By Jim Boyce

Due to the Friday night wine tastings organized by Frank Siegel in the Sanliltun outlet of Sequoia Cafe, I’ve tried wines from North America (Canada, US), South American (Chile, Argentina), Asia (China, Japan), Africa (Morocco, South Africa), Europe (plenty of countries, including Slovenia – twice!), and Australia and New Zealand. I’ve tried white, red, rose, sparkling and sweet wines, dozens of varietals and blends, and participated in blind tastings of everything from Chinese wines to Argentinian Malbec. Most of all, I’ve come to know many Friday night “regulars“, whether they are wine professionals or simply fans of the grape.

So, it is unhappy news the Sanlitun Sequoia closed last weekend.

On the other hand, it is happy news the tastings will continue at Sequoia’s Guanghua Lu outlet (near Ritan Park). In fact, it might draw more people, given the 6:30 PM start and the proximity of many embassies, media outlets, and businesses. In any case, a raised glass to Sanlitun Sequoia, which served the wine community well for the past 18 months.

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