World Marselan Day, a Grape Wall project launched in 2018, celebrates a grape created in 1961 and now used in over two dozen countries. It is held on April 27, birthday of Paul Truel, who created this Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache cross in southern France.
(Our slogan, “In wine, there is Truel”, is a play on “In wine, there is truth.” Yes, sometimes we have a lot of free time here at Grape Wall.)
Marselan is especially intriguing for this site because it was introduced to China just over 20 years ago, has spread across the country with delicious results, and is getting consideration as the feature grape.
Grape Wall is co-organizing some fun events this year but anyone can get involved simply by opening some Marselan, enjoying a glass or two, and taking / posting a photo with hashtag #worldmarselanday.
Our key Beijing event this year pairs The Merchants and World Marselan Day for a “deep dive” of more than 30 Marselan wines from Ningxia on April 24. The tasting includes veteran labels, hard-to-find gems and newcomers from wineries spread over 150 km-plus of Ningxia’s diverse soils, including sub-regions like Qingtongxia, Yinchuan and Yongning.
(Given it was hard to find even a handful of good wineries in China when this site began, it is striking to discover dozens making Marselan in one region alone.) RSVP essential. Check out last year’s event here.
Shenzhen will also host a “deep dive” into Ningxia terroir, on April 23, courtesy of Wine to Asia and Wine Universe. Expect dozens of Marselans and the chance to compare sub-regions and terroirs. By the way, Wine to Asia also provided the key support for our Marselan blending class by Tong Lili in Beijing in 2021.
People can also check out our Marselan-centric Q&8s with Emy Marinova, Jiang Jing, Tong Lili, Lionel Le Gal, Charlie Xie, Deng Zhongxiang, Evan Goldstein, Chris Ruffle and more, plus topics such as Marselan in Napa Valley and the creation of a Marselan beer.
Beyond that, there are events on April 27 — World Marselan Day — including a dinner at Beijing, tasting at Weeknd Bar in Shenzhen, and possibly a tasting in Ningbo, too, along with people worldwide doing their own thing by opening some bottles, enjoying some wine and posting photos with #worldmarselanday.
I’ll update with photos and recaps of our main events!
Sign up for the Grape Wall newsletter here. Follow Grape Wall on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And see my sibling sites World Marselan Day, World Baijiu Day and Beijing Boyce. Grape Wall has no advertisers, so if you find the content useful, please help cover the costs via PayPal, WeChat or Alipay. Contact Grape Wall via grapewallofchina (at) gmail.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.