New taste for a new wine scene: Spanish sparklies
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As the final days of 2017 gracefully fade into the history books, it’s time to reflect on the evolution of wine and wine culture in China. China’s special traditions and long history mean that the wine market here will always have its own unique characteristics.
But over the past year, we’ve witnessed some developments that mirror those in more developed wine markets. Three of the most important trends this year centered around technology, gender and a quest for diversity.
The explosion of digital technology has led to a democratization of wine in China and opened the world of wine to a younger, better-informed audience. And this is shaking up the industry.
The days of men dominating wine purchasing are gone. Women, especially in Shanghai and coastal eastern China, are asserting themselves and this means a move toward fresher and more stylish wines.
Stylistically, this means white and sparkling wines — benefiting the regions and wineries that have picked up on the gender shift.
Nowhere is the trend for diversity more apparent than in Shanghai. As recently as a few years ago, the comfort zone of most consumers was limited to well-known international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.
Consumers bought Bordeaux and other wines from France whether they liked them or not. Now, they are increasingly choosing what they actually like, regardless of origin.
Unlike other major wine markets, in China, France has rather amazingly held on to its dominant market share while Australia, New Zealand and other southern hemisphere New World countries have continued to grow their share.
Other than consumers with some attachment to US wines, they continue to underperform.
In 2017, no country was more active and creative in promoting their wines than Italy. While this may not yet be fully reflected in market share, I expect Italy to make substantial inroads in 2018.
No nation can compete with Italy in terms of diversity, both of wine varieties and styles.
The growing number of younger, better educated and increasingly sophisticated wine drinkers in Shanghai and other cities are also learning to appreciate high-quality Spanish wines. One wine that has a bright future in China is CAVA.
For their first century or so, Spanish sparkling wines were called Champana.
This changed when Champagne was recognized as a distinct place of origin and the only region allowed to use the name.
In 1970, the official CAVA DO (denomination of origin) was created. But CAVA does not refer to a specific region, like Champagne and Prosecco do.
Rather, its name came from the traditional stone cellars where many of the wines are aged. CAVA wines come from several regions in Spain, although about 90 percent come from Penedes in Catalonia.
CAVA is made using three Spanish grapes: Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel-lo with amounts of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Subirat and a few others. Like Champagne, CAVA comes in different levels of sweetness from the bone dry Brut Nature to the sweet Dulce.
The reason CAVA wines made inroads into China in 2017 is the same reason they’ve achieved success globally. They’re remarkably good value, and readily available in Shanghai for 100-200 yuan (US$15-30).
In particular, CAVA rosato wines are darker and more robust than the roses of Champagne.
They are ideal for full-flavored cooking, including spicy Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan dishes and Mongolian roast lamb.
Labels to look out for include Gran Ducay, Rodestiu, Juve I Camps, Codorniu, Freixenet and Segura Viudas.
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