Related News
Wines with spirit of Olympians
By John H. Isacs |
August 2, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FUNNY as it may sound, wine and people actually share many qualities. Both have styles, stories and personalities that are unique and both are impressive forces of nature.
In honor of the London Olympics and just to have some fun, I decided to match the performance and styles of well-known Olympic athletes to wines that mirror their personalities and accomplishments.
Two of the most compelling storylines coming out of these Olympics are the accomplishments of three well-known Chinese male athletes and the powerful Jamaican sprinters.
Chinese stars
China is already off to a fast and successful start in the London Olympics but some stars tower above the others in terms of fame and potential. This is also true of wines.
Hurdling champion Liu Xiang and basketball player Yi Jianlian have been two of China's most famous athletes while the new swimming star Sun Yang may well be the next Chinese mega star.
Liu is already a classic who has the opportunity to add to his historic resume with a victory in the 110-meter hurdles final next Wednesday. But what really makes his story so compelling are the trials and tribulations of his journey and the immense pressure he's had to face.
Chateau Rauzan Segla like Liu has reached the greatest of heights of performance and fame, then for a variety of reasons suffered through years of under performance only to come back stronger and better. This classic Margaux appellation chateau exemplifies the qualities of grace, fluidity and balance that are also so beautifully exemplified in Liu's running.
The second-growth Chateau Rauzan Segla for centuries was only eclipsed by the great Chateau Margaux and was generally considered the second wine of the appellation. However, during the early and middle decades of the 20th century the chateau often under performed and failed to live up to its historic level of excellence.
But the great Margaux vintage of 1983, coincidentally the year Liu was born, saw a resounding comeback. Now owned by the luxury company Chanel, Chateau Razan Segla is now back at the top of its game, making some of Bordeaux's most stylish and elegant wines.
Depending on how much you wish to spurge for this wine, I recommend the great Margaux vintages of 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2009, or the less expensive but still good 1994, 2001, 2004 and 2008 vintages.
Swimmer Sun may well be the next great athletic star in China. Already a winner of a gold and a silver medals and world record holder, this 21-year-old young man from Zhejiang Province can only get better. In the world of wine, some of the greatest new stars on the scene are Pinot Noirs from Central Otago, New Zealand.
Central Otago is the southern hemisphere's most southerly wine region, and like Sun, a relative newcomer to world prominence.
The taste profile of these wines is as long and tall as Sun's physic and like the affable swimmer, the wines are unpretentiously fun. As Sun wins more medals over the coming days, I suggest you open up a few bottles of Central Otago Pinot Noir wines and, just as in his performance, you won't be disappointed. All available in Shanghai, I recommend Central Otago Pinots from the producers Tiki, Tatty Bogler and Gibbston Valley.
Another Chinese star who may have an even harder task achieving a medal is basketball player Yi.
I've liked this slender and gentlemanly player since he played for the New Jersey Nets and he fights like a champion every time he wears the national jersey of China.
Picking a wine to match the proud and graceful attributes of Yi is actually quite easy.
Because he performs so well representing China, his natural wine alter ego must be from China and two of the best Chinese wines are the Grace Vineyard Chairman's Reserve, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend from north China's Shanxi Province, and Silver Heights The Summit, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt and Cabernet Franc blend from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Both of these reds are among the very best Chinese wines combining the smooth, generous yet persistent qualities of Yi on the basketball court.
Jamaican sprinters
Half a century ago on August 6 the new nation of Jamaica was born. This year on the same day the 100 meters sprint final shall be run and all 3 million Jamaicans are hoping that in honor of the country's golden jubilee the podium that evening will hold not one, but three Jamaicans as the national anthem is played.
When you consider the fact that six of the top seven times in the 100m sprint this year have been run by the Jamaicans Usain Bolt, Yolan Blake and Asfa Powell, this national desire may not be so far fetched after all.
In the wine world, wines that have all the dynamism and power of Jamacian sprinters are the Tempranillo red wines of Toro in the north of Spain.
Like accomplished sprinters, these wines start fast in the mouth with explosions of powerful fruit and graceful tannins.
They also finish with a powerful kick of mouth-coating tannins. Two great Toro reds you can find in Shanghai are the Vega-Siclia-owned wine Pinta and Elias Mora Crianza.
In honor of the London Olympics and just to have some fun, I decided to match the performance and styles of well-known Olympic athletes to wines that mirror their personalities and accomplishments.
Two of the most compelling storylines coming out of these Olympics are the accomplishments of three well-known Chinese male athletes and the powerful Jamaican sprinters.
Chinese stars
China is already off to a fast and successful start in the London Olympics but some stars tower above the others in terms of fame and potential. This is also true of wines.
Hurdling champion Liu Xiang and basketball player Yi Jianlian have been two of China's most famous athletes while the new swimming star Sun Yang may well be the next Chinese mega star.
Liu is already a classic who has the opportunity to add to his historic resume with a victory in the 110-meter hurdles final next Wednesday. But what really makes his story so compelling are the trials and tribulations of his journey and the immense pressure he's had to face.
Chateau Rauzan Segla like Liu has reached the greatest of heights of performance and fame, then for a variety of reasons suffered through years of under performance only to come back stronger and better. This classic Margaux appellation chateau exemplifies the qualities of grace, fluidity and balance that are also so beautifully exemplified in Liu's running.
The second-growth Chateau Rauzan Segla for centuries was only eclipsed by the great Chateau Margaux and was generally considered the second wine of the appellation. However, during the early and middle decades of the 20th century the chateau often under performed and failed to live up to its historic level of excellence.
But the great Margaux vintage of 1983, coincidentally the year Liu was born, saw a resounding comeback. Now owned by the luxury company Chanel, Chateau Razan Segla is now back at the top of its game, making some of Bordeaux's most stylish and elegant wines.
Depending on how much you wish to spurge for this wine, I recommend the great Margaux vintages of 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2009, or the less expensive but still good 1994, 2001, 2004 and 2008 vintages.
Swimmer Sun may well be the next great athletic star in China. Already a winner of a gold and a silver medals and world record holder, this 21-year-old young man from Zhejiang Province can only get better. In the world of wine, some of the greatest new stars on the scene are Pinot Noirs from Central Otago, New Zealand.
Central Otago is the southern hemisphere's most southerly wine region, and like Sun, a relative newcomer to world prominence.
The taste profile of these wines is as long and tall as Sun's physic and like the affable swimmer, the wines are unpretentiously fun. As Sun wins more medals over the coming days, I suggest you open up a few bottles of Central Otago Pinot Noir wines and, just as in his performance, you won't be disappointed. All available in Shanghai, I recommend Central Otago Pinots from the producers Tiki, Tatty Bogler and Gibbston Valley.
Another Chinese star who may have an even harder task achieving a medal is basketball player Yi.
I've liked this slender and gentlemanly player since he played for the New Jersey Nets and he fights like a champion every time he wears the national jersey of China.
Picking a wine to match the proud and graceful attributes of Yi is actually quite easy.
Because he performs so well representing China, his natural wine alter ego must be from China and two of the best Chinese wines are the Grace Vineyard Chairman's Reserve, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend from north China's Shanxi Province, and Silver Heights The Summit, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt and Cabernet Franc blend from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Both of these reds are among the very best Chinese wines combining the smooth, generous yet persistent qualities of Yi on the basketball court.
Jamaican sprinters
Half a century ago on August 6 the new nation of Jamaica was born. This year on the same day the 100 meters sprint final shall be run and all 3 million Jamaicans are hoping that in honor of the country's golden jubilee the podium that evening will hold not one, but three Jamaicans as the national anthem is played.
When you consider the fact that six of the top seven times in the 100m sprint this year have been run by the Jamaicans Usain Bolt, Yolan Blake and Asfa Powell, this national desire may not be so far fetched after all.
In the wine world, wines that have all the dynamism and power of Jamacian sprinters are the Tempranillo red wines of Toro in the north of Spain.
Like accomplished sprinters, these wines start fast in the mouth with explosions of powerful fruit and graceful tannins.
They also finish with a powerful kick of mouth-coating tannins. Two great Toro reds you can find in Shanghai are the Vega-Siclia-owned wine Pinta and Elias Mora Crianza.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
