Beijing Boyce

Before going to Flo for lunch last week, The Flash and I visited The Wine Bank next door. The defining features are 14-foot ceilings, red brick walls, pine shelving and stone floors, with touches of glass, cast iron and gold trim. A second-floor alcove includes two sofas, while there are several tables up front if you want to park and try a bottle - after buying it, of course.

The Wine Bank has its share of tackiness - plastic plants, brick “wallpaper” pasted over cement in spots and the owner’s all-too-visible golf club collection. Even so, as The Flash says, “This is a nice place to have a seat and a bottle of wine.”

More than 80 percent of the wine on offer hails from Australia and includes labels such as Timber Ridge, Tallboy, Ferngrove, Plantagenet, Peel, and Just Red.

The Wine Bank is open from 11 AM to 9 PM, with free parking out front. It’s a convenient place to drop by and pick up a few bottles and, according to one employee, more branches are planned.

While The Tree is famous for pizza, sibling restaurant Nearby the Tree aims to make it big with pasta. The chilled-out second floor offers table seating, lounge areas, and an open kitchen (note: if you’re seeking a wireless signal, it’s strongest in the bar downstairs).

I had ricotta and spinach tortellini in spicy tomato sauce (RMB50). Homemade and tasty, the pasta is perfectly bite-sized. The only downside is that I easily could have eaten more and that there was a lot of leftover sauce. Easy solution: provide more bread - I only got two small pieces - thus providing more filler and ensuring that spicy sauce is mopped up.

By the way, the menu lists plenty of Belgian beers, including Leffe, Chimay and Waterloo Tripel, with prices starting at RMB45 and topping out at RMB 1405-165 for the 750 ML specialty beers. De Koninck, Hoegaarden and Beamish are available on tap for RMB40-50.

Question: Is it true that people in China mix wine with Sprite?

Answer: Yes.

I have witnessed hundreds of people indulge in this practice that raises the wrath of the wine-loving world. Ironically, most imbibers are foreigners and the smoking gun, so to speak, is none other than… the Champagne cocktail.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Frankly, I have not witnessed Chinese mix Sprite with an ’82 Latour or any other such vintage wine though I am sure this and other vinological atrocities have occurred. (And they make for good copy, as Business Week , The New York Times, Decanter and other media show.) It more likely happens with cheap local wine, the labels most foreigners wouldn’t even stoop to use for the Sangria they brew here. (Aha! Mixing wine and fruit, are we?).

People worldwide mix wine with plenty of things. It’s a pity if vintage wine is despoiled, but when it comes to most local grog, a dash of bubbly (variety: soda) doesn’t hurt. Just something to mull over while enjoying a perfectly good cup of Chinese tea… mixed with sugar and milk.

(Note: I added this post to my grapewallofchina.com site a few days ago, but thought it was appropriate here, too.)

If your taste buds need some exercise, check out some of these upcoming events in our fair city. If you’re in Shanghai, check here. (It’s always best to double-check the details with the event organizers.)

November 28, 7 PM, Loong Bar - JW Marriott (RMB150)
Taittinger Champagne tasting, by Torres, with guest Clovis Taittinger; RSVP with Sophie Sun (5165-519, x208 / sophie@torres.com.cn).

November 29, 7 PM, Aria Restaurant - China World Hotel (RMB888)
Sacred Hill wine dinner, by Jebsen, with chief winemaker Tony Bish; RSVP with Laurie Chai (8519-8693 / lauriechai@jebsen.com)

December 1, 6:30 PM, China Lounge (RMB388)
Washington State wines and contemporary Chinese cuisine, by ASC; RSVP with Dennis Zhang (6418-1598, x130 / dennis@asc-wines.com)

December 4, 7 PM, Le Quai Restaurant & Lounge (RMB508)
Cabernets of the World wine dinner, by Summergate; RSVP with Jessie Xiao (6562-5800 / jessie.xiao@summergate.com)

December 4, 7 PM, L’Isola Restaurant (RMB588)
Planeta wine dinner and launch, by East Meets West, with Francesco Planeta; RSVP with Wendy (6539-3773 / wendy@emw-wines.com).

December 6, 7 PM, Jasmine (RMB249)
Robert Skalli wine dinner, RSVP with Dennis Zhang (6418-1598, x130 / dennis@asc-wines.com)

As some readers know, my cohorts for pub and restaurant research, wine tastings, and general merrymaking often prefer to be known by pseudonyms. Thus, mention is made of Eddie O or The Cellar Rat or Agent Red Wolf, in order to protect their identities as high government officials and whatnot. One such pseudonym is Special K, a dangerous man to associate with if you are remotely interested in losing, or even maintaining your, weight.

Consider the past week - meeting this man meant gorging at Kro’s Nest, wolfing down deep-fried Camembert and assorted meats at Schindler’s, guzzling home-made pizzas at a house party, tackling enough food for six at Indian Kitchen, and draining pints of beer at Paddy O’Shea’s and Alfa, among other endeavors. In honor of Special K, who might better be named Special KG, and because I just finished the mammoth Outlaws of the Marsh, I quickly wrote some verse (with special references to his homeland of Canada):

Hail, the gourmand, Special K
From the land of hockey puck
Hear his hearty, “Let’s eat, eh?”
This foe of fowl and geoduck*

Wand-cum-menu in his hand
Heaven shakes on his command
Chicken bones in mountains rise
Up spring hills of curly fries
Stout in ebon rivers flows
Armies march of escargot
Hark! A noble waiter cries -
Here, my lord, Eskimo pies!

Hail, the gourmand, Special K
Gravy stain upon his toque
Hear his hearty, “I’m full, eh?”
So full, in fact, he wants to puke.

* Pronounced “gooey duck”

The Flash and I enjoyed the business lunch at Brasserie Flo last week. The RMB68 menu covers a starter and entrée, while the RMB98 version includes more options as well as dessert. If you prefer to order a la carte, and particularly if you crave fresh seafood, prepare to fully open your wallet.

Flo knows how to cook meat, so if you are used to employing a steak-ordering strategy of asking for medium-rare in order to get medium, discard it here. The medium-rare nearly moos at this place. The smoked herring salad is good, though pungent, so be forewarned.

This was my first visit to Flo and the place offered good food, excellent service and a high-end atmosphere at a reasonable price. I’ll be back…

The Rickshaw glassed in its balcony for the winter, adding another three tables worth of space for the burrito-loving, medium wings-munching masses. Kokomo enclosed its deck with a canvas top and glass walls - that means you can enjoy your Mai Tai in warmth. And the patio at Alfa, enclosed last spring, offers another cold-weather option, whether you’re there for eighties nights on Fridays or brunch on weekends.

Question: Is it true that people in China mix wine with Sprite?

Answer: Yes.

I have witnessed hundreds of people indulge in this practice that raises the wrath of the wine-loving world. Ironically, most imbibers are foreigners and the smoking gun, so to speak, is none other than… the Champagne cocktail.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Frankly, I have not witnessed Chinese mix Sprite with an ’82 Latour or any other such vintage wine though I am sure this and other vinological atrocities have occurred. (And they make for good copy, as Business Week , The New York Times, Decanter and other media show.) It more likely happens with cheap local wine, the labels most foreigners wouldn’t even stoop to use for the Sangria they brew here. (Aha! Mixing wine and fruit, are we?).

People worldwide mix wine with plenty of things. It’s a pity if vintage wine is despoiled, but when it comes to most local grog, a dash of bubbly (variety: soda) doesn’t hurt. Just something to mull over while enjoying a perfectly good cup of Chinese tea… mixed with sugar and milk.

Now that the 1.3 billion Beaujolais Nouveau parties are over, some other grape news… 

I have written this site’s sibling blog, Grape Wall of China, from the perspective of a wine consumer in Beijing. Starting this week, that blog has eight more writers, which include a mix of locals and expatriates working as wine distributors, makers, academics, educators and consultants in Beijing, Shanghai, Shanxi, Taipei and Hong Kong. That means readers will get a wider range of views on China’s wine scene at a time when it’s growing by leaps and bounds.

The contributors so far (in alphabetical order):
- John Isacs, author, bilingual ISACS Guides wine books
- Judy Leissner, CEO, Grace Vineyard
- Alain Leroux, general manager, Taillan winery
- Huiqin Ma, associate professor, China Agricultural University
- Dan Siebers, portfolio/area sales director, Summergate
- Simon Tan, director, Hong Kong-based International Wine Centre
- Campbell Thompson, Master of Wine Marketing student
- Peter Wright, writer and wine consumer

The full bios are here. Expect a few more writers to come on board over the next month or so.

The first three posts:
- Soaked in Shanxi: Non-vintage weather means challenges
- Unhealthy marriage: The gap between grape growers and wine consumption
- Shanghai: The two best wine deals in town

Note: This is a nonprofit project. I have no affiliation to wine company, and administer and bear all costs of running the site. The writers provide all material for free.

After enjoying a heart attack on a plate - that would be deep-fried camembert followed by a load of meat and carbohydrates - with Special K at Schindler’s last night, we popped into Paddy O’Shea’s, the Irish bar headed by man-about-town Glenn Phelan, whose previous gigs were at The Pavillion, Browns and Frank’s Place.

Paddy’s offers a high ceiling, an L-shaped bar, and dozens of stools on which to park and enjoy a pint or watch a game of pool. It’s a bar - plain and simple. I had a pint of Kilkenny (Guinness was maeyo: I hear numerous places are short due to problems at Customs) and tried a shot of Irish single malt (nice stuff!)

Paddy’s will be able to swing open its facade of windows in nice weather to make the place even more spacious. The ‘disco’ upstairs officially opens December 7.

By the way, Shamrock lovers will be pleased - such images abound. So many, in fact, that I plan to help the bar and cover a few of them with stickers and posters of Ireland’s* most famous band ever - The Bay City Rollers.

More on Paddy O’Shea’s soon.

* I still need to confirm the nationality of the band members.

See also Warning 1: Watch your nuts and Warning 2: watch your bag.

Sue is able to “hold her own” when she’s out for drinks with her mates and is often the one still dancing the night away when everyone else is exhausted. One recent night, she went to a bar for some cocktails. After finishing her second drink, she felt a bit off, set her head down and went to sleep. Her friends shook her awake an hour later, finding it strange that she “blacked out” and stranger that she needed help to walk to the taxi and get home.

Was Sue’s drink spiked? This is a good question. If reports from some my readers are any indication, Sue isn’t the only one who’s had this experience of late. Whether it’s someone blacking out and waking up disoriented 12 hours later or going to the hospital, sick after drinking and being told there is a “toxin” in his system, the word to consider is: caution. There’s no reason to panic but there is good reason to never leave your drink unattended, to patronize bars and bartenders you trust, and to make sure you party with people you know will get you home if something does go awry.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your zambonis.

As noted over a month ago, our fair city will soon feature a weekly Hockey Morning in Beijing (see Hockey Night in Canada for the inspiration behind the name).

The puck drops on December 2 at Alfa / Café St. Laurent.

Oyster omelets, bottomless Tim Hortons coffee, Bloody Caesars  - Canuck Chef Billy K is lining up a Great White North menu. Hockey Morning in Beijing - Sundays, from 8 AM to noon, meaning you can catch both games. Let’s hope Alfa cues up Stompin’ Tom (the must-see video is here):

Hello out there, we’re on the air, it’s hockey night tonight．
Tension grows, the whistle blows and the puck goes down the ice.
The goalie jumps and the players bump and the fans all go insane.
Someone roars, “Bobby scores!”, at the good ole hockey game.

Fifty Mission Cap by The Tragically Hip would be good, too.

In the meantime, keep your stick on the ice.

After our recent Go North Campaign, The Cellar Rat and I stayed closer to home. I decided to give an award to each place. (Note: This is part two of two. See part 1 here.)

Hard Rock Café: the place a lone male is most likely to feel as though he were a stray wildebeest trailed by a pack of hungry hyenas
I’d heard good things about the burger and band at Hard Rock Cafe, but perhaps post-10 PM on a Sunday night is not the best time to check these out. Let me set the stage: there were four male customers (including us) and 25 women, seemingly not customers, aggressively pursuing them.

These women were totally relentless. Uttering “I am not interested”, “I am a eunuch” and “We’re not the right star signs” had zero effect. I’ve nothing against someone plying their trade but when it is obvious said service is unwanted and the service providers not only continue unabated, but also the staff of the bar, which charges 60 kuai per pint, does nothing to alleviate the situation, then it’s time to go.

Note 1: Those so inclined can buy their Hard Rock Café merchandise near the door, thus being able to sidestep the scene inside.

Note 2: This place is cavernous and worth a look, although if you are innocently gazing about, you might quickly find some unwanted arms around your waist. Remain vigilant!

Passion: the highest ratio of entry fee per bottle of Chill
This is the old Hed Kandi space. It’s plush, mod and you can chat up a woman who could pass as, and might possibly be during the day, a model. That is, if you are willing to part with 300 kuai for the honor. The 100-kuai entry fee entitles you to a soft drink or a bottle of Chill that you can enjoy while watching high rollers play dice games and chat with said models while being mesmerized by the lights. The door staff eyed me with one of those “this isn’t really your place” looks - I think it might have been my fake wool jacket (I don’t mean the jacket was a fake, I mean it wasn’t real wool, so save your emails IPR fanatics).

Check this one off the list and move on.

The Den: best menu item to make sure your heart keeps up to your liver in the “which one will give out first” sweepstakes
How many places have stuck it out in Beijing as long as The Den? Not many. The service is good, the food is ideal for satiating late-night hunger, and the place is grungy enough that no one cares about the ketchup stain you got on your shirt from that Hard Rock Café burger (if you have one, that is). The Den, if anything, is dependable.

The Cellar Rat and I ordered the mixed platter, which includes a half-dozen deep-fried items – mushrooms et al – and is tasty with a couple of beers. We skipped the Chill and then ate our weight in calories and went home.

After our recent Go North Campaign, The Cellar Rat stuck closer to home and toured local spots. I decided to give an award to each place. (Note: This is part one of two.)

Rock n’ Roll: best use of red light and industrial design to provide a feel that is one part Cold War, one part Blade Runner, one part Logan’s Run and one part Mad Max (or maybe that’s the Budweiser talking)
Sunday night, 9:30 PM, most people are home getting ready for the work week, no? No. One recent Sunday, at least, people were packed into Rock n’ Roll to enjoy a cross-talk performance, dance music and plenty of the “Champagne of beers” - Budweiser.

You get to Rock n’ Roll through an entrance that features a rippled cement wall traversed by water and illuminated with red light. If that doesn’t scare you off, enter the cargo elevator and exit to a dim lobby dominated by concrete, stainless steel, a turnstile, and more red light. (This seems like a perfect set for a movie about foreign bar-goers who head out in search of a night of fun but instead find themselves drugged and harvested of organs, but I digress.) After paying the entrance fee (25 kuai), expect the metal detector treatment if you’re not checking your bag (2 kuai).

Inside, the seating is largely a curving mass of bar stools, tables, and lounge areas facing the dance floor. A warm six-pack of Budweiser and a fruit plate seem common fare, with a bottle of Bud at 25 kuai. The crowd tended to be twenty-something, but included numerous older patrons.

A cross-talk was in full play as we arrived, to the approval of the patrons, and then music began throbbing and the dance floor filled. Given there were but a handful of foreigners amid a few hundred locals, I suggested The Cellar Rat do us proud and bust out his infamous trademark moves, including the White Man’s Overbite, but he declined.

Cross: the most misleading signage on Sanlitun South
The large sign on the façade of Cross features the words “French style” and a photo of an attractive Caucasian woman seated at a table while two men look admiringly at her from a distance. It says one thing to me: massage. Actually, that’s what a sign says below it - “Massage - B1″ so finding a nice wine bar inside was a surprise.

The Cellar Rat described the interior as French colonial, which meant lots of plush chairs, dark woods, elaborate candlesticks, tan and chocolate-colored textiles, and a palm tree that starts on the main floor and rises into an empty space around which wraps a second floor balcony.

The lighting is dim, the staff is efficient, and this night saw numerous couples enjoying a Sunday of wining and dining. The wine list is extensive with plenty of choice, from Grand Cru to less wallet-punishing labels. Whisky starts at 38 kuai, cocktails are in the 50-kuai area.

A female singer and a male pianist performed standard fare, from Teresa Deng to Mariah Carey and The Beatles. The only downside: when the pianist went vocalist and massacred Casablanca. Again, it was a nice surprise to find a place to enjoy some wine and candlelit interaction.

Yes: best use of chemicals for crowd control
Just up the street and around the corner from Beer Mania, Yes also drew a large crowd on this Sunday. This is a standard bar / club: a long oval bar, lots of table seating, a dance floor, and a more exclusive area in back, with plenty of electric blues, candy apple reds, lime greens and ambers for those attracted to lights. The crowd tended to be young and the place apparently doubles as singles hangout (there’s a “partner wanted” board out front).

I’m not keen on the staff uniforms. The pink and white pajama / bowling shirt getups worn by the floor staff are okay, I guess, but having bar staff in sleeveless schoolboy outfits is a bit off (especially if they’re working hard and getting sweaty).

Our exit came shortly after the flair bartending show began. We saw the staff rolling up flammable materials, adding lighter fluid, and sticking them in bottles. Once those wicks were lit, we quickly called it a night before the ensuing cloud of gaseous fumes overtook us…

Note: Check back for part 2 of this pub crawl, in which The Cellar Rat lights himself on fire, throws up on a bar owner’s pet Chihuahua, and decides to have his two competing personalities engage in bilingual cross-talk in order to amuse a nearby table of Slovenian supermodels. (Actually, none of those things happened, but I thought a teaser was in order. However, if anyone knows of Slovenian supermodels that require amusing, please email me at beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

I think of Café L’Igosso in two situations: 1) when considering where one might take a date and 2) as I whiz by it on the Second Ring Road overpass. Unfortunately, in the case of 1) that someone is usually a reader in a panic rather than me, while in the case of 2) I am usually going home for the night. Last Saturday as we left the China World Hotel, The Flash smartly suggested we walk over to L’Igosso.*

Nice call: we arrived at midnight, shared the place with a dozen people, and enjoyed our final drink of the evening. Café L’Igosso offers a decent selection of wine (markups look to be about 100 percent) and Whisky. Bourbon lovers will find IW Harper at 48 kuai per shot (the only other place I have seen this label is Ichikura) while Schnapps sippers can enjoy Schladerer and Kirschwasser (the latter translates into “cherry water”).

* The Flash is to be commended for thinking up this idea, and coherently transmitting it, given the amount of wine he had already consumed.

Sir Campbell Thompson and I had a sneak preview of JW Marriott’s soon-to-open Pinot restaurant, where (not surprisingly) the wine list only offers Pinot. Restaurant manager Jurrien Bongers says wines from 15 distributors are included on the menu.

It impressed Sir C. “I think this wine list is a breath of fresh air,” he said. “It’s a good balance between traditional Burgundy and ‘New World’ Pinot.”

Then, he said, “Pinot is thin-skinned. Like people of the same nature, at its best it is brilliant, at its worst it is very difficult to work with.”

Then, he said, “Pinot is really expressive - it sings in the glass. If wines were opera singers, Pinot would have the biggest range.”

Then, we medicated him.

(By the way, those wishing other varietals may order from Cru, the upstairs American steakhouse, which lists a further 200+ wines on its menu).

First, the restaurant: Pinot is large, rectangular and high-ceilinged, seats about 100, and has a décor of orange and brown textiles, dark wood, tan marbles and silvery wallpaper. Elegance is provided by a series of chandeliers. As Sir C says, “It’s modern and confident, but not over the top.”

Next, the wines: we started with Australia’s Redbank “Sunday Morning” Pinot Gris (128 kuai / glass, 525 kuai / bottle). I smelled herbs and star anise, while Sir C picked up “a bit of white peach and pear” and said “this wine is meant to be simple and drinkable but is surprisingly complex and layered.” The finish was clean and tingly; how many nice things in life should end. We had pate with pistachios, and chutney, pickled cucumbers and onions.

Next up was a Portree Pinot Noir 2003, again from Australia. I smelled cherries, with hints of spice and cough syrup. “Very aromatic,” said Sir C. As the wine opened up, more fruit flavors came out, although my comment that they reminded me of “berry punch” brought only silence from Sir C. We drank this one with an eight-slab serving of Cotes du Boeuf with Bearnaise sauce, mashed potatoes, and green salad. Bongers says the meat is Angus beef and kept nearly 20 days in the refrigerator.

Our main course was served family style, underscoring efforts at Pinot to provide quality dining in a relaxed setting, says Bongers. “It’s a bit offbeat. We have the Marriott excellence with some informal touches.” Other such touches include mixing salads at the table, featuring family recipes from the chef (who hails from Lyon), and offering patrons ten different syrups to mix with their water (flavors include blackberry, lime, sugar cane and grenadine).

Such fare will not come cheap - I’m guessing our order would have been about 800 per person - but your bill is largely dependent on how much and which wine you drink. Save those mao or find someone (preferably not thin-skinned) with an expense account if you intend to sample the entire menu.

Pinot opens on November 22.

This is warning 2 of 3 to be issued this week. Also see Warning 1: Watch your nuts.

Someone stole my mobile phone last weekend. Sometime between me being bumped into by a group of guys in one bar and having paid for a drink in another, my beloved K-Touch B922 was nabbed. Hardly an isolated incident, my friends, but a good reminder scumbags do prowl among us.

Consider someone who recently had her laptop stolen in a restaurant / bar. The computer sat near a table’s edge, beside a sofa. She arrived when the place was quiet, did some work, and stayed on to meet friends as things got progressively more crowded and louder.

Several men came in and moved expertly throughout the room. One of them spotted the laptop and noticed the woman was distracted. He walked over, bumped it onto the sofa, then served as a shield as an accomplice approached, covered the laptop with a jacket and headed for the door. How do we know? A security camera caught the scene. Let’s hope the lady gets her laptop back.

The obvious lesson: watch your bag, your phone, your laptop, your wallet, and anything else of value you take out in public in Beijing.

Hot on the heels of a rough ride for the former owners of The Saddle (now known as Lugas), it sounds as if Shooters is having employee-landlord woes. This appeared on the bar’s Web site (thanks to AT for the tip):

Announced unexpectedly on 11th November the ownership of Shooters has changed. Just over one year after setting up the business from scratch and turning the spot around from a struggling Russian / Dumpling restaurant into what we know and love today, the proficient Caojian and Ajian have parted ways with the landlord. The landlord, a silent partner and investor in the business, believes he can run things as successfully without the support and experience of the ever popular barmen! All is not lost as Caojian and Ajian have learned a lesson or two and hope to open another bar soon, although the place and name are still to be decided.

Hmmm, that doesn’t sound good, though it would be nice to hear both sides of the story. Add this on top of the Bar Blu closure (it just reopened) and other stories, and Sanlitun North is one scary place to do business in my book.  In any case, the bartenders at Shooters are among the most efficient around, so expect them to be back in action soon. For my initial take on the place, see Shooters: They’ll Cap Your Glass.

This is warning 1 of 3 to be issued this week.

If my observations are any indication, the personal hygiene habits of one-third to one-half of male bar-goers in Beijing are deficient in the “washes hands after using toilet” category. This holds true whether these patrons have just finished shaking their tally whackers at a urinal or more prolonged business in a stall. It applies both to locals and expatriates.

And this brings me to the humble peanut. A bowl of these ranks among the most common and shared bar snacks in town. As anyone knows, grabbing a handful means a good bit of “digging around” in the bowl and thus much skin-to-peanut contact. The implications are obvious. So, next time you find a hair in your bowl, don’t blame the waiter - instead, look at the guy beside you.

Or just BYOP (Bring Your Own Peanuts).

Prepare your palates for these upcoming events on the Beijing wine circuit. No surprise, Beaujolais Nouveau is the wine du jour - yes, it’s a huge marketing gimmick, but the parties can be fun. For a change of pace, check out the Friday tasting at Sequoia Cafe (Sanlitun), which takes a break from wine this week and has four different Aussie brews for 100 kuai. (Note: The list below is based on email from wine distributors and on that’s Beijing and Beijing Talk magazines. It’s best to double-check details with the organizer.)

November 1-18, Carrefour’s Shuang Jing store (5190-9589)
Autumn wine fair

November 13, 6:30-9 PM, Prego - The Westin Hotel, Financial Street (RMB150)
Allegrini wine tasting; wines include Soave DOC, Chardonnay IGT, Pinot Grigio IGT, Merlot IGT, Bardolino DOC, Valpolicella DOC, Valpolicella Classico DOC, “La Grola” IGT, Amarone Classic; contact Claudia at claudia.chen@summergate.com to RSVP.

November 15, Le Bistrot Parisien (RMB45 per glass, RMB198 per bottle)
Beaujolais Nouveau festival, with French performances and a meal by Chef Patrick Pontoizeau. Call 6417-8188 for details.

November 15, 6 PM, Le Baie des Anges (free)
Beaujolais Nouveau event. Call 6657-1605 for details.

November 15, 7 PM, Pekotan Deli & Wine - Central Park, Building 12 (RMB60)
Beaujolais Nouveau launch party by Palette Vino and Pekotan; Domaine du Penlois 2007. To RSVP, call 6533-6605 or email info@palettewines.cn.

November 15, 7-9 PM, The Bookworm (Advance: RMB100, includes three glasses of wine; at the door: RMB120)
Beaujolais Nouveau tasting by Metro and The Bookworm (tickets available at both places)

November 15, 7-10 PM, Kranzler’s Restaurant & Bar - Kempinski Hotel (RMB150)
Beaujolais Nouveau party by Kranzler’s and Summergate; Georges DuBoeuf 2007; call Jessie at 6562-5800 or Mary at 6465-3388, x4105 to RSVP.

November 16, 7 PM, My Humble House (RMB1100RMB)
Vega-Sicilia wine dinner, with Proprietor Pablo Alvarez and Chief Winemaker Javier Ausas; contact Sophie at 5165-5519, x208 or sophie@torres.com.cn to RSVP.

November 16, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Cafe (RMB100, includes four bottles of beer, snacks)
Weekly Friday night tasting at Sequoia Café in Sanlitun. This week features Aussie beer: Victoria Bitter, Cascade Premium, Cascade Light and, from Tasmania, Boags. Join the e-vite list by emailing Frank at frank.siegel@gmail.com.

November 16, 6:30-8:30 PM, Bentos & Berries - Kerry Centre (free)
Beaujolais Nouveau event by Top Cellar. Go here to reserve a spot.

November 16, 7 PM, Justine’s - Jianguo Hotel (RMB688+15%)
E. Guigal wine dinner at Justine’s, with chef Raphael Miloux; contact Dennis Zhang at dennis@asc-wines.com / 6418-1598, x130 for details.

November 17, 5:30 PM, China Lounge (RMB150)
Five American wines with canapes; contact Dennis Zhang at dennis@asc-wines.com / 6418-1598, x130 for details.

November 17, 7-9:30 PM, Cafe Europa (RMB250)
Free-flow Louis Jadot Beaujolais - Villages Nouveau; appetizers by Chef Tal. Contact Dennis Zhang at dennis@asc-wines.com / 6418-1598, x130 to RSVP.

November 22, 7 PM, Capones (RMB500)
“Wines around the World”; Capones and ASC Fine Wines teams up with Chef Marco. Contact Dennis Zhang at dennis@asc-wines.com / 6418-1598, x130 to RSVP.