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 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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04.30.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 4:21 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Upcoming Beijing wine-related events
Friday, May 2, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe (Sanlitun), RMB 100
Sparkling wine tasting; RSVP with Frank at 13701-178-073.
Tuesday, May 6, 7:30 PM, SALT (RMB488)
Altano Reserva wine tasting, with oenologist Jorge Nunes and a degustation menu, by Torres China; RSVP with Sophie at 5165-5519, x208 or sophie@torres.com.cn.
Thursday, May 8, 7-9 PM, Block 8’s Med, RMB100
Ladies Wine Club, featuring 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
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
Saturday, May 24, Great Wall of China (RMB15888)
Robert Parker wine dinner, with menu by Blu Lobster; 8 wines rated 94 points or higher 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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04.28.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:13 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
I joined Marc Curtis of China Wine Tours on March 24 for a visit to Chateau Bolongbao, just outside of Beijing. Curtis will bring his first tour group from the United States to China in October, with the planned itinerary including Beijing, Xian, Shanxi, Xinjiang, and Shanghai. Here are some photos from the visit, led by the winery’s Tang Jie.
A view of Chateau Bolongbao from the gate.
Given that Beijing winters can be quite cold, these vines are buried beneath 35-40 centimeters of soil in the fall and then uncovered in the spring.
A hilltop view of Bolongbao, which we were told produced its first Bordeaux-style wine in 2003.
This facility is being built next door to Bolongbao by a farmers collective and, from what I gathered, will make non-grape fruit wines.
Professor of Agriculture Zou Fulin (second left), with (from left) China Wine Tour’s Judy Zhao and Marc Curtis, and the winery’s Tang Jie. Zou says he knows Italian, French, Australian and American wine styles, and prefers Bordeaux.
Production for 2005, 2006, and 2007 was 110,000, 88,000, and 110,000 bottles respectively, says Zou.
Bolongbao uses oak barrels from France and the United States.
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (75%), Merlot (20%), and Cabernet Franc (5%). We tried it decanted for 40 minutes. The body was clean, with some cherry and clove aromas, though I found it a bit oak-y.
“There is nothing in the flavor that turns me off,” said Curtis. “I’d be happy to serve it to people.”
The 2005 vintage is available for RMB198. Bolongbao wines are not available via retail shops, but can be ordered via the winery.
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Posted in Jim Boyce at 12:31 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
If you hear the words “wine humidor” and think of oak barrel displays, wooden shelves, and row upon row of top-end wine, you might be a tad disappointed by the Metro hypermarket on Beijing’s outskirts. This is a storage facility, plain and 
simple, with fluorescent lights, fabricated steel shelving, and a warehouse feel.
While I spotted wine such as Napa Valley Shafer and Barossa Valley Penfold’s Grange alongside ice wine and the usual Champagne suspects - a three-liter bottle of Veuve Clicquot is RMB2190 - the selection is lighter than I expected.
In terms of Chinese wine, options include Dragon Seal and Grace Vineyard Chairman’s Reserve 2005 (RMB388). But unlike the imported wines they are kept standing rather than on their sides. Why put them in storage if you’re not going to lay them down?
The constantly opening and closing sliding door also made me wonder how well the temperature and humidity is maintained.
Note: Spirits are also available at Metro, including Macallan 30-year-old single malt (RMB3999) and Remy Martin’s Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac (RMB12999 kuai), which the sales staff told me is a popular item. A ceramic bottle of 1955 baijiu goes for around RMB50000. German beer fans will find about about 10 brands in the store proper. To shop at Metro, you need to be a member.
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04.26.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 2:07 am by admin
By Jim Boyce
Wine writer Robert Parker makes his first trip to China next month and the price tag for the two dinners that ASC Fine Wines is organizing for him is nothing to sniff at: RMB15888 (USD2270) per head.
The Beijing dinner will be held on May 24 the Great Wall and catered by Brian McKenna, chef at Shangri-la Hotel restaurant Blu Lobster. The dinner, limited to 40 people, will include eight wines Parker rated 94 points or higher, with three at 100 points, including Chateau Haut Brion 1989 and Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2002.
The Parker dinner in Shanghai will be held on May 23 at Noble Seafood, carry the same price tag, and include eight other wines Parker has rated 94 points or higher.
Oh, and each attendee gets a copy of an autographed book by Parker, if you are looking for that little extra to make you plonk down your cash.
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04.22.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 4:14 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Upcoming Beijing wine-related events
Tuesday, April 22, 7 PM, Barolo (Ritz-Carlton Beijing), RMB488+15%
Giovanni Rosso wine dinner, with wine maker David Rosso; by East Meets West; RSVP with 6445-5797 (EMW), 5908-8151 (Ritz-Carlton)
Thursday, April 24, 7:30 PM, Cafe Europa, RMB180
Yering Station tasting with 4 wine-food pairings; by The Wine Republic; RSVP at 5869-5663 or 13910-097-621.
Thursday, April 24, 7 PM, CRU Steakhouse (JW Marriott), RMB888 + 15%
“Best of Bordeaux” wine dinner, with Saint Julien, Saint Emilion, Pessac Leognan, Pauillac and Pomerol, by ASC, RSVP with Helen Lu at 6418-1598, x226
Friday, April 25, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe (Sanlitun), RMB 100
TerraMater tasting with 6 wines, with export manager Jose Montes; RSVP with Frank at 13701-178-073.
Thursday, May 8, 7-9 PM, Block 8’s Med, RMB100
Ladies Wine Club, featuring Italian wines and five-course meal; contact Kristen at lum.kristen@gmail.com
Thursday, May 8, 7-8:30 PM, Amigo (Central Park), free
Raminara (Chile) wine festival, by Top Cellar; RSVP with Cedric at marketing@topcellar.com.cn / 13439-467-514
Thursday, 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 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 the event information, preferably in text format, to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.
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04.21.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 3:02 am by admin
By Jim Boyce
“If you hated mowing the grass as a youth, you might just hate Sauvignon Blanc.”
“There is so much stress on luxury goods that we would rather people not drink wine if it’s the ‘wrong’ brand.”
“Imagine you are trying to sell shoes and you don’t realize people have differently sized feet. If a shoe doesn’t fit someone, you wouldn’t tell them, ‘Well, your foot isn’t mature.’”
These are some of the intriguing comments made by Tim Hanni when he spoke to a small group of China wine industry people in JW Marriott’s Pinot Brasserie in Beijing on April 8. Hanni is a wine researcher and educator, one of the first two Americans to become a Master of Wine, a founder of Napa Seasoning and training company WineQuest, and director of the Lodi International Wine Awards.
I first read about Hanni in this Wall Street Journal piece and then interviewed him for Grape Wall of China last month. I 
looked forward to getting his take on the wine scene and he didn’t disappoint. Over nearly four hours, he covered everything from his experiences with the Master of Wine exam to chemistry, biology and etymology (What do we mean by ‘palate’?) to the history of wine and food to his rock band (that’s a whole other story).
Hanni took the Master of Wine test in 1989 and “failed it miserably.” He knew he had the technical expertise, but was poor at essays, so he signed up for a three-day writing course. The course ended up being for engineers, he took it anyway, and this led to an epiphany.
“It was brilliant. We learned to take words that we think we all know, and to then agree on what they mean,” he says. “It occurred to me that with much of the language of wine, we think we know what we mean, but deep down there is a lack of agreement.”
Forget about notes of gooseberries and hints of cloves: Hanni says he has been talking to wine makers, sensory specialists and others for 20 years just to discover what we mean by “flavor” and “taste.”
“You have all this wine education going on and nobody’s taken time to answer the harder questions, such as “What’s a palate?” Or about the biggest piece of the puzzle, “How do senses work with the brain?”
He speaks of scientists who do brain scans to gauge the impact of our senses on it, of how atmosphere, color and music can affect wine drinkers, or of the power of suggestion (he says one study found that people gave different evaluations of a white wine and then the same wine - unbeknown to them - dyed red).
He goes so far as to make wine sound like therapy. Take Sauvignon Blanc, a wine often associated with a grassy smell. “We find that people who dislike Sauvignon Blanc have grass allergies; have bad memories of childhood summers; have bad experiences with lawn mowing and lawn moving equipment.”
Which is all to say that why we like or dislike a particular wine is individual, a product of our senses, of our memories and preconceptions, and of a myriad of other factors that argue against a “one size fits all” philosophy.
“People are anatomically different - one size does not fit all. And the size that is being pushed on people is dry wine,” he says.
“Imagine you are trying to sell shoes and you don’t realize people have differently sized feet,” he says. “You wouldn’t say, well, your foot isn’t mature.”
On Friday, I will have part two of the Tim Hanni talk, which covers how he categorizes wine drinkers as well as the food and wine demonstration he gave us.
(Thanks to Arcy Y. for the photo.)
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04.18.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 4:24 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Expect a steady flow of posts over the next two weeks. Along with articles by Ma Huiqin and Campbell Thompson, we will introduce a new contributor to the blog. I will also include write-ups of my meeting with Tim Hanni, the Crown Wine Cellar opening, some new “great value” French wines in Beijing, a visit to Chateau Bolongbao just outside the city, an update on the Time Out China Wine Guide, and my first experience as a panelist in a blind tasting of wines. We will be posting some Chinese translations of Grape Wall posts, too. Busy, busy…
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Posted in Jim Boyce at 4:16 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Decanter is reporting that China Customs is fining ASC Fine Wines USD350,000 for under-declaring its wine imports over the past two years. ASC Managing Partner Don St. Pierre Jr. was recently released from three weeks of detention.
ASC and other wine importers have been subjected to a China-wide inspection by customs focussing [sic] on potential discrepancies between the declared value and ‘real value’ of imported wines.
St Pierre and his colleague Carrie Xuan were held – along with the legal representatives of other wine importers – from 11 March to 8 April in a detention centre. St Pierre was released on April 8, free to return to work, along with all other ASC staff.
Decanter had earlier repeated speculation by Simon Tam on Jancis Robinson’s Web site (members-only section) that ASC faced “a fine rumoured to be in the neighbourhood of €5m, and the potential deportation of some of its top executives…”
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04.17.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:55 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
Napa Valley Vintners held a trade tasting on Monday, April 7 at Central Party Institute for Foreign Affairs in Beijing. Most of the 11 producers on hand provided a sample each of a red and a white wine. I stuck to the latter, my favorites being Buehler Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2005 (dark fruit, slight bitterness and tingle at the end that reminded me of coffee), Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (toast, blackberries), Saintsbury Pinot Noir 2006 (red cherries, touch of savoriness - sea salt?) and, most interesting, Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Single Cellar 2001 (with mint on the nose and in the body).
The producers were Buehler Vineyards, Cain Vineyard & Winery, Cakebread Cellars, Chappellet Winery & Vineyard, Heitz Wine Cellars, Helena View Johnston Vineyards, Oakville Ranch Vineyards, Page Wine Cellars, Saintsbury, St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, and Viader Vineyards & Winery.
Besides Beijing, the tour takes in four other Asian cities, each of which will receive larger delegations: Shanghai (one day, 14 producers, trade and public tastings), Hong Kong (one day, 16 producers, trade tasting), Tokyo (three days, 20 producers, trade and public tastings) and Osaka (one day, 18 producers, trade tasting).
The Napa Valley Vintners is involved in wine education, auctions, and sustainable farming. It aims to protect Napa Valley as a place name. In others, if a bottle doesn’t include wine from Napa, it shouldn’t use the name on the label. Given the valley’s reputation and small production, these wines tend to be pricey.
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Posted in Jim Boyce at 3:32 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
The Shuang Jing branch of Carrefour in Beijing launched its 2008 April Wine Fair last Thursday. The event drew a sizable crowd as the opening day included at least a 20 percent discount on all wine.
I arrived around 9 PM, unaware of the scale of the fair or that many distributors would be on hand with samples of their wines.
A mix of locals and foreigners toured more than a dozen tasting stations. Most wines were entry-level, or slightly above, and it was a good opportunity to “try before you buy.” Many shoppers had carts loaded with individual bottles or cases. I ended up going for the “two bottles of Domaine Ste. Michelle and one bottle of Columbia Crest Two Vines for RMB282″ deal.
Here are a few photos from the event. Apologies for the quality - while my K-Touch B922 phone offers good features, an excellent built-in camera is not among them.
Wine guy Badr (left) tastes some wine with Torres China’s Hugo (right).
These guys are stocking up, with a full few carts behind them…
… and one in front.
Even at 9:30 PM, there were plenty of wine lovers.
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04.16.08
Posted in Jim Boyce at 5:29 pm by admin
By Jim Boyce
After Australian Embassy staff checked my bag, passed me through a metal detector, and gave me a cavity search (OK, scratch the last part), I joined four local wine journalists in Beijing last Tuesday for a video conference with iconic wine maker Wolf Blass and Foster’s Global Wine Ambassador George Samios. The event - jointly hosted by Austrade and ASC, which distributes Blass’ wine in China - focused on the use of screw caps on wine bottles.
I like screw caps. Some people say they prevent wine from maturing, but most wine is meant to be drunk right away. For newcomers to wine, screw caps eliminate the intimidation of pulling a cork. And the bottles are easy to store. Blass and Samios have additional reasons for favoring screw caps and further cite a study that finds Chinese consumers to be very open-minded to these closures. I will get to this shortly, but first a little history.
Blass said screw caps are fairly new to the wine sector, but have been used for over 100 years, particularly for spirits. In his winery’s case, they were used in the 1970s for a shipment of wine to Japan, where the bottles met with disapproval and were sent back. In the 1990s, he opened some of those returned bottles, under screw cap for more than 15 years. He found the wine fresh and fruity. “It was unbelievable,” he says, and “switched on a motor.” At the crossroads of corks and screw caps, he drove down the latter.
Blass and Samios cite problems with corks. Samios says wine makers originally found them useful to stop bottles from leaking, not because they were considered good for wine or its maturation. Cork is inconsistent in quality and easily attracts bacteria. It is elastic, making it useful as a stopper, but loses this quality from regular expansion and contraction, sometimes letting in too much air. And each cork affects wine differently, meaning 12 bottles in a single case can end up holding wine that ranges in quality from excellent to undrinkable.
Samios said that 8-10 percent of wines stopped by corks ends up spoiled - “no other beverage industry, such as beer or soda, would accept a 10 percent failure rate.”
The solution, they say, is screw caps. Here are some benefits they cite:
1) Bottles stopped with cork need horizontal storage to allow the wine to touch the wood and prevent it from drying out. Bottles with screw caps can be stored at any angle.
2) Bottles stopped with cork can vary greatly in quality. Those with screw caps provide more consistency when it comes to wine quality.
3) In the unfortunate case you have a partial bottle of wine left over, it can be more easily sealed by replacing a screw cap than by jamming the cork back in.
4) Cork adds woodiness. GS suggests that doubters put a cork into a glass water overnight and take a sip next morning.
5) Corks may evoke tradition and romance, but many consumers struggle to use corkscrews at home, while in many good restaurants, the sommelier opens and tastes the wine aside before bringing it to the table.
6) Although people associate corks with wine maturation, wine contains oxygen, and thus air is not needed via the cork.
The issue of whether wine can mature or not under screw cap drew the most questions. Simply put, have screw caps been around long enough to know their impact on the long-term storage of wine?
Samios cited a study that showed wine can mature in a sealed tube and noted that the Blass shipment of wine returned from Japan in the 1970s tasted fine when opened in the 1990s, while Blass said many airlines use screw cap mini-bottles and the wine within them tastes fine years later. “Screw tops have been around for ages,” he said. “But in our minds, it can only be used for cheap wines, for supermarket wines.”
They admit that the shift to screw caps meets resistance, especially from wine makers in places such as Bordeaux. Then again, they aim at the mass market and find openness in newer wine-producing countries. “We heard that no one in the U.S. and so on would buy screw tops; that no one would buy our Yellow Label,” said Samios. “But we’ve seen wine sales go up.”
Samios cited a commissioned study that asked consumers in a dozen countries whether a screw cap would make them more or less likely to buy the wine. China saw the highest proportion of respondents answer “more likely” - 59 percent, as opposed to 17 percent in Australia. Those stating “less likely” represented 17 percent and 20 percent respectively, while the remainder answered “no difference.” Interestingly, despite the apparent openness of Americans toward Yellow Label, the study finds that in the US, only 7 percent of respondents said they are “more likely” to buy wine with a screw top, as opposed to the 44 percent who said “less likely.” (Note: I am still waiting for more of the study details, such as the sample size.)
My question: If consumers in China are so open to screw caps, why do few local wineries use them?
Samios attributes it to French influence. Top-end wine buyers aspire to wines such as those of Bordeaux, where makers continue to focus on cork. But he notes that nations without a history of cork, such as Japan, are embracing screw caps.
He predicted Chinese makers would also move away from cork. “You’re going to find your own people are following the marketing trend,” he said. That doesn’t necessarily mean using screw tops, says Samios, as an even better innovation may be down the line.
We tried two pairs of Blass wines side by side - each pair including one sealed with cork and one sealed with screw cap. The Red Label Shiraz Cabernet 2006 screw cap was fruitier and fuller, with a more vibrant color, than its cork-closed counterpart. I found the difference less discernible with the Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. It would be interesting to try this taste test blind.
Look for Blass’ next adventure in closures next year – the winery plans to release its first screw cap Champagne. And he and Samios plan to visit China next year and, in the face of the concerns about wine maturing under screw caps, said they will bring some of those bottles from the 1970s for us to try.
Note: I have an interview in the pipeline with Ricardo Duarte, China representative of Amorim, among the largest cork producers.
The Beijing-Adelaide connection (ASC)
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