Part of the tiny bottles collection…

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By Jim Boyce

This is the best selection of half-bottles I have seen in Beijing. I came across them by accident, while grocery shopping in Shimao Shopping Center’s B1 supermarket, which is across from Workers Stadium and includes an outlet of Japan-based wine retail chain Enoteca.

Enoteca has lots of 750 ml bottles but these shelves, and others, are loaded with 375 ml options and catch the eye. Sources range from New Zealand and Chile to Italy to France, prices from rmb80 for Ca’ Di Rajo Prosecco to rmb6400 for Chateau Latour.

The store also stocks 100 ml Italian options from oneglass — Vermentino, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon — at rmb33 each. Those qualify as carry-on wines, no?

By the way, while I waited for a friend, two women came in separately and each bought wine in a matter of minutes. A quick look around, a few words with the polite guy working there, money exchanged, gone. My friend, not a big wine drinker, then showed up. Within a minute, she decided to go for the 100 ml packet. Yes, three customers is a small sample size, but maybe these guys have found the way to a woman’s liver in China.

More photos of small-format wines…

Tiny bubbles

‘New World’ bottles

The Italian option

Getting pricier

These possibly come with a security guard.

You’re there anyway, might as well grab them all.

Plus these. You never know when the flight will run out of Vermentino

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