Clare Valley has an elevation of 400 to 500 meters, with a moderate continental climate featuring warm to hot days and cool to cold evenings. (Photo/Shanghai Daily)
Over the years, Shanghai palates have become far more discerning. In 2015 our city reached new levels of wine sophistication and appreciation so, in keeping with this week's iDeal topic of looking back on developments over the past twelve months in the local dining scene, I thought it would be fun to highlight some major wine trends. I'll also provide a personal take on some of the major trends. So let's take a look at what was hot and what was not in 2015.
China market battle
With a few hiccups along the way the China wine market in 2015 continued to grow in terms of prominence and influence. French wines continued to dominate imports but wines from other countries — including Spain, Italy, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand — cut into French market share. Some interesting competition came from South Africa and Portugal because of the great price-to-quality ratio of many of their wines. And let's not forget Chinese wines. While many lesser Chinese wines that are often fortified with imported bulk wine are still terrible, in 2015 I tasted more and more good quality domestic wines.
In general, Chinese consumers have become more price conscious, demanding good wines at fair prices, while also seeking out more diverse styles. This trend may not benefit 1855 Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux, Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy and Champagne wines, but will move some of the spotlight to the wonderful wines of the less heralded French wine regions, like the Northern and Southern Rhone, Languedoc in the south, the Loire in central France and Alsace to the northeast. In other words, don't feel sorry for the French. My take: France will remain number one but gradually lose market share to other wine producing nations.
Recently I spoke on a panel at a symposium in Shanghai. Our discussion revolved around opportunities and market trends in China, and in particular in Shanghai. I was aghast that many opinions from the panel members were the same as I heard a decade ago. Let's dispel some myths that may have held credence in the past but not in 2015 in Shanghai.
Chinese don't drink wine at home. This has been a standard catch phrase of wine experts in China for years. While this still holds true in less developed cities, it's not true in Shanghai and other large metropolises. According to my sources at wine shops throughout the city and friends at leading wine websites and social media channels, more and more wines are being bought for home consumption. My take: the ease of purchasing wines online and the ability to share the experience through social media with friends bodes well for more wine drinking at home.
Chinese don't like bubbles. Granted, older people didn't grow up with carbonated drinks and may not be accustomed to bubbles. This isn't the case with younger generations who grew accustomed to fizz in their soft drinks and have no problems with sparkling wines. In Shanghai, 2015 was another year where sparkling wines outperformed the general wine market. My take: Shanghai looks great in bubbles.
Males make all the decisions, and this means red wines. I readily admit that in China red wine still dominates the market and men still make many wine purchasing decisions. However, in 2015 in Shanghai I saw an increase in the assertiveness and independence of female wine drinkers. These mostly professional white-collar ladies are less likely to defer to their male counterparts when purchasing wines and increasingly buying more delicate wines. This has benefited the market for white and sparkling wines. My take: go girls, go! You should have never have listened to those red wine loving males in the first place.
Wines are difficult to pair with Chinese cuisine. Some foreign experts who know their wines but nothing about Chinese cuisine still utter this rubbish. There's a good reason why regional Italian, Spanish and French cuisines go so well with their local wines. They've had centuries to refine and evolve the pairings. In China we're just starting, but the amazing diversity of wine styles from around the world means there's one — or likely several good wines — for practically every Chinese dish. We're still in the nascent stages but this is the holy grail for wines in China. In top Chinese restaurants in Shanghai I'm seeing more and more people drinking wine. My take: the embers of Chinese food and wine pairing have just begun to burn, but this is sure to be the biggest game in town.
Chinese like sweet or fruity red wines. This is true of many wine beginners but today many drinkers in Shanghai have moved on to more sophisticated wines.
One global wine trend that I've also witnessed in Shanghai in 2015 is an increasing appetite for cool climate whites. My take: cool and fresh whites are perfect for cool and fashionable Shanghai ladies — and, of course, the men that follow them.
Over the past decade winemakers around the world have been searching for cool climate wine regions to make their white wines. Why? Simply because regions with cool climates and good diurnal weather variation are ideal for making fresh and complex white wines. Dry Rieslings from Clare Valley in South Australia are excellent examples.
If you could pick a perfect climate to cultivate Riesling it would be a lot like the climate that Clare Valley enjoys. The region has an elevation of 400 to 500 meters, with a moderate continental climate featuring warm to hot days and cool to cold evenings. The heat of the day provides the necessary ripeness, while the cool evenings offset the heat of the day and allow the fruit to ripen slowly and more evenly. Put all these factors together and add in some of Australia's most talented winemakers and the result is world-class Rieslings.
The typical Clare Valley Riesling offers intense citrus flavors with good minerality and high natural acidity that make these whites both stylish and clean. These wines are also ideal partners to many Chinese dishes. Three of my favorite Clare Valley producers with wines in Shanghai are Petaluma, Pikes and Knappstien.
Pike's Traditionale Clare Valley Riesling
Grosset Springvale Clare Valley Riesling
Grosset Polish Hill Clare Valley Riesling
Sevenhill Inigo Clare Valley Riesling
Petaluma Hanlin Hill Clare Valley Riesling
Knappstein Hand-Picked Clare Valley Riesling
Jim Barry Lodge Hill Clare Valley Riesling
