Mendoza plus malbec is good quality and price

As global demand increases, especially in new markets like Russia and China, the price of famous wines compels us to search for new more affordable alternatives. In wine speeches and presentations, I’m often fond of stating that any fool can spend 5,000 RMB and get a great wine. It takes very little skill. However, getting a really good wine at a low price takes a great deal more skill and experience. I taste thousands of different wines each year, and in the inexpensive category the sad truth is that most are bad or at best drinkable. The good news is that a small minority, perhaps 10 percent or less are actually quite good. In recent years, malbec red wines from Argentina have become some of the best inexpensive wines. For reasonable prices these wines offer dark color, rich fruitiness often with a touch of spice and soft tannins. Read more

Let’s have pizza,but what’s the best wine choice?

Recently after a very formal wine dinner I hosted in Shanghai, I bought a pizza on the way home. Though the dinner featured an elaborate eight-course menu and some great wines I was too busy introducing the wines and working to make sure the guests were happy to really enjoy the meal, so as is often the case after these events I was hungry. What’s easier than a late night pizza, but what about the wine? Some pizza purists in Italy and around the world may claim beer as there preferred beverage to accompany a pizza, but I beg to differ. I think wine can make almost any food taste better, even pizza. Perhaps because of sentiment, style or the fact the two have lived side-by-side for centuries, I prefer Italian wines with pizza. Keeping with the casual nature and modest price of a pizza meal, I’ll suggest moderately priced wines all readily available in Shanghai. Read more

Spanish wines under the spotlight at dinner

After five years and nearly 50 wine dinners for the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT), I had the honor to do my first wine dinner for the European Chamber of Commerce China (EUCCC) last week in Shanghai. The event was so successful that I’d like to share with readers some of the treats that evening. The event was Gallery area of el Willy, a lovely Spanish restaurant on Donghu Road. Dinners like this take quite a lot of preparation so I had several meetings with the people of el Willy and Torres China who supplied the wines. Great concern was focused on matching each wine with a course that would highlight the best aspects of that particular wine. Read more

White charmer from Umbria

in the center of Italy situated between Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, and Lazio, the pastoral rolling hills of Umbria quietly offer some of the greatest gourmet treats of Italy. Since the pre-Roman times when the ancient Etruscan civilization settled in modern-day Umbria, this region has been one of the great food and wine centers of Europe. The Etruscans are often referred to as the original gourmets of Italy who would gather in large groups and feast on local delights for days without stop. In fact, some historian cite an overindulgence in food and wine as a contributing factor in the premature downfall of this great ancient culture. Today the region is famous for its black truffles, superb olive oil, cheese, pork products, chocolate and not surprisingly wines. Read more