Beijing Boyce

Oliver Sedlinger, Stefan Fleischer, his friend Vera and I tried some Austrian wines a few weeks ago. (Disclosure: Oliver’s friend makes the Schandl wines tried and Palette Vino, where Stefan works, distributes them.)

First was a Schandl Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, the first Austrian red I’ve tasted. It had tobacco, spice and black cherry on the nose, though the fruit explosion on the tongue was a bit much. We let the wine breath and the fruit flavors evened out, giving us a palatable wine with a strong cherry and slightly berry finish. “This wine has restrained tannins and is exceptionally fruity, which is not typical of a Cabernet. Californian and Australian are heavy on tannins,” said Stefan. He added, “That’s a wine that really needs to breath,” to which Oliver added, “It appreciates breathing,” to which I added, “So do I.”

We then tried Kracher Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003 (ASC Fine Wines) and Schandl Cuvee Beerenanslese 2003, two sweet wines. The flavor and aroma of the Kracher was full-on honey, with a few floral scents on the nose. It was sweet and filling - nice. In contrast, the Schandl had a light and fruity nose with hints of sour apples. Stefan noted the acidity was noticeable in the Shandl, but not the Kracher.

Both sweet wines were appealing. From a marketing standpoint, the consistent and rich Kracher seems a better sell - it’s dependable and safe. The Schandl on the other hand is a bit more complex, something you might sit down, taste and talk about. Why not try both, I say, and stick in a Canadian ice wine and a Hungarian Tokai to boot?

(Note: We tasted these wines at Cafe Pause, in Dashanzi, where Stefan is co-owner. We also tried some new menu items, including bacon, mushroom and pistachio dumplings with lemon butter and deep-fried wonton shrimp with soy / wasabi sauce.)

(This story first appeared in issue 32 of the Beijing Boyce e-newsletter, mailed on March 1, 2007.)  

Next week is “Readers’ Writes” week on this blog as I shut my keg hole, so to speak, and instead draw on the collective wisdom of my newsletter’s readers. I surveyed about 25 of them two weeks ago and 17 replied, listing their favorite current and all-time Beijing bars, and providing insights into the city’s nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and are an interesting, if small, sample for those bar owners out there who want to know what patrons think…

I’ll post three to four reader’s responses per day, starting Monday. They will also appear in issue 33 of the newsletter, which was due out last Thursday and will definitely be out in the next few days - I finished it last weekend, but have a few coding issues to figure out…