News

In 2002,  Shikegazu Misawa planted a revolutionary Koshu vineyard in Akeno. Instead of growing the variety on pergolas, the proprietor of Grace Wine trained the vines by VSP or Vertical Shoot Positioning. The motivation is quality, over volume. Cuvée Akeno, the resultant wine, is concentrated and intense. It is Koshu’s …

BREAKING NEWS! DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS 2019 The 16th annual competition was judged in London  between 29 April and 3 May 2019.  Close to 17,000 wines were entered from 57 different countries. In the Asia category, these were the number of wines entered: China 265 (45% awarded a medal) Japan 84 (61% …

The Story Chateau Sainte Roseline is named for the daughter of the Marquis de Villeneuve, Lord of Les Arcs, in the south of France. Born 756 years ago in January 1263, the young girl disobeyed her father for a virtuous cause. When she was discovered for her transgression, her disobedience triggered a …

The 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards sampled and judged close to 17,000 wines, entered from 57 different countries, between 29 April and 3 May 2019 in London. Wines from China were awarded seven Gold medals China shows no signs of slowing down in its quest to produce award-winning wines for the global …

5 STARS Domaine de Chevalier White 2018 Every vintage, three whites are always at the top. Haut-Brion, La Mission and Domaine de Chevalier. You may also mistake them – particularly in hot years – for being great Burgundies when the whites are 25, 30 and more years old. With this …

VERDICT : THE 2018 BORDEAUX VINTAGE The most frequently mentioned word concerning the 2018 Bordeaux vintage is “mildew”. Great care was required of winegrowers to ensure there was as little damage as possible. Hopes were not high when between December 2017 and May 2018 an entire year of rain – about …

Yechun Teahouse • Yangzhou ?广陵区丰乐上街8号(近西园饭店)    ?86 514 8736 8018 Yangzhou was a favourite of Qianlong (1711 – 1799). The Manchu emperor visited the city six times in his southern expeditions. This was before the age of motor travel and aeroplanes. The distance between Beijing and Yangzhou was some 800 …

Japanese drinks giant Suntory’s Tomi No Oka winery, at its highest point, is 600 metres above sea level. Apart from producing single vineyard Koshu and red Bordeaux blends, it also has stunning views of Mount Fuji. It is my belief that Koshu, the grape, originates from China. Between 630 and 838, …

On 1 January 2019, Vincent Chaperon became the new custodian of  the world’s most famous Champagne. His formal title is Chef de Cave. What that really means is the 43-year young Frenchman is the spokesman, winemaker, ambassador and interpreter of Dom Perignon. When Chaperon assumed the top post at Dom Perignon in …

The range of wines known as Clarendelle, Inspired by Haut-Brion, has a new look. Created in 2005, the re-launched labels cover the entire range of the family of premium Bordeaux wines: red, white and rosé, and Amberwine from the Monbazillac appellation. Prince Robert of Luxembourg – photographed here at Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion – is …