Beijing Boyce

Wet your whistle at these upcoming wine events and shows…

Upcoming Beijing tastings

March 6, 7 PM, Brasserie Flo (Rainbow Plaza), RMB498
Gerard Bertrand wine dinner, by East Meets West; six wines; 30 seats available; To RSVP, contact Felix (Brasserie Flo) at 13161-338-874 or Wendy (EMW) at 6445-5797.

March 7, 6:30 PM, Sequoia Café (Sanlitun), ~RMB100
Weekly tasting; join the e-vite list by contacting Frank at frank.siegel@gmail.com

March 8, 6 PM, Nearby the Tree, RMB150
Women winemakers, by Beijing Wine Club; 5 wines with light canapes; contact: Gabe at info@beijingwineclub.com

March 12, 7 PM, Cafe Europa, RMB150
Mount Langi Ghiran tasting, by The Wine Republic; four wines with “tasting plates”

March 15, Blu Lobster, RMB1788
Chateau Cos d’Estournel Grand Cru Classe dinner, by ASC, with Cos d’Estournel CEO Jean Guillaume Prats; RSVP by calling Blu Lobster at 6841-2211, x6728

March 20, 7 PM, Grill Restaurant (Radisson SAS), RMB588
Kendall-Jackson wine dinner, by ASC, with Jackson Asia-Pacific Regional Director Jack Cook; RSVP by contacting Helen Lu (ASC) at 6418-1598, x226, or Daisy Wang (Radisson) at 5922-3152

March 26, 6:30 PM, Aria (China World), RMB1200
Riedel wine tasting dinner, by ASC, with company CEO Maximilian Riedel; 4 wines; participants take home 4 Riedel glasses; RSVP by contacting Helen Lu (ASC) at 6418-1598, x226

Note: To get an wine event listed, send the event information, preferably in text format, to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.

Upcoming China trade shows

Shanghai China International Wine Exposition, 10 AM-5 PM, March 14-16, Shanghai Mart*

Wine Culture China, March 16 -18, China World Trade Center*

Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2008, 9:30 AM-6:30 PM, May 27-29, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center

* A hat tip to Ricardo D for sending me these links.

The ballots are out for the annual that’s Beijing restaurant awards. Four restaurants tied for the most nominations - Alameda, Cafe de la Poste, Chef Too, and Salt - with five each.

In terms of the best non-Chinese restaurant category, the nominees are Alameda, Aria (China World Hotel), Blu Lobster (Shangri-La Hotel), Cafe de la Poste, Cepe (Ritz Carlton Financial Street), Chef Too, Hatsune, Jaan (Raffles Hotel), Mare Nostrum, Rumi, Salt, and W Dine & Wine.

For best Chinese restaurant, the nominees are Da Dong Roast Duck, Dali Courtyard, Din Tai Fung, Green T House, Haidilao Hot Pot, Hua Jia Yi Yuan, Made in China (Grand Hyatt Hotel), Pure Lotus, South Beauty, Three Guizhou Men, Whampoa Club, and Xiao Wang Fu.

And for best wine list, the nominees are Cepe (Ritz-Carlton Financial Street), Cafe Europa, La Baie des Anges, The Courtyard, Aria (China World Hotel), Amigo, Vineyard Cafe, and Mare Nostrum.

Voters may also choose a write-in candidates. To cast your ballot, check here or fill in the paper ballot in the next issue of that’s Beijing.

This is the fourth in a series of posts on places that I have recently toured and that are projected to open over the next few months. Previously: The new Nali Studios: The Saddle Cantina, Project H2O; The new China Doll; The Legation Quarter

In a city where some high-end venues seem intent on blinging each other out, The Hidden City, a project by Elite Concepts, is refreshing for being reserved. Just south of Pacific Century building and east of Revelations (ex-Browns), this complex of about a dozen buildings will include bars, restaurants, a coffee house, an art gallery and a private club. Red bricks walls, oak plank floors, ceiling beams, ample paths, green areas, and plenty of trees suggest a relaxed getaway in the heart of the city - which I guess explains the “hidden” in its name.

Most of the buildings are new - the striking exception being a refurbished two-story factory / warehouse that will hold 1/5 lounge bar - though they evoke a slower-paced time in Beijing’s past. 1949’s Eva Lipman gave me a tour of the place last week. Here are the key venues:

- Duck de Chine, a Beijing duck restaurant split into two narrow rustic buildings of 200 square meters separated by a green space and a glass-walled area that displays the roasting ovens; one room will include a Bollinger Champagne bar.

- Noodle Bar, a cozy spot that seats about 12 at its counters.

- Well Bar, an outdoor four-meter-wide well in which a waist-deep floor has been installed: the plan is for the bartenders to work in the well (let’s hope that flooring is secure!), the patrons to sit around it, and the house brew - “1949″ - to flow.

- Sugar, a coffee and dessert house

- 1/5 restaurant, a large space with an open kitchen, “comfort food”, Sangria, and a slanted roof that peaks at about 10 meters and allows in natural light.

- 1/5 lounge with a four-sided bar on the first floor and VIP rooms upstairs. Lipman says the music will have an “old school” theme (think classic rock).

There will also be a private club.

What strikes me about 1949: The Hidden City is its cohesiveness and modesty. The earthy tones, the beams, the green space, and the understated décor and furnishings work well. The construction materials seem frugal - in the sense of being practical, rather than cheap - and contribute to the unassuming atmosphere. Let’s hope the final product carries this same air. The question with such multi-establishment projects is whether they can fashion success from the sum of their parts. For now, the answer is - and yes, this is a horribly cheesy way to end – hidden.

1949: The Hidden City is slated to open on March 31, save for Well Bar and 1/5 lounge, which will open shortly after.