October 2008

China Wine News

ART & SCIENCE OF WINE BARS

If I had a glass of Champagne Jacquesson for every time someone asked me for a great wine bar to venture to in Shanghai, I would be very happy, and very drunk.  Many expats new to this town, who've experienced classic European and even new world wine bars, have this indelible understanding of what they are looking for.  A new theme on the classic model is Vino Venue at 1970 Hongqiao Lu in Gubei.  A sort of juxtaposition and amalgam of art and wine tasting, it has broached some interesting concepts, some that work well, others that seem like a thin vale over an ugly sister.  What is great about Vino Venue is the number of wines available to taste and test, around 40 wines by the glass.  A decent range of low to mid-range products covering non-obscure varieties can be sipped in 25, 100 and 150ml pours.  But get this cost-conscious folk, there is no premium if you have the smaller pours, so a flight of six small pours is the same as a full glass-heaven.  Me and my able-bodied guests settled on this fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the famed Marlborough region, THE (which stands for Terrace Heights Estate).  Full of tropical fruit, green capsicum (bell peppers) and fresh herbs, it was more than enough to quench our thirst and aid us as we considered what exactly is art.