Giddy Times for Chinese Wines

From the Wall Street Journal March 20, 2010

By Stan Sesser

Open the suede-covered case and there's another box inside, this one made of cork. That second box contains a black silk bag with gold decorations. Alongside is a rolled-up scroll, with the signature of the chairman of the board, telling you in both English and Chinese that the $586 you've just spent has bought you a "miracle."

After all this, the bottle of wine inside the silk bag could only be an anticlimax. The label just says that it's a Merlot from Dynasty, one of China's three giant wine producers. There's no information on the vineyard or its location. There's no vintage date on the bottle. Asked about the pricing, He Rujun, Dynasty's East China general manager, said: "Merlot is so hard to grow in China. Dynasty spent 20 years to successfully grow it. Also, it was personally developed by our chairman and the quantity is limited."

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Vineyard Voyager - Marc Curtis of China Wine Tours

Raised in a military family that was constantly on the move, American Marc Curtis grew up appreciating travel and different cultures. A career in TV production furthered his passion for experiencing new places and after extensive travels around the world he arrived in China four years ago to set up a business in the domestic tourism industry. Today he operates China Wine Tours, a company that organizes wine tours in China. We spoke with him last month about his background, business and favorite Chinese wines.

TheBeijinger.com