Great Wines of the World Asia 2017: A New Benchmark for Fine Wine for China
The fourth annual Great Wines of World Asia hit a new milestone in fine wine world with two impressive tastings – one in Beijing and one in Hong Kong. The Beijing event at the Rosewood Hotel was the first of its kind in China’s capital and saw more than 1,000 wine trade attend the walk-around tasting of almost 200 wines from 78 wineries including some of the greatest names in the wine world such as Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Opus One.
The multi-city event in China began with an awards dinner in Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental ballroom to announce the Wine of the Year 2017 on November 2. JamesSuckling.com awarded the honor to one of three wines rated 100 points in Chile this year: Almaviva Puente Alto 2015. Check out the video produced by JamesSuckling.com for the announcement of the wine of the year award with drone footage from Chile. Each winery brought magnums to the dinner to share with other winery representatives as well as VIP wine merchants and consumers from all over Asia. The Wine of the Year 2017 and Runner-up winery (Petrolo Galatrona 2015) received Lalique Ferragamo 100-points brief cases as their awards.
The next day saw the walk-around tasting at the Four Seasons Hotel attract more than 1,000 participants to taste recent vintages from some of the best wines rated by JamesSuckling.com in 2017 and more. For a complete list of the wineries and wines, check out the PDF of the Great Wines of the World Asia 2017 guide.
Hong Kong: More than 1,000 wine trade attended the walk-around tasting.
Most of the wineries made the three-hour flight north to Beijing for the Monday tasting at the Rosewood Hotel. More than 1,500 trade members from all over China signed up for the event. About 30% were distributors of COFCO, China’s largest food and drinks conglomerate and the biggest importer of wine in the country. The $60 billion company organized a fine wine forum the day before the tasting with panels and tastings with top wine producers and 600 distributors.
The Great Wines of the World event in Beijing ended with an after-dinner party with producers and VIP wine trade at the members only Jockey Club Beijing including family style Chinese cuisine with wines of all the producers. Entertainment included a live performance by Surahn Sidhu of Flight Facilities as well as Isabel Suckling, James’ daughter and recording artist from London.
Beijing: Group photo of wineries
The next JamesSuckling.com event in Hong Kong and Beijing is Great Wines of Italy Asia beginning on December 5 at the Rosewood Hotel in Beijing. Some spaces are still available for trade members and consumers. The tasting event will also be held in Hong Kong on December 7, Bangkok on December 8 and December 9 in Phuket.
Participating Wineries of Great Wines of the World Asia 2017
ARGENTINA Bodegas Caro, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Catena Zapata, Tapiz, Trapiche, Viña Cobos AUSTRALIA Cape Mentelle, Ochota Barrels, Penfolds, Torbreck, Vasse Felix CHILE Montes, Almaviva, Clos Apalta, Concha Y Toro, Errazuriz, Polkura, Ritual, Seña, Viña Maipo. Viñedo Chadwick CHINA Ao Yun FRANCE Champagne Barons de Rothschild, Château Tour Saint Christophe, Château Haut-Brisson, Château Bélair-Monange, Château Calon-Ségur, Château Canon, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Clerc Milon, Château d’Esclans, Château d’Issan, Château Pédesclaux, Château Faugères, Château Péby-Faugères, Château Fleur Cardinale, Château Fombrauge, Château Les Grands Chênes, Château Giscours, Caiarossa, Château Guiraud, Château La Conseillante, Château Figeac, Château La Tour Carnet, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Monlot, Château Montlabert, Château d’Arcins, Château Montrose, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Pape Clément, Château Pavie, Château Pichon Baron, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Rocheyron, Château Suduiraut, Château Trottevieille, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Domaine de Chevalier, Domaine Ostertag, Domaine Valentin Zusslin, Essence de Dourthe, Georges Duboeuf, Joseph Drouhin, Louis Latour, Louis Roederer ITALY Allegrini, Bellavista, Bellaria, Bibi Graetz, Bruno Giacosa, Casanova di Neri, Castello Banfi, Castiglion del Bosco, Ceretto, Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, Eredi Fuligni, Fattoria Le Pupille, Feudo Maccari, Frescobaldi, Marchesi Antinori, Marchesi di Barolo, Masi, Mazzei, Montepeloso, Orma, Ornellaia, Petrolo, Pio Cesare, Planeta, Renieri, San Filippo, Schiopetto, Siro Pacenti, Tasca d’Almerita, Tenuta Sette Ponti, Valdicava, Vietti NEW ZEALAND Cloudy Bay PORTUGAL Niepoort, Graham’s, Prats & Symington, Quinta do Noval, Taylor’s SPAIN La Rioja Alta, Terroir Al Límit, Clos D’Agon, Dominio de Pingus, Marqués de Riscal, Muga THAILAND Siam Winery URUGUAY Bodega Garzón USA Antica Terra, Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer, Continuum, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Domaine Serene, Harlan Estate, Kosta Browne, Mayacamas, Newton, Opus One, Paul Hobbs, Peter Michael, Quintessa, Faust, RdV Vineyards, Realm Cellars.