How Chinese learn to drink wine

They might have traveled to the world’s best vineyards, but Chinese understanding of wine still has a long way to go
By Andrea Fenn 21 October, 2011

China uncorks more than 1.2 billion bottles of wine every year. A great deal of them are expensive imported grapes, like French Bordeaux or Italian Barolo. And most importantly, the majority of drinkers are local Chinese.
Yet wine still remains a conundrum to even the most educated Chinese: obscure words describing exotic vines, mysterious tasting notes referring to uncommon comestibles (wine drinkers are challenged when it comes to finding licorice or blackberries in a local shop).
More on CNNGo: Wine’s new new world emerges: China
All this, paired with the bleak unavailability of Chinese-language information about wine, makes the choice of a bottle at the bar, or from the supermarket shelves, a painful and often even embarrassing experience.
Chinese don’t understand when they read ‘hints of blackcurrant leaf’ in the tasting notes, because we don’t have blackcurrant here.
— Martin Hao, wine teacher at ASC Fine Wines
Learn it online, in Chinese
To rescue Chinese consumers in the epic journey discovering the world of wine, “Wine Connoisseur” is China’s first online wine education program. (Watch one episode here.)
Now in its second season, the Internet-only Mandarin program is produced by ASC Fine Wines, China’s biggest wine importer and House Films, a Sino-U.S. film production company.
Each episode of Wine Connoisseur features a conversation between Zorro — representing the uneducated Chinese man at the bar who would like to know more about wine — and Martin Hao (郝利文) — the wine expert, ready to shed light on Zorro’s doubts.
Topics range from the basics, like recognizing the differences between the taste of white and red, dry and sweet wines, to the most daring matters, like pairing Chinese food with wine.
The more you drink, the less you understand
Hao, who works as a wine teacher for ASC, says despite drinking more and more and having wider choice, consumers in China understand less and less about wine.
“Chinese are eager to learn about wine, but because there is much chaotic information online, they are still in need of reliable resources,” says the 39-year-old Wine & Sprit Education Trust-certified educator.
At the same time, as wine entails words and concepts Chinese people often do not understand, teaching Chinese how to drink needs a lot of cultural mediation.
“Chinese don’t understand when they read ‘hints of blackcurrant leaf’ in the tasting notes, because we don’t have blackcurrant here,” he says. “To teach people about wine, you have to speak their language.”

Buy to show off
While there is a small yet growing group of wine connoisseurs, Hao notes the bulk of wine consumers in China are still in the “bling” phase, buying bottles to show off to their business partners or as an ostentatious present.
And among the different grapes, they tend to prefer Bordeaux to other wines because of its perceived value.
“Bordeaux was the first entering the market, and it has become a brand for Chinese people,” Hao points out. “When they are at the shop choosing wine, it is always the safest option.”
Yet just like many people round the world, Chinese wine consumers often judge a wine by the label.
Market research shows Chinese drinkers do not particularly like plain white labels, but tend to prefer red backgrounds and golden writing, as the two colors are regarded as lucky, and suitable for the gift season.
Buy to socialize
Although red is the most suitable choice for presents, consumers often prefer to drink white, sparkling or fruity wines. One wine fan, Cici Cao, is particularly fond of easy-to-drink Pinot Gris over more structured reds.
Cao, who works for a food import company, has gotten into wine through her job. She especially recognizes the networking value of wine.
More on CNNGo: Shanghai’s sexiest sommeliers share their most orgasmic wines
“Through wine and wine-related events, you can know people with similar interests and similar income,” she notes.
To other consumers, though, wine comes as a totally new discovery.
Coco Wu, marketing manager at cosmetic company Shanghai Vive, says she loves wine because, just like cosmetics, it has several levels of aroma and complexity.
Wu, who like Cao is in her late 20s, finds wine a great topic for conversation among friends, although she admits not all her acquaintances are as knowledgeable about the matter.
“When I go out for dinner, I order several bottles to pair different foods,” she says. “But no matter how good and different the wines I order, my friends still think they all taste the same. [It’s] quite annoying.”
More on CNNGo: China Wine Awards: The perfect wine for China
Nevertheless, the stereotype of foreigners knowing more about wine than Chinese is about to lose ground.
At one of Hao’s wine tasting classes, all 20 or so Chinese students were able to tell a Northern Rhône Syrah from a Southern Australian Shiraz quickly and confidently in a blind tasting.
This writer, a boozy Italian, was the only one who got them wrong.

Source: http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/drink/how-chinese-learn-drink-wine-715327

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

Wine Catering is a unique product of Yats Wine Cellars, created back in 2005 in response to a growing demand for private wine parties in Manila, Cebu, Subic, Angeles Clark Philippines.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Yats Wine Cellars can be reached at their Clark Wine Center Philippines wine shop located on the main highway M A Roxas of Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone or their sales office in Ortigas Centre, Metro Manila. Here is the contact information:

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
(045) 841 4006 / 0922-870-5173 / 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay
Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?
Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga
Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.
One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon.
Looking for a restaurant in Clark for a Business meeting? Or a place to eat with friends? Yats Restaurant offers exclusive dinner venue for groups, a good place to celebrate special occasions, it can be a party venue in town. Yats Restaurant is a recommended restaurant for private dinner in Philippines, a well-recognized restaurant that serves good food and good wines for dinner.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.yatsleisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Yats Restaurant is an excellent Restaurant to dine, a restaurant with good food, a good place to have birthday party and special events. A Kid-friendly restaurants in Manila

Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occasions

Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila.

www.YatsRestaurant.com

Where to go in Clark? Hotel Clark Philippines is a De Luxe Hotel in Clark and Subic, a risk free place to stay, cozy and nice ambience, a nice function place for special occasion. It is one of North Luzon Philippines’ top hotels that is trouble free, risk free, and a nice place to have rest in Subic. A well-recognized and interesting hotel.

www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com