Press

China Daily

“Chin Chin”, Linda Kennedy

Jim Boyce: ‘I don’t want to put this in my mouth.’ John Gai: ‘It’s just one smell. Really a bouquet dominating. To me, it’s tar. A bit of rubber. I ask: ‘They said it had sausage in it’. Jim: ‘Literally?’

Global Times

“Blame sour grapes for sub-standard locally made wines”, Jim Boyce

"Many foreigners come to China, try the local wine, and have the urge to spit rather than swallow. But as with bad news, it is sometimes best not to shoot the messenger or in this case, blame the wine maker. "While the best wine makers and technicians in China might lag behind their counterparts in countries such as France, Australia and Italy, the wines they make do not always reflect their talent. They are stuck doing the best they can with what they have, which includes their grapes."

Beijing Talk

“Best cheap drops in town”

"Fourteen of Beijing's wine suppliers offered their wine up for the challenge (none were involved in the judging), creating a collection of bottles that spanned France, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, the United States, Spain and Italy."

China Daily

“Value for money”, Ye Jun

"Most of the [Grape Wall Challenge] judges work in Beijing but come from different parts of the country. One judge paid for his own train ticket from Shandong to Beijing, while another won his position in a China Radio International program."

City Weekend

“The Grape Wall Challenge; Can You Spare A Wine, Sir?”, Charles Silverman

The challenge is for wine consumers to judge 60 wines that retail in China for less than ¥100. The contest aims to empower consumers to trust their own judgment when it comes to wine and to ferret out some of the best deals in the city in a time of financial uncertainty.

Appetite for China

“Chinese Drinks Chat: Beijing Boyce”, Diana Kuan February 5, 2009

If Beijing had an official drink and nightlife critic, Jim Boyce would be it. For the past 3 years he has been tracking Beijing's ever-evolving bar and club scene through his popular Beijing Boyce blog. His other project, Grape Wall of China, is a one-stop resource for wine in China, including winery visits, profiles of wine writers and sommeliers, even accounts of marathon wine tastings.

The Globe and Mail

“No practical joke: China’s reds”, Beppi Crosariol

"You see wine being associated with new apartment complexes, financial services and luxury products," Jim Boyce, a Canadian based in Beijing who writes a blog about the China wine scene at Grapewallofchina.com, told me in an e-mail exchange. "True, there is a gap between association and appreciation, but wine is becoming better-known."