– By Jim Boyce The past few months, I have been lucky to visit wineries along the northern swath of China – in Xinjiang, Ningxia, Shanxi, and Hebei. One thing I notice: the wines made by many producers do not always reflect the skill of the wine makers. As they say, you can’t make an […]
By Jim Boyce I recently tagged along to Chengdu with a group of writers as Torres president Miguel A Torres donated RMB500,000 to build a school to replace one severely damaged during last year’s earthquake in Sichuan. We also tried a new Muscat wine called Symphony made via cooperation between Torres and Shanxi-based winery Grace […]
By Chantal Chi After spending a decade visiting the world’s wine regions, I decided this past year to see how the wine industry is progressing at home in China. Flying over China makes me realize that this country, with its diversity of climates and soils, is best considered as a continent. Given this, there should […]
By Jim Boyce – About ten days ago, Decanter posted an “EXCLUSIVE” story to tell the world what pretty much anyone with a friend in the local wine industry here has known for ages, namely, that Chateau Lafite – the most esteemed foreign wine brand in China – will set up shop in this country: […]
By Li Demei – Wine makers and companies in China face many challenges. Here are three things they could do to improve their wine. 1. Wineries need to focus on improving viticulture, that is, the quality of their grapes, rather than simply relying on buying good equipment. Many producers buy their grapes through contracts with […]
By Li Demei – While many people are aware that China produces a great deal of wine, few know about the challenges facing grape growers and wine makers in different parts of the country. Here is one pro and one con for each of the main wine regions. Northwest (Xinjiang, Ningxia, and Gansu) Pro: Summers […]
By Jim Boyce Ten thoughts – all I can manage after a heavy weekend of tasting – about last Saturday’s eleventh annual Hilton Food & Wine Experience in Beijing. 1. This remains a “must attend” event for me: A chance to choose among hundreds of wines and meet fellow consumers. Enjoying it is a matter […]
Launched in 2007, Grape Wall covers the China wine market, from tastings and winery visits to trade news and ‘Q&8s‘ with winemakers, retailers, critics and academics, all from a consumerist view. I have organized over 100 wine tastings (see below) and write the Grape Wall newsletter where many articles on this website first appear (sign up free here and […]