Beijing Boyce

Wine importer and distributor The Wine Republic held its soft launch at Café Europa in Beijing last Wednesday. The company is a partnership between Rathbone Wine Group (Australia) and Campbell Thompson, a former marketing director at ASC Fine Wines and a contributor to Grape Wall of China. Its initial goal is to import cool-climate Australian and French wines, with a focus on temperature-controlled shipping and storage.

Guests tried four samples from Mount Langi Ghiran winery in the southern hills of Australia’s Great Dividing Range:
Riesling 2004
Billi Billi Shiraz 2003
Cliff Edge Shiraz 2001
Langi Cabernet-Merlot 2000

If you have trouble picking out varietals, then the Riesling is for you, with its full-on petrol aromas. Drinkers will likely find this to be a love-it-or-hate-it wine. Both the Billi Billi Shiraz and Cliff Edge Shiraz had black plum and a hint of pepper on the nose, the latter having a better mouth feel and more fruit. The Cabernet Merlot offers black cherry on a nose that suggests a heavier body than is found in the glass. The Wine Republic plans to soon officially launch with its full range of wines.

Cafe Europa marks its second anniversary on March 21 with free food, soft drinks and beer at RMB10 per glass, and still and sparkling wine at RMB25 per glass. While there won’t be a repeat of last year’s pig roast in Jianwai Soho’s courtyard, the BBQ will be fired up for the evening.

Q Bar now sports a shiny aluminum kitchen, so expect some snack options to soon appear on the menu. Don’t be surprised if Q also extends its popular deck. While Q has struggled with service at times - notably because it emphasizes making proper drinks, no matter how busy the place is - it ranks among the the brightest spots in the city’s drinking scene over the past two years.

I’ve only popped into OT Lounge briefly, so no review yet, but give credit to ex-that’s Beijing editor Leon Lee for lining up a slew of acts for the place. April includes performances by Xia Jia Trio (April 4), New Photon Trio (April 5, 19, and 26), New Photon Trio with Diliana Georgieva (April 11 and 12), and the Nathaniel Gao Quintet playing Thelonius Monk (April 18) and John Coltrane (April 25). OT has a happy hour from 5-8 PM daily, with two-for-one beer and cocktails and house wine at RMB25 per glass.

Cafe Europa’s Austrian wine lineup (Photo: C. Thompson)

Forty people gathered at Café Europe on January 24 for the launch of four Austrian wines the restaurant is not only selling, but also importing. Good times all around (see this China Daily article).

Expect to see more restaurateurs import their own wine and make their own beer (with The Saddle and 1949: The Hidden City planning to do the latter).

For Austrian wine lovers, or for those interested in giving them a try, here are the options:

Schloss Maissau Gruner Veltliner DAC 2006 (retail: RMB150; in restaurant: RMB180 bottle / RMB38 glass)
Johann Topf Riesling, Wechselberg 2006 (retail: RMB210; in restaurant: RMB250 bottle)
Umathum, Zweigelt 2006 (retail: RMB180; in restaurant: RMB200 bottle / RMB40 glass)
Prieler, Schuetzner Stein, 2004 (retail: RMB320; in restaurant: RMB350 bottle)

The two wines by the glass are good value - they are not only tasty, but also unavailable anywhere else in town.

When it comes to great grape names, Grüner Veltliner ranks up there. It sounds like the name of an ice hockey* player or an airship or a pair of fashion sunglasses. Or a belt of asteroids circling the sun. Frankly, it tastes better than all of these things put together.

Tastings of Grüner Veltliner are as rare as a week of Beijing “blue sky” days, but Cafe Europa in Beijing will have one on January 24, from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. RMB 150 fee gets you a taste of four Austrian wines (two red, two white) and canapes (RSVP: 5869-5663 / josefkiang@yahoo.com).

Here’s what one site has to to say about Grüner Veltliner wines:

Austria’s serious winemakers have discovered that, with lower yields and higher ripeness, Grüner Veltliner can produce stunningly intense and concentrated wines. Even the simple wines, from overcropped vines and underripe fruit, can have very pleasant citrus and grapefruit aromas, with a hint of the variety’s most distinguishing characteristic: the spicy fragrance of freshly ground white pepper.

For more details, see the full article.

By the way, I will soon re-start listing information about upcoming tastings, so keep the info flowing. Details are preferable in text format, so as to reduce the risk of my mistyping information from a pdf.*

I use “ice hockey” not because I hail from a non-hockey playing nation, but due to my sensitivity toward those who live or grew up in lands where “blue line”, “five-minute major” and “holy moly, what a goalie!” were not everyday language.

Welcome to Readers’ Writes week, starring the collective wisdom of 17 fellow bar-goers who answered my survey about their favorite Beijing drinking holes and the city’s nightlife scene. They include men and women, span five decades in age, hail from four continents, and provide some appreciated insights. (Note: This first appeared in last week’s newsletter. To get the newsletter, send an email with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry” in the subject line to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.)

Without further ado…

OLIVER SEDLINGER, Austrian, 6 years

Favorite Beijing Bar(s)
Cafe Pause and Cafe Europa for wine from home (Austria), Q Bar and Bed for drinks and cocktails, Maggie’s for 80s music and eye candy.

All-time Favorite Bar(s)
First Cafe, Neo Lounge

The Beijing scene
Beijing needs a place like YY in Shanghai

BH, American, business manager, 9 years in China

Favorites
As a thirty-something ex-pat, the Pavillion works for me. Nice atmosphere (especially during the warm weather months), few if any twenty-something riff-raff, lots of screens playing sporting events, and a “real” bar with footrests. For similar atmosphere (a la Lost in Translation), Red Moon is also a nice spot. Centro has somehow managed to retain its reasonably hip and comfortable “see-and-be-seen” atmosphere.

All-time
No Name at Houhai - the low-key atmosphere is the perfect alternative for those who can’t stand Babyface (or similar). Goose and Duck is, IMO, the single best “drinker’s bar” in Beijing. Good cheap draft beer. Genuinely friendly staff. Always a fun crowd (as opposed to Suzie Wong’s, across the street, where it seems everyone is itching to get into a fistfight - over girls, perhaps? Could that be possible in a town that has Maggie’s?). And pretty good snacks to match (best Sloppy Joe in town, IMO).

The scene
There are truly, positively, 100 percent without a doubt, not enough “real” bars in Beijing. And by “bars” I mean places where people go to unwind after a long day, perhaps catch a game on TV, chit chat with the bartender, etc. This must be the case if I find the bar at Friday’s (by St. Regis) to be among the best “bars” in town. At some point, the night scene here became usurped by an obsession with fashion, design (often bad), and bar-owner narcissism. Beyond that, the “pure” dance scene seems to be great. However, it is clear (from comments made to me by both men and women) that there is very little here between the traditional “bar” and “can’t hear you screaming over the music” nightclubs. There is a large group of frustrated singles out there who find it virtually impossible to find a nice little place with good music where nice people can mingle (The Tree comes to mind here, in terms of what Beijing needs more of).

STELLA GUO, Chinese, freelancer, 20 years

Favorites
Q-Bar: The place to end the evening (slumped over the bar ;- ) ). Great mixed drinks and friendly owners / bartenders
All-time
The Tree: Stinky four cheese pizza and Belgian beers
Touch Bar by Houhai: Not for the drinks, but a place to relax and watch the world go by, especially good on a warm spring afternoon
The scene
While there’re lots of bars in Beijing and new ones coming up every day, most kind of run together and good drinking spots are still hard to come by.

CHELSEY “LIVING THE DREAM” MARK, Canadian, performer / host / actor / singer / artist / model / freedom fighter / nightlife writer, 7 years

Favorites
Zeta, mainly because my friend is the manager there and the DJ is also my friend… ha! It’s like my Cheers in Beijing. I’ll always know that Sammy, Norm and Cliff will always be there… :)
I usually follow my party friends, which have finally moved from Suzie Wong to China Doll, which is nice… People at China Doll seem to be more polite and a little less “tipsy.”
Goose and Duck … John is going to rock it with the new space … he also sponsors my ice hockey team here! Go Hot Wings! The Jerseys are the coolest thing on ice…

All-time
Kai, because you can drop in any time, the staff are always calm and will never give you attitude, the drinks are cheap, the music is always an adventure, in a good way! And people are always ready to have fun and meet people. The size is perfect. Summer time … man, look out!

The scene
Beijing’s drinking scene is vast, don’t get sucked into always frequenting the same bars, have some fun and go to random places. Stick the bar list on the wall, and take your pick. Get used to having bad cocktails - there are few places in the city that can actually mix proper drinks, i.e. Centro, Zeta. Also, be aware of the fake alcohol, so if you want play it safe, stick to bottled drinks. When ordering, speak slowly, check it twice, and get used to the slow service in receiving your drink and change.

Wine Word: Expect to see Edward Ragg and Fongyee Walker, former Cambridge University Blind Wine Tasting Society captains, about town as they have relocated to Beijing. / Ex-ASC Fine Wines Marketing Director Campbell Thompson has headed to Australia to begin work on a Master’s in Wine Marketing, but will return to Beijing in a few months. Adam Steinberg will join ASC as communications director and step down from his volunteer position as co-organizer of Beijing Wine Club (BWC). Jenn Hinkle, who has been active in the wine scene, will become more involved in BWC. / Capone’s is offering two-for-one on two white and six red wines by the glass, as well as all alcoholic drinks, from 5 to 8 PM nightly. / Cafe Europa offers seven wines by the glass (40-45 kuai per) in its regularly rotating lineup. It has started a “lazy Sunday” breakfast menu (10 AM-3 PM): fruit juice, toast, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, two eggs with bacon or sausage, and free flow coffee or tea, for 50 kuai. Other options include pancakes with maple syrup and yoghurt with fruits, walnuts and honey. / By the way, Opener, two flights up from Cafe Europa, is a sedate nighttime getaway. The drinks are pricey, but this spacious artsy place offers a dozen bottled beers and a small Whiskey collection, mellow music and comfortable seating. / As for wine tasting events, Sequoia Cafe is continuing its excellent Friday night gatherings, with this week’s featuring Slovenian wines (6:30 PM, 50 kuai, RSVP required: call Frank at 13701-178-073). The Beijing Wine Club will hold a tasting of Australian boutique wines on March 3 at Hao Feng Cellars in the Henderson Center (7 PM; 150 kuai). ASC will have a Riedel wine dinner at the American Club on March 13 with company CEO with Maximillian von Riedel (6:30, 888 kuai, price includes four wine glasses). Summergate will hold a Chateau Lafite wine dinner at Aria on March 20 with winery CEO Christophe Salin (7 PM, 1888 kuai).

Opening Shots comes from the Beijing Boyce biweekly e-newsletter. To subscribe, send an email to beijingboyce@yahoo.com with “Eat, Drink & Be Merry” in the subject line.

TRIO has taken The Park Grill and The Cellar down a few notches and now offers a more affordable wine list (see Hanky Panky at Frankie’s below). / An investor in The Pavillion, which marks its one-year anniversary on November 16, says the group will open another venue in the Workers’ Stadium area in March. / Tim’s Texas BBQ (formerly John Bull Pub) will open in mid-November, says Frank Siegel, who is eager for the public to try his smoked meat. Frank says Tim’s will retain the popular trivia nights and look at incorporating the Friday and Saturday Mexican food cart. / Q Bar plans a December debut for its website, which will include a game where patrons drink cocktails made by George and Echo at faster-than-life speeds. Back in reality, a special East meets West drink - namely, a dragon fruit margarita - should soon roar into life at the Q (more on this next issue). / As part of the shift from blues spot to gallery and events venue, Icehouse has walled off its bar to create a narrow and intimate zone that could become a nice after-work getaway. The event experimentation continues as the venue hosts the high-energy Central Asian music of Panjir on Saturday night (50-kuai entry fee includes one Tsingdao). / Eddie O reports that Blue Fox, unable to replicate the success of its neighbor Centro, has howled its last. / Cafe Europa, a comfortable place to enjoy wine by the glass or bottle in the Soho district, will hold a tasting of four Cabernet Sauvignons (with tapas) next Thursday (150 kuai, email josefkiang@yahoo.com to RSVP). / Here’s a bar you don’t hear much about - Marine House. It’s on U.S. Embassy grounds, serves up the coldest beer in Beijing and is one place where you don’t want to anger the bouncers. / Tongli Studio’s Top Club is changing into Kokomo Bar and Restaurant. Yay! I mean, boo! I mean, hmmm… Meanwhile, Kebab Nation is now open on the studio’s ground floor. / The City Weekend website has an upgraded bars section that includes editors’ picks and a better directory (with handy phone numbers). As always, the forums on thatsbj.com are a good source of information on Beijing’s nightlife scene, including the recent Halloween bashes. / Add this to the list of drinkable Chinese wines: Grace Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.
(From Beijing Boyce XXIV, first emailed on September 21, 2006)