Grape Wall of China

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

Grape Wall Challenge III: Best white wines under RMB100

Posted on | November 11, 2011 | No Comments

I already covered the top five red wines from the third annual Grape Wall Challenge, held on Tuesday in Modo restaurant in Beijing. Now it is time for the white wines. As noted before, the Grape Wall Challenge features consumers as judges and focuses on bottles that retail for under rmb100.

Judges were asked to try each wine and put it in one of four categories: “love it”, “like it”, “don’t like it” or “hate it”. We awarded four points for “love it”, three points for “like it”, and so on. Judges had space to leave comments and list their “top three” wines.

The consumer judges on the white wine panel ranged from a social media expert to a master’s student to a food blogger to marketing professionals. A handful of mainstream media judges also gave it a shot, including from China Daily, City Weekend, New Western Cuisine and The Wall Street Journal. As with the red wine session, one wine was disqualified as it turned out to be over the rmb100 point (wine number 10 for those judges who were present).

The five white wines with the highest scores (and select comments from the judges)…

1

Warrane Sticky Beak Chardonnay 2010 (Australia)

(China Wine and Spirits, rmb87)

“perfectly sweet for me”

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2

Barremont Chardonnay 2010 (France)

(Mercuris, rmb89)

“love the strong grape flavor afterward”

Trivento Torrontes 2010 (Argentina)

(Summergate, rmb95)

“rose smell”, “smooth”, “like a butterfly passing a rose garden”

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4

Kleinze Zalze Chenin Blanc 2010 (South Africa)

(Torres China, rmb99)

“fragrant and balanced”, “tastes smooth”

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5

LoTengo Torrontes 2010 (Argentina)

(ASC, rmb88)

“fruit and cheese”, “soy sauce”

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In terms of media judges, Pierre Chanier Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from France (East Meets West, rmb97) and Two Oceans from South Africa (ASC, rmb80) fared well. And for “top three” finishes, Trivento and  Kleine Zalze made three lists, while Sticky Beak and Santa Ana Torrontes from Argentina (Aussino, rmb77) made multiple lists. Argentina did well with its Torrontes wines in this one…

I’ll have a final wrap-up post, which will include some challenges of doing The Challenge, some trends revealed in the past three contests, and more,  in case this is of use. I’ll also post a list of places to buy the winning wines, though that will have to wait until I get North by Northwest done tomorrow.

Category: Grape Wall Challenge 2011, Uncategorized

Grape Wall Challenge III: Best red wines under RMB100

Posted on | November 10, 2011 | 1 Comment

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The third annual Grape Wall Challenge, held on Tuesday in Beijing, saw Chinese consumers sniff, sip and score nearly 40 wines — split between red and white — that retail for less than rmb100 per bottle. This year’s Grape Wall Challenge was at Modo restaurant in Sanlitun Village (3F), which provided staff support and lunch for everyone. Hilton Beijing gave each judge a ticket to this Saturday’s Vinopolitan, which will have over 1000 different wines.

The purpose of the Grape Wall Challenge is to judge wines under rmb100, since these are what most people can afford, and to build consumer confidence, since many consider wine to be an intimidating topic. About a dozen journalists also tried their hands at judging. I’ll post a contest wrap-up later, including how to improve it. For now, I have listed the winners from the red wine session below and am working on the white wine session post.

Scoring: Judges tasted each wine and put it in one of four categories: “love it”, “like it”, “don’t like it” or “hate it”. We awarded four points for “love it”, three points for “like it”, and so on. Judges also had space to leave comments and to list their “top three” wines. (Thanks to Iain Shaw, Miao Wong and Steve Han for help with scoring.)

Judges: The consumers ranged from a DJ company GM to a bar manager to an IT specialist to several people in sales and marketing. The media included Beijing Today, The Robb Report, Global Times, The Beijinger and Tatler.

Headache: The retail price submitted by the distributor of the highest scoring wine turned out to be a promotional price. The regular price is over rmb100. I have disqualified that wine. Thus, if judges wonder why Wine Number Six is not listed below, that is the reason. I’m sorry about this and in future will have to return to checking every single entry.

Now, for the consumer picks (I have included some comments from all judges)…

1

Claude Chonion Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (France)

(Aussino, rmb99)

“love the smell”, “fruity”, “smells like grass”

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2 (tie)

Nederburg Winemaker’s Reserve Pinotage 2009 (South Africa)

(ASC Fine Wines, ~rmb90)

“fruity smell, mild taste”, “deceptively sweet but will stab you in the face — that’s good”

Santa Carolina Premio 2010 (Chile)

(Aussino, rmb65)

“very mild but OK”, “nice texture, smooth-bodied”

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4 (tie)

Argento Malbec 2010 (Argentina)

(Mercuris, rmb98)

“smooth”

De Bortoli Family Selection Shiraz-Cabernet (Australia)

(Torres China, rmb73)

“elegant”, “weird, in a good way”

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Scoring well with the media judges were the Salentein Malbec 2010 from Argentina (Torres China, rmb83), Warrane Sticky Beak Shiraz 2008 from Australia (China Wine and Spirits, rmb87), Long Country Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 from Chile (East Meets West, rmb57) and that Nederburg Pinotage. I didn’t have a chance to try all of the wines but, of those I did, I  liked the Salentein, the Nederburg, and the Roux Pere et Fils Cotes du Rhone (East Meets West, rmb99), and thought that Long Country Cabernet Sauvignon, for those who like some funk, to be good value at rmb57.

I will soon post the white wine winners, a list of retail outlets at which to buy the wines, and a wrap-up of this year’s event.

Category: Grape Wall Challenge 2011, Uncategorized

Grape Wall Challenge III results delayed: Because…

Posted on | November 9, 2011 | 1 Comment

… one of the wines that scored very high turns out to have a regular price that is not under rmb100. It looks like there might have been a mix-up by the distributor between the regular price and a ~rmb75 special deal it is running at Jenny Lou’s. Please bear with me until tomorrow while I sort things out.

In the meantime, file this as Reason 528 why organizing an event like this can be stressful, right between Reason 527: Having A Judge Back Out 20 Minutes Before the Contest and  Reason 529: Hey, Did We Just Mistakenly Pour Wine Number Seven in Glass Number Eight? No? Whew!

In the meantime, a photo from yesterday’s white wine session…

Category: Uncategorized

Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day Three

Posted on | November 8, 2011 | 2 Comments

What exactly do you wine types mean by "education"?

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Wine Future Hong Kong 2011 ended today and — based on reading a few thousand tweets from afar — pretty much turned out to be the insular love-in I expected. Oh, well. Anyway, while the world’s wine elite were in Hong Kong talking about Chinese consumers, we were in Beijing doing our annual Grape Wall Challenge with those same buyers. I’ll post the results tomorrow. In the meantime, here are my “20 top tweets” from The Final Day of Wine Future.

  • @artwine77 RT @PanchoCampoMW: Parker tasting required 20.000 glasses by Lucaris, 45 sommeliers, 72 bottles of each wine, 1000 spitoons…spectacular numbers. [Ludacris was there? I love his stuff.]
  • @Arto_KoskeloRT @winekorea88: Wow! More wineries in China (904) than New Zealand (672). Potential there. [Does filling up bottles with imported bulk wine qualify a place as a winery? If so, raise that number to 905 because I'm about to start an operation in my kitchen.]
  • @charles_perez RT @vinternet: “@PhHUGON: If u want to approach chinese market u first want to get to understand the culture#wfhk11 spend time in the country” [And by understand the culture, I think he means hold the next Wine Future in Macau.]
  • @vinalytics “we are now all worried by the news that the Chinese have discovered Burgundy, because the quantities are so tiny.” Jancis Robinson [Likewise, I'm hoping small-batch Bourbon doesn't catch on here. Or pet rhinos.]
  • @thewinehub: #WFHK11 is over… I never got 2 know HK (airport>hotel>airport), but I had a wonderful time seeing old friends & making new ones. #thankful [Trust me, you can still get away with calling yourself a China expert.]
  • @droujoudb RT @richardsiddle: Chinese palate: sweetness for beginners; sourness for women, tannins for educated drinkers, bitterness only a few, oak not a prob ##WFHK11 [And all of them for wushu master: nose and tongue division.]
  • @TimothyFeather RT @richardsiddle: Pinot Noir tipped as long term winner in China; suits palate, works with food and has heritage of Burgundy #WFHK11 says Ian Ford, Summergate [Plus it goes well with Beijing duck. All plummy 'n' stuff.]
  • @gloriachangRT @winebuzzhk: #WFHK11 education most important in China for the next 2 years > guess especially for not-French wines [Actually, it is second most important. Getting consumers to avoid education and simply try more wines beats it by a nose.]
  • @internet “@PhHUGON: Chinese advice : don’t try to satisfy so-called chinese palate, make good products, patience and respect #wfhk11 thx Yang Lu” [Exactly. I just saw a Lamborghini go by. It was not designed specifically for Chinese tastes. Same goes with the Volkswagen Passat behind it. That Honda Forbidden City Roadster with chuanr holder that came next, though? We might have an exception to the rule.]
  • @WineMonologues “@DebraMeiburgMW: Chinese not crazy abt oak – too chemical & medicinal. DiMei #WFHK11” [Mainly because we get those flavors from the tap water and that makes them all so common.]
  • @philkightley @WineBusProf @winehero #WFHK11 reconfirms wine is impenetrable to the ave consumer as message led by anglo elite.  [Which just means consumers need to be above average. Pass the DRC.]
  • @richardsiddle RT @thewinehub: “@cisfotografie: “You make wine the western way, you sell it the Chinese way” #wfhk11” #wine #marketing [And when the Chinese buy your winery, you make it the way they want.]
  • @tw_top_food RT @JancisRobinson: White wines in China? Confirmed by sommelier Yang Lu. Lafite hardly mentioned! [Also confirmed with this new-fangled thing called the Internet. And an older one called a visit to the supermarket.]

Agh! I fell short again, with only 13 tweets. Such is life. Anyway, thanks for all the laughs #wfhk11. And the memories. I won’t forget the memories….

Category: Uncategorized

Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day Two

Posted on | November 7, 2011 | No Comments

Did Francis Ford Coppola direct this? (Pic: J Suckling)

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I spent most of today scurrying about Beijing in preparation for The Grape Wall Challenge tomorrow, all while the Jancis truthers ran amok in Hong Kong. But that didn’t stop me, one hour ago, from ordering a pint, sitting down, and skimming through Wine Future tweets that used the hash tag #wfhk11. (By the way, for extraordinary tweets, like the above one of a monster Robert Parker apparently falling asleep on Robinson, please use #WTFhk11.) Unfortunately, I could only go back seven hours, so this is the best wrap I could do for today. Look for a final list of top tweets tomorrow.

  • lesliefeeney RT @Arto_Koskelo: Pinotnoirishness is a quality found also among people = an elegant personality with a bad temper and an impeccable eye for drama. [Basically Lindsay Lohan without the elegant personality?]
  • @ilkka_siren Chinese wines so far sounds like wines from North Carolina. [Because they both remind you of Tar Heels? Ha ha ha ha, weee, ha ha ha ha. Hey, wait a minute. I actually like some Chinese wines.]
  • teamdb “I’ve probably told more people in the last 6 months that they shouldn’t come to China than they should” Jaime Araujo, Terravina [I heard some Chinese people say the same thing about Asia wine experts. Kidding, just kidding...]
  • peterpanwine RT @Arto_Koskelo: The giant Parker is sniffing Jancis’s right arm pit if I’m not totally mistaken. [I hope he chose spit over swallow for that one.]
  • Arto_Koskelo Austria is full of small scale unknown future superstars if such a category even exists;) [That category does exist. See the parallel case of Saskatchewan maple syrup producers.]
  • @ClarendonHills RT @jamesbusbytrav: 1st wine out of the traps @JancisRobinson tasting #WFHK11 Brazilian fizz. Smells like canned Parmesan. Champenoise can sleep easily tonight ["out of the traps". Writing that down for future hipster wine tasting notes.]
  • RT @DebraMeiburgMW: Chester Osborne just stripped to his underwear on stage at #WFHK11 (d’Arenberg) [That's nothing. Dave Powell of Torbreck actually shows his ass.]
  • @thomasjullien “@PhHUGON: What technics to market china? Terravina answering…she doesn’t have a clue has she? #wfhk11”– haha nasty and true [Get more here for just under 1000 euros.]
  • @richardsiddle Felicity Carter at #WFHK11 says if want to sell your wine ask yourself if my wine was a person what would they look like. Go from there. [The wine I drank last night was Nick Nolte after a week of heavy of drinking, two pack a day smoking and an apparent inability to find a shower. There's only one way to go from there.]
  • @Jaq_Stedman RT @richardsiddle: Robert Joseph with more ideas in 5 mins on how to talk to consumers than heard all conf [I once interviewed Joseph by email, it got lost in transmission, I met him in person in Beijing, and he recited the questions and answers from memory -- the story is here. Then he rode away on a unicorn made of truffles.]

Argh, that’s only 1o tweets, but it’s nearly midnight, this place is about to close, and I have to get up early tomorrow. I will try to do better next time…

Category: Uncategorized

Wine Future Hong Kong 2011: Top 20 Tweets from Day One

Posted on | November 6, 2011 | 2 Comments

We're not joking around, tweeple! (BTW, I'd pair that with a GSM blend.)

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By Jim Boyce

A “who’s who” of writers, wine makers et al were on hand as Wine Future Hong Kong 2011 started today. Whether you think the right people are panelists or there should be more local representation, whether you expect the event to be informative and transformational or an ivory tower love-in, expect plenty of coverage. Mere mortals can follow from afar, including via Twitter and Weibo, as I did from a cafe in Beijing. Here are what I consider to be 20 top tweets, using the tag #wfhk11, all accompanied by an inane comment from me. I’ll post another list tomorrow. (You can follow me on Twitter here and here and on Weibo here.)

  • @Nowandthen @winehero Mobile technology has given rise to the birth of the professional shopper: the consumer who knows the price of everything. [Now if we can only develop that technology so it will barter for us.]
  • CloverHillWines “every time you open a bottle of wine, cheap or expensive, always respect what’s in the bottle.” [And by "respect", I think he means finish it.]
  • PhHUGON “in asia people know 2 words about wine bordeaux and Parker” @PanchoCampoMW [And Champagne. Now, how many Chinese words does the average Wine Future panelist know? Or Korean or Japanese or Thai?]
  • Gabriella Opaz @rebeccagibb #WFHK11 New Media Panel: “Ironically, it was all old media types talking about new media rather than new media experts.” [How dare you! James Suckling has over 11,000 Twitter followers!]
  • @rebeccagibb: A rather disappointing start to #WFHK11. Am hoping for better tomorrow. Find out what I thought http://www.rebeccagibb.com [C'mon, you guys. Stop disappointing Rebecca!]
  • @richardsiddle V strange watching [movie director] Francis Ford Coppola on stage at #WFHK11. I bet he wishes he could say “cut” to some of the speakers. Me included. [I also bet he's thinking about whose bed is going to get the horse's head tonight. @rebeccagibb?]
  • @thewinehub: “if you don’t like journalists, don’t invest in a winery” Jose Ortega [Better yet, also invest in a magazine.]
  • @bigpinots: “[the]consumer is king!” Richard Siddle << shows what my dad knows; he always said Elvis was! [OK, @bigpinots, if you are not going to be serious, we might have to ask you to leave...]
  • @ilkka_siren: wld B interesting 2 know if thr’s anything new since last Wine Future & has somethng bn accomplished? [Hong Kong is now a wine "hub". Does that count?]
  • @grapewallchina [my] prediction: biggest #wfhk11 impact will be 100s of attendees soon portraying selves as Asia / China wine experts. [Yes, I included my own tweet. How arrogant...]
  • F. Coppola  ‘New World’ term not appropriate. Italy was new world for the Greeks. [Also, what is China, given its ancient history of making wine?]
  • @PhHUGON: Many have been laughing at french & their terroir stories. New world countries are all coming to it now. [I guess we have to find a new reason at laugh at the French. How about this?]
  • winekorea88: Solid points by @winehero Need to connect with consumer so they see wine as their world, not old or new world. [Or, and I'm just throwing this out there, Wayne's World.]
  • charles_perez: @simontam’s view is about Christie’s customers, #China’s main market as some commun line but #chinese expert will be better ! XIEXIE [Wait, are you saying the average Chinese consumer doesn't patronize Christie's?]
  • WINEMAKER_35RT @thewinehub: if you don’t have love for #wine you can turn your investment to something else, another commodite… @PanchoCampoMW [Yes, and if you don't love soy bean futures, don't invest in them, either]
  • @NikByrne: 26 billion litres of wine produced in 2010. Average price of each bottle sold in UK in 2010 was $2 (before tax and duties) [I wonder what the average for China is after factoring in this stuff.]

Oops, that’s only 16, not 20. I’ll try and do better tomorrow….

Category: Uncategorized

Customs vs customers: How much wine entering China actually gets drunk?

Posted on | November 5, 2011 | 1 Comment

Lots of buyers but this event only happens twice a year.

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By Jim Boyce

We have seen more than a decade of media stories about the phenomenal wine import growth in China. But rare are those that address whether the amounts of wine recorded by China Customs jibe with the amount of wine purchased — let alone drunk — by consumers. For example, bottled wine imports increased by 60 percent in the first half of 2011. Can we reasonably assume consumption will rise that much in the near future? Here are a few things to consider:

  • The number of importers has grown dramatically in the past ten years and there are now at least several thousand. How many, especially those smaller operations new to the business, have been able to find distribution channels for their wine?
  • Along those lines, several major distributors tell me they believe quite a bit of imported wine ends up indefinitely in warehouses. How much? It is impossible to say but I have heard estimates of 10 percent or more.
  • The number of outlets that sell wine has also grown rapidly, whether that means shops, supermarkets, bars, clubs, restaurants or hotels. How much wine that enters China goes to stock those places? And how much of that stock gets moved? This is but one anecdote but it seems some people are having trouble moving wine in Zhengzhou.
  • Along those lines, I have visited dozens of wine shops in Beijing over the past couple of years: at least half of the time I am the only customer and rarely do I find more than a handful of people. I have also witnessed few people buy wine at supermarkets or hypermarkets unless it is linked to some event, such as a wine fair or as gift-giving for holidays.
  • Gift-giving issue brings up another issue:  How much wine is imported, how much wine is purchased and how much wine is drunk. Again, this is anecdotal but I have several friends with growing stockpiles of wine at home, due to gift-giving, who are unlikely to ever open those bottles.

I do not doubt that wine consumption is rising in China. Wine has certainly become more popular during social events, such as business meetings and weddings, and I do see more people drinking wine in bars and restaurants. I simply want to provide some drink for thought for those who assume imports equal purchases because there are compelling reasons to think there might be a gap between the amount of wine going through Customs and the amount of wine ending up in customer hands — and mouths.

Category: Uncategorized

Bunches: What does this one vine say about China’s wine industry?

Posted on | November 5, 2011 | 1 Comment

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By Jim Boyce

During a tour of some wine operations in Ningxia two years ago, Isak Pretorius of the Australian Wine Research Institute was surprised to find 43 grape bunches on this one vine. We saw plenty of heavily loaded vines during that trip, vines that elsewhere might only have a fraction as many grapes, and the natural reaction was to wonder why — in fact, it is a question I have heard many times over the years

Is it because winery managers and wine makers in China are unaware that reducing yield might result in better grapes?* Unlikely. A much more plausible scenario is that in the battle between quality and quantity, the latter usually wins, whether due to management goals tied to high production numbers (including a focus on bulk wine), situations where grapes are bought from farmers based on weight, or a market reality that sees factors than other than taste determine many wine purchases — brand, price, and so on. This should be of interest to anyone concerned that China might become a competitor in global wine markets because it suggests that policy changes, including yield reductions, could quickly result in quality gains.

* By the way, this assumes that lower yields produce better wines, although there are divergent views on the degree to which this is true. And yields are, of course, only one factor that might influence grape quality.

Category: Uncategorized

The North by Northwest Challenge: In Search of China’s Best Wines

Posted on | November 2, 2011 | No Comments

Destination NNW

North by Northwest: In Search of China’s Best Wines

Hilton Beijing, November 12, 2011

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The North by Northwest Challenge will be held at the Hilton Beijing on November 12 to taste some of the best wines made in China. The event will feature wines made solely with Chinese grapes and, as the title suggests, that hail from the promising regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu and Xinjiang. North by Northwest will be held four days after the affiliated 2011 Grape Wall of China Challenge at Modo restaurant, which will see Chinese consumers judge wines that retail for under rmb100, and coincide with the 14th Hilton Beijing Food & Wine Experience.

The wines tasted in the North by Northwest Challenge will come from Grace Vineyard in Shanxi (distributor: Torres), Sunshine Valley in Gansu (Globus) and Domaine Helan Mountain (Pernod Ricard), Silver Heights (Torres) and Jia Bei Lan, all in Ningxia, with more wineries to be announced soon. I will post a full list before the event. Most of the wines will be Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon since these are, respectively, the most widely produced and consumed white wines and wines red in China.

The judges for North by Northwest will be divided into three groups. One group will include people employed in the wine industry, including Hilton Beijing sommelier Julia Zhu, Beijing-based wine consultant Nicolas Carre, and, flying in from Singapore for the event, Ch’ng Poh Tiong, editor of The Wine Review. The second group will include people who work in the food and beverage industry, though not solely with wine, while the third group will include members of the local and international media in order to give them a firsthand taste of being a judge.

Many of the wines featured in the North by Northwest Challenge will be available to attendees of the Food & Wine Experience, which means those with tickets can judge for themselves.

The following categories and prizes will be included in the North by Northwest Challenge:

Chardonnay under rmb150
Overall: First, Second and Third
Wine Industry Pick
F&B Industry Pick
Media Pick

Cabernet Sauvignon under rmb150
Overall: First, Second and Third
Wine Industry Pick
F&B Industry Pick
Media Pick

Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux blend over rmb150
Overall: First, Second and Third
Wine Industry Pick
F&B Industry Pick
Media Pick

A fourth flight will feature other grape varieties, including a Merlot, a Muscat, and a Pinot Noir, to show the range of wines being produced in the north by northwest of the country.

I will be working with Simon Amos, Emile Otte, Julie Zhu and Sandy Yang at the Hilton Beijing on this project over the next ten days and will post more about the contest, the wines and the judges. I can be contacted at beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com.

Category: North by Northwest 2011, Uncategorized

Decanter magazine and Jia Bei Lan 2009: Was it really Chinese wine?

Posted on | October 30, 2011 | 5 Comments

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By Jim Boyce

How do we know? How do we really know it was Chinese wine? That is a question many people, particularly outside China, have asked since Jia Bei Lan 2009 became the first Chinese wine to receive an “international trophy” at the Decanter World Wine Awards. The award immediately had people asking questions — or perhaps making accusations is a better way to put it — about the wine, including the idea that perhaps it was French wine stuck in a Chinese bottle. Those questions continue nearly two months later.

I appreciate skepticism. China does face issues in terms of quality control, counterfeiting and the bottling of imported bulk wine under domestic labels. But I have also seen “skepticism” used as a cover for a deep disdain of anything related to Chinese wine — or to China itself. A true skeptic needs to be able to accept that both of these statements might be true: 1) China’s wine industry faces many problems and 2) some people in China make quality wine.

Part of the issue is a lack of context. For many outside China, the name of the region, Ningxia, the winery, Helan Qing Xue, the wine, Jia Bei Lan, the chief consultant, Li Demei, and the wine maker, Zhang Jing, no doubt came out of the blue. I believe this lack of context has led some to make snap judgments. I can’t provide a definitive response to these judgments but I do aim to add context.

  • Wine consultant Li Demei might be little-known outside China but he is well-known and well-respected here. He studied at the University of Bordeaux, spent time at Chateau Palmer, consulted on other wine operations, notably the Sino-French Demonstration Vineyard outside Beijing, and is currently helping several wineries in Xinjijang. He teaches at Beijing University of Agriculture, is a member of alcohol industry groups, is active as a wine judge and on social media site Weibo, and regularly travels abroad for wine-related reasons. He has a great deal invested in China’s wine industry.
  • Ningxia has a history, albeit a relatively recent one, of making better wine. Other notable operations range from tiny family-owned Silver Heights, which has being doing well-regarded Bordeaux-style blends since 2007, to Pernod Ricard-invested Domaine Helan Mountain, which is making much larger quantities of clean and pleasant wine. Highly regarded Grace Vineyard, based in Shanxi, has a vineyard in Ningxia, while Moet Chandon plans to make sparkling wine in the area.
  • The wine Jia Bei Lan also has a history. I have tried JBL wines, whether in Beijing or in Ningxia, about ten times over two years, including the Bordeaux-style blends from 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay from 2009, and an experimental rose. Each vintage has a personality as well as  a complexity that pushes the bounds for Chinese wines.
  • Plenty of other people, beside the Decanter judges, have tried this wine. I have seen dozens of industry folks try them, from visitors such as Jeanie Cho-Lee (writer), James Suckling (writer) and Dave Powell (Torbreck wine maker) to those based here such as Ma Huiqin (professor), Campbell Thompson (of importer Wine Republic), Nicolas Carre (sommelier), Frankie Zhao (consultant), Arcy Yin (Food and Wine editor), Bob Miao (Michelin guide), Michel Lu (barrel supplier) and David Henderson (Dragon’s Hollow wines).

Does this prove that what the Decanter judges tasted was really Chinese wine? No. But it does show that Jia Bei Lan did not come out of the blue but is from a winery with a history in arguably the country’s most promising wine region and made with help from one of its best consultants. If this is all a hoax, then it is among the best of all time. So, perhaps it is better to forget the award. The context in which Jia Bei Lan arose — and the wines I have tried — is exciting enough.

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Note: This post on Polish Wine Guide offers an interesting take on the response to the Jia Bei Lan award.

Category: Uncategorized

China Wine Press: Scottish castles, Australian winery sales, Japanese manga

Posted on | October 30, 2011 | No Comments

All the wine world’s a stage and China keeps getting bigger roles. China Wine Press looks at media coverage of that drama, with each item preceded by an inane comment from me, just to keep things real. By J. Boyce

(China Daily forgot to ask what wine goes with haggis.)

Ellie Buchdahl of China Daily reports on the only, as far as I know, Scottish castle in China that doubles as a base for a winery. It is called Treaty Port and founder Chris Ruffle notes that start-up was no walk in a glen:

“If any part of the process was ever easy,” Ruffle admits, “you knew you were doing it wrong.” Even after he and his wife Tiffany managed to negotiate a deal for the land with officials, local villagers were not over-keen on this new “laird”, and staged a protest outside the farmhouse.

Grapes were stolen and vines torched. Even now, strips of peanut farm cut through vines where a farmer still stands his ground.

“It’s very short-sighted,” says Ruffle. “It’s because we’re here that they’ve got the road and electricity. We follow a policy of organic growing, and it’s already having an effect – you notice more birds now than when we first moved in. But the farmers still use pesticides and leave rubbish, and there’s not a lot we can do about that.”

See A Laird in China

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(This is just a warm-up for someone to buy Penfold’s — or maybe even Barossa Valley.)

Here is a detailed article by Nichola Saminather of Bloomberg on Chinese investment in Australia’s wine industry. (Quite a different tone compared to this story two years ago about Chinese buying Australian wine in order to secure visas.) Mate, the times they are a-changin’:

In the Hunter Valley, where grapes were first planted in the 1820s, Chinese investors have bought six wineries in the past three months and three more sales are in the works, said Cain Beckett, director of the region’s biggest winery broker Jurd’s Real Estate. The Chinese influx is helping revive values of the Semillon and Shiraz-growing region’s 126 vineyards, which had slumped as much as 20 percent since May 2008, he said.

… Winston Wines Pty, based in Xiamen, China, bought its first Australian winery in July and two others since then in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Bigger Chinese firms including Dynasty Fine Wines Group Ltd. (828) and Bright Food Group Co. are studying acquisitions around the world and in Australia to sate the newfound taste for wine from China’s million millionaires.

I expect Saminather will be kept busy covering this story as it gets bigger.

See “China’s Enophiles Revive Australian Vineyards”

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(So it’s possible to reach the Chinese wine market via… Japan?)

Chris Nuttall-Smith of The Globe and Mail writes about the powerful Japanese manga series Drops of God:

Although the series has sold about eight million copies in Japan since it first appeared in 2004 (there are now dozens of volumes in print), its impact on the wine trade has arguably been more pronounced in South Korea and China, where the wine culture is less developed, said Ed Chavez, a Japanese manga expert, who works for the series’ American publisher. “In Japan, Western culture and food were old hat when it came out,” he said.

This manga series has been covered many times before, but if you haven’t heard of it, this isn’t a bad primer.

See “Sex, lies and vintages: Wine gets the manga treatment“

Category: Uncategorized

Grape Wall Challenge 2011: Nine distributors confirmed so far

Posted on | October 21, 2011 | No Comments

Eight Nine wine importers / distributors have confirmed they will participate in the Grape Wall of China Challenge 2011. This year’s challenge, the third annual, is slated for November 8 at Modo in Beijing. It will see Chinese consumers judge wines that retail for less than rmb100.

Each distributor may submit up to four wines (see details here). There is space for about 50 bottles in total. Interested distributors are asked to confirm participation by October 28. Those who have joined so far (in alphabetical order):

A list of participating distributors will be kept at the top right of the blog and updated as more join.

Category: Grape Wall Challenge 2011

Uncorked: Pudao Wines opens in Beijing, features Decanter awards line-up

Posted on | October 20, 2011 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Pudao Wines is marking its official opening on the north side of The Office Park in Beijing with a line-up of 23 wines that received recognition at Decanter magazine’s World Wine Awards and will be rotated into the enomatic machines over the next few weeks. There are 16 wines available at the moment, including Jia Bei Lan 2009 from Helan Qing Xue in Ningxia, the first Chinese wine to win an “international trophy“. I just called Pudao Wines and was told a sample of Jia Bei Lan is rmb20, while a bottle costs rmb380. Look also for wines from Casillero del Diablo (Chile) to Trimbach (France) to Heinrich (Austria) as well as Chinese wines Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 and Domaine Helan Mountain Chardonnay 2008, both of which won “silver” this year. Sample pours start at rmb7. This is the second branch of Pudao Wines, with the first being in Shanghai, and stocks primarily wines distributed by Summergate though it does have some bottles from about a half-dozen other distributors.

Category: Uncategorized

From Xinjiang to Liaoning: Five years of Decanter awards for Chinese wines

Posted on | October 20, 2011 | No Comments

By Jim Boyce

Jia Bei Lan Cabernet Red 2009, from Ningxia-based operation Helan Qing Xue, has been a hot topic since it became the first Chinese wine to win an “international trophy” at the Decanter World Wine Awards. I’ll leave for another post what this means in terms of such magazines acting as “gate keepers“, whether judges at such contests reflect the tastes of consumers, and so on.

For now, a note that Helan Qing Xue is only one of several operations in China that have received recognition at the Decanter awards over the years. I have no idea how many wines that enter the contest get a ranking of “commended” or higher, but I would guess the percentage is high, which means operations that seek such status would do well simply to participate in this — and presumably other — contests. Here are China producers that have received Decanter accolades over the past five years.

2011

International trophy
Helan Qing Xue Jia Bei Lan 2009 (Ningxia)

Silver
Changyu Vidal Ice Wine 2008 (Liaoning)
Domaine Helan Mountain Classic Chardonnay 2008 (Ningxia)
Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Shanxi)
Helan Qing Xue Jia Bei Lan 2008 (Ningxia)

Bronze
Domaine Helan Mountain Premium Collection Riesling 2008 (Ningxia)
Grace Vineyard Deep Blue 2008 (Shanxi)
Great Wall 3 Star Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Commended
Château Sungod Prime Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Hebei)
Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Ningxia)
Great Wall Terroir Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Red 2006 (Hebei)

2010

Bronze
Great Wall Long Yan NV (Hebei)

Commended
Chateau Sungod Reserve 2005 (Hebei)
Domaine Helan Mountain Classic Chardonnay 2008 (Ningxia)
Domaine Helan Mountain Premium Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Ningxia)
Great Wall Huaxia Vineyard Cru T Cabernet Sauvignon NV (Hebei)

2008

Bronze
Grace Vineyard Deep Blue 2005 (Shanxi)

Commended
Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Recerve Chardonnay 2005 (Shanxi)
Grace Vineyard Tasya’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Shanxi)

2007

Bronze
Xia Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard H NV (Hebei)

Commended
Grace Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Shanxi)
Xia Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard S NV (Hebei)

Category: Uncategorized

Wine-derwall: 35 different Chinese wine bottles

Posted on | October 18, 2011 | No Comments


~

A magazine asked me for a “wine” shot so I grabbed about three dozen Chinese bottles in my apartment, a.k.a. Chateau Double-B, arranged them on bookshelves, then clicked away. Needless to say from the photo quality above, the job required a professional. But I thought I’d share that one because if you are interested in Chinese wines you might have seen, tried or heard of some of the labels, such as Grace Vineyard, Bolongbao, Catai, Huadong, Xi Xia King, Yunnan Hong, Dragon Seal, Bodega Langes, Suntime and Champs D’or. There are also a few wines I’m not sure (if?) I’ll drink again, including that Yeli Spumante and Domaine Franco-Chinois Marsellan. As for the Taillan Malbec 2003, I do have full bottle, though I don’t imagine it was made with an eye to aging.

Category: Uncategorized

Grape Wall Challenge 2011: Call For Wine

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | No Comments

Call for Wine

Grape Wall of China Challenge 2011

November 8, Modo, Beijing

~

The third annual Grape Wall of China Challenge will be held at restaurant Modo in Beijing on November 8. This post is a call for interested distributors to submit wines.

The goal of the challenge, or GWC, is to find good inexpensive wines as decided by Chinese consumers. This year, the winning wines will go in Modo’s enomatic machines.

(See here for more information on why we hold the GWC.)

Distributors may submit a maximum of two white and two red wines. Each wine must have a regular retail price of less than RMB100 and be made with a different grape or blend of grapes (for example, only one Cabernet Sauvignon). Distributors may submit a maximum of two wines from one country. We hope these rules encourage more grape varieties and nations of origin in the GWC.

To put the rules another away:

  • If you submit 1 wine, you have the options of a) 1 red or b) 1 white, from 1 country.
  • If you submit 2 wines, you have the options of a) 2 red, b) 2 white or c) 1 red and 1 white, from either 1 or 2 countries.
  • If you submit 3 wines, you have the option of a) 2 red and 1 whites or b) 2 white and 1 reds, from either 2 or 3 countries.
  • If you submit 4 wines, you must enter 2 reds and 2 whites, from either 3 or 4 countries.

We ask interested distributors to submit a list of wines, including the retail price of each and where it may be bought, to Nicolas Carre (frenchsommelier@gmail.com) and Jim Boyce (grapewallofchina@gmail.com) by October 28. Distributors must provide two bottles of each wine entered. We ask that these be shipped to us by November 4. There is no entry fee. Finally, we reserve the right to exclude any wine, whether it is due to an inability to confirm price or other reasons.

For more information on past Grape Wall of China Challenges, click here for the 2009 event and here for the 2010 event.

Category: Grape Wall Challenge 2011

Rare China wine dinners: 1968 Beerenauslese and 2010 Erguotou

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | No Comments

Beerenauslese and Erguotou, cap and cork...

~

Call me cocky but I’m claiming a recent wine dinner I attended was the first to include a 1968 Austrian Beerenauslese, an organic Israeli Petit Syrah and, according to the date stamp on its screw cap, a 2010 Chinese Erguotou. I tried this trio of beverages with three fellow Grape Wallers: the feast was organized by Ma Huiqin, for a visitor from Chile, with Li Demei and Frankie Zhao also in attendance. Here is the beverage breakdown.

Austrian Stift Klosterneuberg Beerenauslese 1968: I bought this during a Wine Austria tasting because I couldn’t resist the price, rmb600, which is slightly less than a bottle of non-vintage Moet Chandon in a Beijing club. It turned out to be a bargain. The smells included honey, ripe apricot and a touch of spice, while the body was slightly and included honey and a light, bordering on tart, baked apple taste. Zhao called the fruit “pronounced” and said he sensed some minerality.

Israeli Petit Syrah: I didn’t get the name of this wine but it was young, with plenty of fruit, and had an intense raisin smell. It was also oxidized. (For those wondering how we ended up with this bottle: Ma has a lot of links with the wine industry in Israel).

Chinese Hong Xing (Red Star) Erguotao 2010: This is a twice-distilled grain spirit and packs a kung fu kick at 56 percent alcohol. No baked apple smells but, as Li noted, it did have some yeasty aromas. Both Li and Zhao said they enjoyed it and I can say it is much better to sip than to pound via the ganbei method. A 100 ml bottle retails shy of rmb4 – that translates to less a U.S. dollar or Euro.

I’m guessing I won’t see that lineup at a dinner again…

Category: Jim Boyce
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  • Grape Wall Contributors


    In alphabetical order (see full list)


    Nicolas Carre
    Sommelier


    Chantal Chi
    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


    Jim Boyce
    Consumer, blog administrator