debate which grape varieties pair with which foods, and there is no shortage of tasting events, online debates and books dedicated to the subject (the latest is Asian Palate by Hong Kong-based writer Jeannie Cho Lee). For those who just want to have fun, try Sunday brunch at Senses in the Westin Beijing Financial Street. Most patrons indulge in the free-flow Champagne, but the lineup includes over a dozen different red and white still wines. Fill a few glasses, pile your plate with everything from dim sum to duck, caviar to curry, and start pairing. An afternoon of this much fun will cost ¥425.

Head for the Hutong

The décor and prices at Palette Vino, tucked in an alley near just south of Dongshisitiao, provide a sense of the past. Because owner John Gai imports most of the wine himself, he can keep the prices low. A bottle of Heartland Shiraz from Barossa Valley is quite reasonable at ¥250. Those living or working in the neighborhood might want to take advantage of the 20 percent cash-and-carry discount. Prices are even lower at Palette’s distribution points in Shunyi and Central Park. Gai cites a Merlot-Pinotage blend from South Africa’s Cloof Malverin (¥230) as one of Palette’s best values.

Take the Challenge

The annual Grape Wall Challenge features Chinese consumers who blind-taste 40 wines that retail under ¥100. Organized by the Grape Wall of China blog, the goal is to give consumers confidence and to find good but inexpensive wines. Try the five highest-scoring wines from this year’s challenge, held at Maison Boulud: Australian Black Wing Shiraz 2006 (¥87), Argentine Finca el Origen Malbec 2008 (¥90), South African Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (¥65), Henri Ehrhart Pinot Blanc 2008 (¥99) and Australian Double Bay Semillon-Chardonnay 2007 (¥95). All are available at Jenny Lou’s (various locations) except the Ehrhart, which is at Boucherie Michel near Workers Stadium.

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  • Grape Wall Contributors


    In alphabetical order (see full list)


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