Ian Dai is currently Wine Buyer at Amazon China. He has his WSET Diploma and is a stage 2 MW student. A wine judge, writer, journalist and translator, he has seen various aspects of the trade. Ian has previously been involved in a life style social medial start up, and then a wine focused event organizer and PR agency. On top of this, he has been a luxury hotel sommelier and wine retailer.
Explore the increasingly sophisticated food and drink scene in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city at the mouth of the Yangtze river. Ian Dai shares his tips on the best restaurants and bars to visit.
Higher than usual rainfall and subsequent disease mean that wine producers from Huailai County in China’s Hebei Province are cautious about 2015 wine harvest quality.
Uneven rainfall in September has complicated the 2015 wine harvest in the Ningxia region and is likely to lead to much more varied quality in this year’s vintage.
Ningxia has launched its second international winemaking competition with significantly increased number of participants. With more local wineries involved, this young region is set to absorb more hands-on know-hows from its international peers.
More Ningxia wine producers are selling wines made from varieties beyond Cabernet Sauvignon as they explore the Chinese wine region’s terroir potential.
Wine importer Summergate has become the exclusive distributor of Kanaan Winery in China, adding to evidence that growing numbers of wealthy Chinese wine lovers are interested in domestically produced wines.
Rhone Valley wine producers are attempting to win over a new generation of Chinese wine drinkers by appealing to youth culture via film, drama and fashion.
High quality white wine grapes are in short supply in Ningxia and the coming 2014 harvest is not expected to improve the situation significantly.
Like-for-like wine sales during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival period are set to drop sharply due to an expected reduction in gift giving, say local Chinese wine merchants.
A lack of proper fermentation conditions and professional sterilization process can make home-made wines risky to drink, experts have warned Chinese home-brew enthusiasts.