Ever since 1987, the Bocuse d’Or contest has been giving young chefs a unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills, offering them a tremendous springboard for their careers. Today, Bocuse d’Or is the world’s best gastronomy competition!

It is to gastronomy what fashion shows are to haute couture. It is the Olympic Games of gourmets, a dazzling show featuring talented creators, exceptional ingredients and products, and superb staging… From one edition to the next, as the seats in the stands are highly sought after, it has become a challenge to even attend the live event. Yet, it has not become exclusive: it has kept the simple spirit of large but friendly occasions and the geniality typical to the catering trade. It is thanks to this contrast that the magic of the Bocuse d’Or continues to operate.

The unrivalled Bocuse d’Or Asia competition sees techniques and cultures go head to head, with a view to revealing culinary trends and putting new talents in the spotlight.

Since the beginning of 2011 and until the end of January 2012, 10 Asian countries have organized their own National selections.

Bocuse d’Or Asia 2012, will have the pleasure to welcome teams from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and China!

This continental selection will last 3 days under the Presidency of Chef Otto WEIBEL, President Bocuse d’Or Asia by the end of which 4 countries will be selected to go to the Final in France on January 29^th and 30^th 2013.

The candidates will spend 3 hours in their kitchen booth, cheered on by their supporters. During this time, they will have to demonstrate maximum inventiveness, stamina and technique to create the best possible dishes using the products imposed by the organizers.

Each candidate will have to present his/her dish first on a customized tray with 14 portions, then plate it for the 12 jury.

Under the scrutiny of the Presidents of each countries,  as well as celebrity Chef Otto Weibel in his quality of President Bocuse d’Or Asia, the candidates ‘dishes will be judged based on their food styling and taste.

Jury composed of Asian Bocuse d’Or Presidents in 2010

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Malaysia, winner of the Bocuse d’Or Asia 2010

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SIRHA SHANGHAI - THE CLUB-EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO PREMIUM GASTRONOMY AND LUXURY HOTELS

For 3 days, professional visitors composed mostly of chefs, will have the chance to not only follow the contest and support their favorite teams but also discover the premium products of the prestigious of partners supporting the event.

Organized during the Club-Exhibition dedicated to premium restaurants and luxury hotels, Sirha Shanghai, which will feature 40 exhibitors coming from Europe and Asia who will present trendy, innovative and differentiating products and equipment, to help visitors re-invent their offering, Bocuse d‟Or Asia will not be the only attraction of the show. With the support of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing, visitors will experience the French Aperitif that constitutes a major activity in the French art of living. Demonstrations in the “Around the bar” area will be organized and will be animated by professional bartenders and sommeliers. And innovative culinary demonstrations with both local and international celebrities such as Jean-Francois Piege, Paul Pairet, Stefan Stiller, Wiliam Ledeuil, … will take place as part of the Omnivore World Tour which promotes under the concept “Young Cuisine” creativity and self-expression. From one edition to the next, as the seats in the stands are highly sought after, it has become a challenge to even attend the live event. Yet, it has not become exclusive: it has kept the simple spirit of large but friendly occasions and the geniality typical to the catering trade. It is thanks to this contrast that the magic of the Bocuse d’Or continues to operate.

A VIP PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN WITH 4 THEMATIC COCKTAIL DINNERS

To promote those events, several thematic cocktail dinners are going to be organized by GL events at the School Restaurant Institut Paul Bocuse.

The first one took place on April 18th with the theme Wine Pairing.

Opinion leaders of the industry, including Chantal CHI, Jean-Marc NOLANT and Martin HAO, were invited to express their opinions on the topic.

Guests had the privilege to taste EMW wines which perfectly paired with the menu proposed by the Institute Paul Bocuse.

-          Starter :

Cheese gougere

Marinated mackerel

French terrine & onion

Italian bread garnished with vegetables, anchovies and soft boiled eggs

-          Main Course :

Halibut white wine sauce

Beef in orange and lemon sauce

-          Dessert :

Almond cake

Chocolate dry cake

Exotic fruits mousse

Wine: Roux Pere & Fils Saint Aubin “La Pucelle”, AOC from Burgundy

Alain Chabanon, Languedoc, 2009, “Le Petit Merle”, AOC

ABOUT GL EVENTS

With thirty-two years of professional experience, GL events founded by President Olivier GINON, is the leading integrated international group working in the all three main sectors of the events industry. GL events Exhibitions is responsible for more than 250 exhibitions organizing exhibitions, conferences and events.

GL events employs 3,435 professionals of all nationalities and origins covering the full range of professions involved in the events industry.

Committed to its founding values, GL events has developed an ambitious policy of Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility and contributes to the dynamism of the professional sector. The group earned revenue of over €782.7 million in 2011.

Apply for your free badge:

www.sirha-shanghai.com

More information about Bocuse d’Or Asia:

www.bocusedorasia.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION :

Tiphaine LEBRETON – tiphaine.lebreton@gl-events.com

Tel: +862121 5269 4890 ext 218 / Fax: +86 21 5269 4891

Marine DEBATTE – marine.debatte@gl-events.com
Tel: +862121 5269 4890 ext 204 / Fax: +86 21 5269 4891

Anne STALMACH – anne.stalmach@gl-events.com

Tel : +862121 5269 4890/ Fax: +86 21 5269 4891

]]> http://www.zhongguo-wine.com/2012/05/12/bocuse-d%e2%80%99or-asia-and-sirha-shanghai/feed/ 0 http://www.zhongguo-wine.com/2012/03/21/press-review-lafite-counterfeit-in-china-view-from-inside/ http://www.zhongguo-wine.com/2012/03/21/press-review-lafite-counterfeit-in-china-view-from-inside/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:13:48 +0000 Fanny http://www.zhongguo-wine.com/?p=1818 World Consumer Rights Day in China:

240 000 of Lafite Bottles produced vs 2 Millions bottles sold : Press review

China has celebrated the World Consumer Rights Day,last 15^th of March. The consumer movement uses this day every year as an occasion for raising global awareness about consumer rights. This year, among other subjects, the problem of Lafite wine counterfeit in China was raised by many Medias. This is no big news and you all have heard about this phenomenon, but would you have guessed that 2 millions of bottles of Lafite are sold each year in China?

Of course, this data has to be checked. In this regard, I would like to raise one particular issue: what is the source of this data ? “2 millions of Lafite wine bottles have been sold”, but what does “sold” mean really ? Does this figure come from the commercial balance data ? How can it be, since it doesn’t look official ? Was it calculated based on declarations of consumers? This doesn’t look very convincing either. Is it an approximate evaluation?

But still, the “2 millions” figure is so huge that even if it needs to be confirmed, it must be considered

Thanks to a friend, we have had access to articles directly translated from Chinese. Two of them are extracted from online media (ifeng.com, website of Phoenix Television and http://www.qq.com/,the most popular free instant messaging computer program in mainland China). They were originally published in Newspapers but relayed on the web for more readers. My friend translated parts of three articles to share them with us. To have direct access to national Medias is very interesting since it conveys different perceptions and points of views).

Title: “The gray industry and the deformed culture behind counterfeit Lafite”

Published:   09:15    18/03/2012

Original Source: Editorial of Beijing Youth Daily

2^nd Source: ifeng.com

Comments: 22 people have participated in the discussion and left 5 comments.

“First, with the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, a new group of people with extremely large capacity of consumption is emerging in China. For these “new rich” in China, price is hardly an issue when they are consuming luxurious products, including Lafite wine. Second, a certain amount of Lafite wine is bought by government officials, who also do not care about the high price because they are paying with government’s money. There is no doubt that there are people who drink Lafite because they appreciate the top quality wine. However, most of the consumption is induced by the vanity of consumers. Lafite wine is just a tool for people to show off their wealth.

What’s more, sometimes people buy counterfeit Lafite even though they know clearly that it is not genuine. This usually happens when Lafite wine is used for reception parties. The guests are pleased because few of them have enough knowledge to tell if the Lafite wine is real. The hosts are satisfied as their guests are happy. From managers of agents of wine to sales personals of the agents, from the caterers of parties to hosts and guests of parties, as long as everyone is happy, who cares if the wine is real?”

Title: “The production per year of Lafite wine is 240,000 bottles, while 2 million bottles of “Lafite” are sold in China every year”

Published: March 18, 2012 07:41

Original source: Guangzhou Daily

2^nd Source : http://www.qq.com/

Comment: 1016 comments

“According to a wine agent in Paris, the maximum production of Lafite wine is 240,000 bottles per year, but the consumption of “Lafite” wine in China is as high as 2 million bottles, which almost equals the total production of Lafite wine in ten years.

This February, the industrial and Commercial Bureau of Zhengjiang Province has investigated a case of manufacturing counterfeit Lafite wine in Yiwu (a city in Zhejiang Province). The owner of a grocery agent has been accused of buying bottles of so-called “wine” made by mixing alcohol additives, fragrances and pigments together from Hebei and Shandong Provence, and put labels of “Lafite” on the bottles and sold it as “Lafite”.

Title: “The disorder of the wine market in China — The production per year of Lafite wine is 240,000 bottles, while 2 millons bottles of “Lafite” are sold in China every year”

Published: March 16, 2012

Source: http://china.cnr.cn (The website of China Radio)

2^nd Source :  http://news.sohu.com

Comment: 850 comments

« The Industrial and Commercial Bureau of Zhejiang Province has held a press conference on March 15^th to expose the lacking of order situation in the exported wine market in China.

About a dozen of bottles of counterfeit wine were lined up at the press conference for people to examine. There are several different packages for the wine of the brand “Lafite” and it could be very difficult for a non-expert to tell if they are counterfeit. A sales manager shared his trick with us: ” You do not even have to look at the wine to know that these are all fake. These are certainly not products of Château Lafite Rothschild. You can tell that from the Chinese labels, the real Lafite wine is called Lafite, not Baron Lafite, Golden Lafite, Silver Lafite, Royal Lafite or Duke Lafite.

The director of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau of Zhejiang Province has also given his tips to remind the consumers. First, the wine in the real bottle is not always real. Even if the bottle is the original bottle of Lafite, the wine could still be counterfeit. How can an empty bottle of Lafite be sold at 312 US dollar ? This is the explanation. Secondly, the color of red wine is not exactly red. The consumers should pay attention to the color of the wine. Some manufacturers add synthetic chemicals to make their “wine” red, but it is not natural. Thirdly, some “exported wine” is not produced in a foreign country. There are more than a thousand wine agents in Hong kong, who buy wine produced in China, change its package and resell it as “exported wine“.

I guess this information give credit to the recent rumors saying that Chinese people are tired with Lafite and Bordeaux wines and want to try other wines. I assume that this last point will give joy and hope to people who want to import non-Bordeaux wines. It actually appears that the market is getting ready extremely fast: many signs prove it! Lafite enormous counterfeit might contribute to this trend…

You all know that since 1998, Vinexpo, the famous wine exhibition of Bordeaux, has a matching event in Hong Kong. Now, the International Exhition of the Mediterranean Wines and Spirits has also its twin in Asia.

Do you know VINISUD?

It is the trade show for Mediterranean wine production.  It was held last week in Montpellier, from the 20^th to the 22th of February. I was there. During 3 days, more than 1700 exhibitors represented the Mediterranean wine production: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Algeria, Tunisia, Malta and Lebanon were there. For France, all the wine regions from the South were represented: Languedoc, Provence, Roussillon, South West, Rhône Valley, Corsica.

I attended a lecture whose title was: “Chine: Opportunities for Mediterranean wines”.

I learnt there that a new edition of Vinisud will be held in Asia, and will take place in Shanghai: Vinisud ASIA. Shanghai. The 1^st edition will be held from the 26^th to the 28^th of February 2013.

The event is organized by Adhésion Group, who is Vinisud’s partner in France. They identified several opportunities for those wines.

What do you think about opportunities for the Mediterranean wines? And first of all, what does mean “Mediterranean”? Is it a geographical definition? IOr, is more an image,  a way of living? Is it a clear concept for Chinese consumers? Is “Provence” is a different reality? Does Pink wine has a chance to be appreciated by Chinese consumers? …etc.

I am at the moment thinking about those questions and working on the market evolutions. Do you have any idea, opinion, comment, questions to share with me? I would be pleased to talk about it with you!

Let’s think !

Bordeaux has something very special about it. It is a mix of strong tradition and very modern and accurate economic vision. I would like to give you a glimpse of Bordeaux’ brasseries where a lot of things are being discussed… And rest assured that China is one of the most popular topics there.

However, there is one particular subject that we reluctantly talk about in Bordeaux, although it has been discussed a lot in the Press since August: it is the creation of the first Chinese Fund specialized in wine investments: Dinghong.

Dinghong is a Fund dedicated to wine investment. Mrs Ling, one of the founder, will invest in Bordeaux Crus Classés (not only in the most expensive ones) and in Burgundy’s wines, which are not as famous as Bordeaux’s in China. The Fund will invest in both Primeur and back vintages.

To be part of  Dinghong, the minimum required investment is 1 million RMB, locked for a minimum of five years. According to the Financial Time, the Fund is expected to deliver an annual return of about 15%.

According to the French local newspaper Sud Ouest, Ling Zhijuin expects to collect 200 million RMB each year for the five next years, in order to reach a total value of 1 billion RMB.

Mrs Ling said that her Fund will be focused not only on good investments, but also on deepening Chinese appreciation for fine wines . But, it doesn’t say if the investors will have the ability to taste and drink the wines they buy through Dinghong…

Undoubtedly, China already has a huge impact on La place de Bordeaux, increasing somehow the prices which had never reached such high levels. Moreover, Dinghong is not the only Fund interested in wine investment in China. Some private Funds already offer wine investment among others products. This new phenomenon raises the question: might those Funds induce a Bordeaux financial bubble?

If you take a step back, you realize that this is not the first time that wine, especially Bordeaux wine, has been used as a secure investment. For instance, talking with some brokers of Bordeaux, I discovered that some English Funds had also been created for tax advantages back in 2005.

So the question narrows down to this : do Chinese Funds represent a real trend that will deeply transform some aspects of La Place de Bordeaux, the distribution for instance, or, is it simply the everlasting repetition of economic cycles which will not significantly affect the rules of the game ?

A good movie is worth much more than a long talk, so enjoy!

With Chinese subtitles:

With English subtitles:

Established in 1808, the renowned Maison M. Chapoutier is nowadays considered as the landmark winery from the Rhône Valley, nested on the foot of the Hermitage Hill in Tain L’Hermitage.

Michel Chapoutier is the charismatic leader of Maison M. Chapoutier and they are specialized in the production of prestigious appellations such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, etc..

Michel Chapoutier quest to the world’ best Terroir, result in the establishment of winery in Roussillon and Australia, but also more recently in Alsace…

M. Chapoutier has been a pioneer in Biodynamic farming in the Rhône Valley in the early 90’s. In addition, they are now using unique Braille labelling on all the bottles.

The Chapoutier family commitment to China is deeply rooted and as a result, Mathilde Chapoutier, daughter of Michel Chapoutier, is currently based in Beijing.

Last but not least, Mr Li Keqiang, Vice Premier, has been spotted a few weeks ago in Hong Kong drinking their Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche!

Nico(s) for Zhongguo Wine

To quickly introduce myself, my name’s Florent GENTY, I am 29 years old and live in Shanghai for 6 months now. For 4 years, I was in Paris as wine salesman for Burgundy and Rhone Valley vineyards.

I met Ari and Lucas thanks to their website. I contacted them after reading their articles on their blog when I was in France. For few months now, I am working for a Chinese importer-distributor named Grandgle Wines and Spirits. I’m working in the purchasing department and sometimes I have to promote the wines of our portfolio in different cities of China.

September, 22^nd, while attending the 2^nd competition for the best sommelier of French wines in China, I got the idea to contact them and actively participate in their blog through articles and interviews.

For my first participation, I decided to contact two of the three winners of the competition, Sylvia Liu and Yin Guo. Congratulations! 3 girls on the podium! Through different questions, I try to understand how Chinese can be familiar with the wine and try to understand better what they are expecting with wine in China. I also wanted to highlight the different events around wine.

The Best Sommelier Competition of French wine in China was judged by international and local experts, based on the rules and constitutions of the Association of Sommelier International (ASI). This competition brings awareness and prestige to wine professionals in China and also provide a benchmark for the local industry. Candidates from various cities in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai can participate to the competition. Organizers hope to attract not only sommeliers, but also bartenders and others working with wine and beverages, and employers that want to affirm or improve their staffs’ expertise.

To enter the competition several conditions must be respected, as being a Chinese citizen, being aged over 18 years, working in restaurants or hotels for minimum a year…
June, 28^th, about 150 candidates have passed the qualification round. There was a questionnaire of 50 questions and a blind tasting of two French wines.
The top 2 from each city could enter the final competition in Shanghai. The final phase confronts 6 candidates on five workshops:

-Blind tasting of 3 French wines and 2 spirits

- Service lunch at restaurant settings (decanting, pouring, food and wine pairing)

- Comments of wines.

ZW : Could you present yourself (age, city, job..) ?

Sylvia Liu : My name is Sylvia LIU, I’m 28 years old and I live in Guangzhou. I’m actually manager and Sommelier for Mouton Cadet Wine Bar (Manager/Sommelier)

Yin Guo: My name is Yin GUO, I’m 28 years old and I live in Shanghai. Even I have different offers from companies or restaurants, I’m actually looking for a job of sommelier.

ZW : What is your school and professional career ?

SL : I began my higher education with a bachelor degree in Applied Chemistry from Qingdao University of Science and Technology. One of the part time jobs I took to help pay for schooling was doing sales and translation for a local wine distribution/club company. . I became very interested in the wine industry. To date, I have completed several ISG and WSET courses, and have obtained teaching certificates issued by those two organizations. I now have a strong desire to share my enthusiasm for the wine business, and see a sommelier position as an ideal way to combine all my interests.

YG: I have a bachelor in Advertising and communication. After my studies and before begin to enter my working life, I decided to travel around the world to meet people from different cultures. I saw rapidly that people have a deep link with wine that Chinese don’t have. I met foreigners sommeliers who gave me the passion for wine and I began to study by myself. After 2 years working in a wine Cellar.  Then, I worked for a French restaurant as a sommelier.  I also studied in WSET courses.

ZW : What do you think about this competition and what that bring to you ?

SL : It helped more people to know the sommelier occupation. It was very meaningful, especially for China’s wine market and hospitality industry. This competition could bring me new opportunities and challenges for future.

YG : This competition is a way to democratize the wine and give the opportunity to Chinese to show their knowledge about the wine. More and more are Chinese are passionate by wine, this competition can highlight that job of sommelier is a very respectful and hard job.

ZW: What is the workshop you particularly liked ? Why ?

SL: I prefered the Sparkling wine service and decanting. These workshop consisted in opening bottles (Champagne and red wine) with professional items and glasses for the jury. I liked because that is I usually do in everyday work and where I feel better.

YG : I prefered the food pairing workshop. Why ? Because I think that a sommelier has to develop a real open mind with his clients. He has to know what kind of drink should be the best for a lunch, a dinner or a simple meeting. Moreover, you have to create an empathy and a discussion with them to know what should be the best taste for their palate. The drink must sublimate the food and not the opposite. We must also put in practice his memory.

ZW: How do you know the wine culture ? Why are you attracted by wine ?

SL: I felt in love with wine by accident. I have a very good friend from United States. His name is Joe Benson. 5 years ago, he threw a net-working party for all his friends in South China. He always wondered that what would happen if his friends got to know each other. Yes, something happened! I had met one of Joe’s friends at the party. Later on, his friend introduced me into the wine field. 5 years later, I’m where I’m standing now. If it wasn’t Joe, I think I wouldn’t be in the wine industry.

YG: First, by working of course, you need to understand and learn by “drinking”! I mean, you need to keep trying wines all the time! You  can read anything s from the books, but to understand, you need to try and drink it! Also thanks to some trips I’ve done. I am also very interested in geography in order to learn all the appellations all around the world. Then the training courses allowed me to master more and more science of tasting. It takes a lot of homework because Chinese do not know nothing about wine culture.

ZW: Were you born in a family where wine was often present?

SL: In my family, wines have never been present. We mostly drink local white spirits made from grains call BaiJiu.

YG: It’s the same for me! My family is the owner of a Baijiu company for 12 years now. So I always grow around white alcohol but never around the wine. In ours family meals, most part of the time we drink beers or Baijiu.

ZW: Is the chinese have a easy access to wine? Can you see more and more Chinese interested by wine around you and how wine is perceived?

SL: Not really. Comparing to the salaries in China, wines are quite expensive. Chinese are more and more interested by wines and I think there’s a great future for the wine industry. I think for the majority of Chinese, wine is an elegant and expensive drink. The wine must appear as a rare and sharing drink, to bring a magical moment in the meal.

YG: For the moment, I think it’s a little hard for Chinese to access the wine universe. On the one hand, prices are really high for majority of the population and on the other hand, universe of wine is complicated and full of codes. Sometimes, Chinese are afraid by losing their face if they make a mistake when drinking wines. Moreover, in China, we don’t have meal rules like in Europe with starters then main course and deserts. All our dishes are served together. Wines need to be served step by step like a story with a beginning and an end. That’s why I think it will take a long time to democratize the wine into the Chinese meals but I believe in it.

ZW: What is your dream career?

SL: I would like to be a Master Sommelier.

YG: My dream is to travel and work around the world in different vineyards

ZW: What is your best tasting wine souvenir ?

SL: A Iconic wine tasting hosted by Mr. Pancho Campo (Master of Wine) from Spain. We tasted Chateau Cheval Blanc 2001, Chateau Lynch Bages 2004, Chateau Palmer 1999, Chateau D’Yquem 2001, Vega Sicilia Unico 1995, Felton Road block 5 Pinot Noir.

YG: Although I have good souvenir of a Latour, I remembered a wonderful Corton Charlemagne and a Chablis Grand Cru. The more I taste the wines, the more I am interested in white wines because I find them complex, elegant and we can drink them in any occasions.

ZW: If you have to choose one red and one white ?

SL: A German Riesling and a Pinot Noir from Burgundy !

YG: I felt in love with a white wine from Tasmania and for red, I’d love to keep it as a secret!

Florent Genty for Zhongguo Wine

(PS: Sorry Florent, Sylvia and Yin for taking so long to post the interview… Ari & Lucas)

-          Do you know who I am? he asked in English.

-          Not exactly, I answered, still in English. (We realized quickly we were both French people speaking to each other in English. Those kinds of situation happen sometimes!) So, I said, I guess you are the partner of Raphael Sarri, of the Company Beijing Wine Store.

-          Not only!

I didn’t know I was in front of the man named “Fa Jiu Long”, The French Dragon of wines!

Let me very quickly introduce you to Bruno Paumard. He is originally from Angers in the Loire Valley in France. He first has been sommelier, and won many high distinctions. After, he decided to become a winemaker; he worked in a vineyard in Saumur. He was passionate and learned a lot. Then, something happened: he fell in love… in China. Since then, he lives in China and he is not sure he’ll ever come back to France.

What does he do in China?

He is now the wine maker of Château Hansen, an organic vineyard from Inner Mongolia, which I will talk you about in detail in another article, since there are many things to say about it. He has also built a company of import and distribution, with Raphael Sarri. The company, Beijing Wine Store (http://www.bjwinestore.cn), has a very good quality selection of different wines.  Plus, he recently wrote for the “Revue française des vins de France”, which has begun to be edited for China. He also was recently elected The Organic man in Hong kong and awarded Ambassador of Ecology in China, by the Green Chanel Central Television .He is more and more famous and was interviewed very recently by CCT 1 and 2 and others journals and magazines…

I had the chance to spend time with him. I asked him to give us his point of view about the three main ideas you are always dealing with in China, when you are interested in wines. Some of those ideas or clichés, I guess, are true, some are partly false. Let’s see what Bruno Paumard thinks…

Is it true that Chinese people only drink wine as « Ganbei ! » ?

B.P : First of all, we shouldn’t forget that the consumption of wine in China is mostly due to the « Ganbei » culture. But, some regions have different levels of consumption and different ways of consuming. I would say that for 1 Ganbei in Beijing, there are 10 Ganbei in Inner Mongolia. Beijing and Shanghai are also different. In Shanghai, the market offers two extremes: on the first hand, the 1^er Grands Crus, which are extremely expensive, and on the second hand, the very low-end wines. In Beijing, the market is different. It seems that there are a lot of people who appreciate good wines and are eager to taste new wines, not only the more expensive ones. I am sure that good wine makers will have more and more success in Beijing.

Wine consumption is evolving very fast in China. According to Bruno Paumard, the phenomenon of organic wines in China is one of the signals. From his experience in Château Hansen, which produces organic wines with ecological project in the region, he says that more and more Chinese people are interested in organic wines. They want to drink a healthy wine while also behaving responsibly. Those people of course are not the majority. They are the middle business class, who work abroad, meet foreigners, and talk about wines, which helps them to be valorized in their social status.

Would you say that Chinese people don’t know anything about wine? Do you think that they buy it because it is pricey and famous?

I would say it depends on the consumer. I would define three kind of Chinese consumers:

1. The Rich: They buy Grand Crus for two principals reason: because they want to have a fine life style, but also because they make money upon wines.
2. The Ganbei people: They usually are rich people too, they have not a lot of interest for Culture, but they buy very famous wines. It is a way to impress their surroundings.
3. The Middle class: They earn around 4000 to 12000 RMB each month, and they like to buy wine for gift. When they buy wine, they buy foreign wines or Great Chinese wines, the most expensive ones. In China, when you make a present, you give a gift and its price! I have a client for instance, he spends a lot of RMB on only 10 bottles each year, to give a gift. They also like to taste wines and choose middle hand wines.

Is it true that Chinese people don’t like red wines?

It is mostly the Chinese women who don’t like red wine. But, since it is said to be good for health, they do drink it, just like you drink a medicine, for some of them. Recently, a Spanish study showed that the tannins of red wine do protect from sunburn and increase skin health. This is definitely an argument to convince women to drink red wines and not other alcohols.

Chinese people are not yet very interested in white wines. Moreover, they don’t like Champagne or Sparkling wines. They have the feeling that something is wrong since there are still bubbles. They think those wines are not yet finished! They do like sweet wines, but don’t drink it a lot yet.

Thanks Bruno for your time and for having shared with us your point of view on the three main ideas which are puzzling.

We wish you successful harvest in Inner Mongolia.

Fanny

Wine and Online Shopping

What does the future hold in China?

In an article on July 12th, wine-info.com, stated that according to their sources, the number of operational B2C (online wine sellers) has increased to over one hundred sites. I wasn’t able to locate the source of this date but it definitely indicates that people believe there is a future for buying wine online. But, will this belief become a reality?

Recently there was an interesting webinar, presented by Digital River Payments where they had compiled the latest Chinese online shopping estimates in conjunction with Alipay. They estimated that this year the number of people online in China is expected to grow to over 500 million users, with an estimated 35% of them shopping online and expect that over $90 (RMB575) billion will be spent online. (In 2010, $63 (RMB403) billion was spent online). These are extraordinary numbers and they are set to continue to grow. From 2009 – 2015 the cumulative annual growth rate is expected to be at a rate of 52%.

These figures solidly establish the potential for the online market here in China, so how about the potential for wine consumption? The OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine) estimates that overall global wine consumption fell 3.6% from 2008 – 2010, but China’s wine consumption defied everybody else in the market and grew by 50%. It also showed there was over 80% increase in the volume of imported wines entering China. All the data indicates that both wine and online shopping are two growth markets but does it automatically translate that people will actually buy wine online? Economists always like to try to use comparables to predict future growth, however in this case it is very difficult to find a suitable comparative as the size, growth rate and movement of goods is extremely unique. You might expect that the US market might be a possible indicator, however there is one stark difference that has curbed the growth of buying wine online in the US – the state alcohol laws restrict shipping alcohol across certain state lines. This is a key barrier to growth that exists in the US market but does not exist here. These regulations are thought to be one of the reasons why Amazon.com decided to put their online wine store on hold in 2009.

A key characteristic of the Chinese online shopping market is trust. This has been one of the key success factors at Taobao.com. The consumers put a very large emphasis on the rating of each merchant on Taobao; it is very important that a merchant has a proven track record. A consumer’s key concern is that they do not want to be tricked. This was a key point that was raised by my Chinese friends when we were launching crushedgrapes.cn.

So, what does all this mean for the hundred or so online wine shops that have opened recently, how can they build that individual trust in their website? Is the market big enough so that one can just build an online wine store and they will come, or is the online Chinese consumer more sophisticated than that? Then again, as the e-commerce marketplace becomes more sophisticated, will trust remain such an important factor? These are questions that will only be answered over time, but I for one am intrigued about how this will develop.

By Niamh Given for Zhongguo Wine

Sources:
-OIV Report:

http://news.reseau-concept.net/images/oiv_uk/Client/DIAPORAMA_STATISTIQUES__AG_Porto_2011_EN.pdf

-Digital River Payments Webinar:

http://www.digitalriverpayments.com/form/thank-you/china-epayments-webinar

-Wines-info.com Article:

http://www.wines-info.com/En/html/2011/7/228-38823.html

-OIV Report:http://news.reseau-concept.net/images/oiv_uk/Client/DIAPORAMA_STATISTIQUES__AG_Porto_2011_EN.pdf

Niamh Given founder and managing director of CrushedGrapes.cn.
With a passion for Wine, China & Online Shopping; Niamh and her husband Daniel have set up an online wine destination based in Shenzhen, China.

1) Can you present yourself?
I was born in Xinjiang and came to shanghai when I was 12. Then I attended university in Canada and majored in physics at University of Toronto. But I was not great at that because I lost my interest. I touched a bit on wine when I was taking a bartending course, and a trip to vineyard made me to decide to study wines. Then in the last year of my university, I enrolled in a 2-year winemaking and viticulture diploma program at Niagara College. During the course of the program, I was exposed to the profession of sommelier, and it seemed very interesting to me. Also I want to learn about wines from all over the world. So in the 2nd year of winemaking school, I also registered to study sommelier diploma program at International Sommelier Guild. By the time I graduated from winemaking school, I also graduated from the sommelier diploma, which to my knowledge made me the first ever internationally certified sommelier from mainland. Then I worked in a winery called Le Clos Jordanne for 8 months. After that, I got into restaurant business in Toronto, and gradually worked my way up. In 2009, I came back Shanghai to be the opening sommelier for the Peninsula Shanghai till now.

2) So you realize you want to become a sommelier and you start working in a restaurant to learn from scratch. How was it? You, the used to be physics student washing dishes? It must have been hard in the beginning no?

I don’t want to say it’s hard, but it’s definitely necessary and different. It’s a cliché to say I started with washing dishes for couple of days, but that’s just a process I need to get through. Sommelier is a relatively independent role in restaurant, but it’s still a team work. And modern sommelier does much more than just recommending and serving wines on the floor. It’s very important for sommeliers to understand all the different positions of a restaurant. If you don’t know how to be, or understand the job of a food runner, captains, hostess or managers, you cannot become a good sommelier.

3) In which restaurants did you work in Canada?

I worked at a winery called Le Clos Jordanne, which is a high-end joint venture between Vincor (the biggest wine company in Canada) and Boisset (a power house in Burgundy). The winery is specialized in pinot noir and chardonnay. Then I worked two restaurants in Toronto, Canoe Restaurant and Bar at first, then Bite Me Restaurant by Marc Thuet. I learnt the skill of service there.

4) At the same time, you start sommelier competitions and wine classes and you start to be quite successful, right?

The first competition I participated in is the first Penfolds China Sommelier Competition in Shanghai in 2008. I was fortunate to get the 1st place, because my service is not very refined and up to the standard at that time, but I won because of my knowledge and tasting was stronger than other participants. In 2010, I was the champion for first Best Sommelier for French Wines Competition organized by Sopexa, and the champion for the 2nd China National Sommelier Competition. Internationally, I was 2nd place for the first Greater China Sommelier Competition in Hong Kong, and 4th place for International Jeunes Sommelier competition in Spain, organized by Chaines des Rotisseur for sommeliers under 32 years old.

In terms of certification, besides graduated from international Sommelier Guild, I was fortunate to become the 1st from mainland to pass Certified Sommelier Exam from Court of Master Sommeliers, and one of currently 4 people in mainland completed WSET Level 4 Diploma.

5) And why did you come back to China? You had already done a lot of things in Canada? Was it not difficult to start again in China?

China is my home country, my family and friends are here. Also the wine market here is booming tremendously. I have advantage over local sommeliers because of my educational background, and over foreign sommeliers because I can speak Chinese. It was very challenging at first, because I have never worked in China, I don’t know the market, and many things are different from Canada. But I am lucky enough to manage to get by, and still remain a sommelier till now.

6) Yes China wine industry is booming. Imported wines of course, but Chinese are also starting to do good wine. What do you think?

Chinese wines still have a long way to go, but we have been witnessing some very positive signs and great progress already in recent years. Of course Grace Vineyard has been the leading quality-oriented producer. There are a few smaller wineries that have gained much reputation as well, including Silver Heights and Jia Bei Lan. It seems the number of small-scale wineries is growing fast. I am very sure there will be more and more good Chinese wines. But it will take much more time, investment and effort to produce a truly great wine.

7) The wine that left you the best memory so far?

Probably tasting with Aubert de Villaine from DRC in 2009. He came to Shanghai, and guided us through the 2005 vintage. Not only I tasted great wines and learnt a lot, but I also witnessed a true legend in wine industry, and understood what made him so great. The day before the tasting, I was personally serving a hairy crab to him at our Chinese restaurant. That was fun too.