By Jim Boyce

Last Saturday, Aussino became the latest wine distributor to do a tasting of a significant portion of its portfolio in Beijing, joining companies such as Torres (see here and here), ASC (here), Palette (here and here), and Gelipu and Winelink (here). The event drew a large turnout, though the entry fee appeared to be voluntary: I paid RMB150, as listed on the invite, but many people told me they walked in for free. Before I get to the wine, a few notes on this and similar tastings.

I’ll start with a problem not particular to the Aussino event: a general lack of water for tasters to rinse out their glasses and/or mouths and an excess of spittoons full to the brim. I’m not a wine event planner, but why not assign one person simply to refill water jugs and empty spittoons? Or set up water dispensers behind, say, every third tasting table and include a bucket underneath each table for the emptying of spittoons? This would keep some people from using the empty water jugs as spittoons and other (unsuspecting) people from pouring that backwash into their empty glasses.

Another general issue: bottles that are only for display. I know distributors want to show their products, but maybe having a poster of such bottles, or even placing them at the back of the table rather than with the opened ones, would bring less disappointment among those who anticipate trying a certain wine and then discover it is for display only. In the Aussino event, a related issue occurred with the German wines, with many only opened at the tail end of the four-hour event, long after one attendee had left in anger.

Some good things: Unlike at some other events, this one saw the air conditioners turned up to accommodate the large crowd and keep the room at a comfortable temperature. It featured giant signboards that showed major wine-producing countries / regions and their sub-regions. And overall, the servers were capable, save for a few who poured thimble-sized samples, and able to provide prices and other information.

As for the wines, we sampled from five continents. Here are a few that I and others liked (I didn’t try every wine on hand and these picks are based on my notes, which became progressively messier as the afternoon wore on):

Rockburn “Parkburn” Riesling 2007, from Central Otago, New Zealand: On the nose, some minerals, citrus, and that light petrol smell often associated with Riesling, as well as a slightly sweet body. While pricey at RMB296, this one might appeal to some newcomers to wine.

Finca el Origin Malbec (RMB82), Malbec Reserva (RMB120), and Malbec [Super Reserva?] (RMB275), all 2007, from Chile: Brian Yao and I both considered the entry-level wine to be decent value: fruity and, said Yao, “a bit jammy”, though he found it “a bit watery mid-palate.” The most expensive Malbec had a very good finish.

Howard Park “Leston” Shiraz 2005 from Margaret River, Australia (around RMB250, I think): Plenty of fruit, though not as heavy as its typical Barossa Valley siblings. Ethan Perk pointed this one out to me and borrowed a phrase to describe it:  “an iron fist in a velvet glove.”

Le Motte Millenium 2005 (RMB323), from South Africa. Prohibitively priced, it is nevertheless a tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec; what one person from Aussino described as “part French, part ‘new world'”.

Yao also considered the Pfalz Auslese 2007 (RMB138, half bottle) from Germany to be decent. He found lychee aromas, while I found flower smells, and he added, “It’s not too sweet. It’s balanced and has good acidity. It’s easy to drink.”

Overall, a good event, and one that I hope becomes an annual for Aussino.

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