Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Wine Minute in Shanghai, China

Here I have the honor of tasting the wines of Grace Vineyards (怡园酒庄) in their Shanghai wine tasting room. Jojo He, of Grace, kindly tasted me on 2 of their finest releases- the Reserve Chardonnay and the Deep Blue (Bordeaux Blend). These were among my favorite wines tasted in China. The winemaker at Grace is Australian, thereby imparting a "New World" sense unto the wines. The chardonnay was aged in French Oak and was rich and tropical, and the "Deep Blue" was full-bodies, rich, and spicy, without being overbearing. The wines sell for about $35, and $60, respectively. On the road, I also tried wines from Rongchen, Great Wall, and Chang Yu Vineyards. China is coming up in the wine world, friends, so keep your eyes peeled, and don't be afraid to try them. They are great!

http://www.grace-vineyard.com/

The Wine Minute in Beijing China

Here, I have the great pleasure of interviewing the Cui Caihong (崔彩虹) , winemaker at Fengshou (Harvest) Winery in Beijing, the Peoples' Republic of China (北京丰收葡萄酒有限公司). I tasted their 2011 Riesling, and 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, which were both amazing! Unfortunately, these wines are currently not available in the US. But hopefully will be soon! They do import their Cabernet and Onion wine into the US, as well as a full line of fruit-based wines. Thanks to our interpreter, Duyen, for doing such a great job translating!

http://fengshouwine.com.cn/