Comments on: Home grown Chinese & Indian wines

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Chris Devonshire-Ellis — Thu, 05 May 2011 09:36:59 +0000

The Chinese Grace Vinyards “Deep Blue” wine is very good. As is the Indian “Marquis de Pompadour” sparkling wine.

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:42:44 +0000

Nice blog you have here

By: Shourik

Shourik — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:11:23 +0000

Tasted some “Sula” wine from India at the weekend. Really seemed like strong juice … I’m sure it was alcoholic.

I think that’s what they must have drunk during Mahabharat times!

By: ajay

ajay — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 07:38:46 +0000

Hi it was great to see you covered indian vineyards. But just to let you know seagram is producing four wines at the moment, sauvignon blanc, shenin blanc, shiraz, cab sauv. I dont know from where u got the info of white zinfandel and merlot. yes it was their first crush and they have long way to go.
there are couple of other small producers you should try like, reveilo, renaissance, nd wines etc.

By: boyce

boyce — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:36:21 +0000

hi chris,

i have to second b. cheng – grace produces some very nice wine. i’ve done two blind tastings of chinese wines this year and grace wines, particularly the chardonnays, have been not only good in terms of taste but also in terms of value. a few others that did well: taillan rose (the later the year, the better), dragon seal huailai reserve (people thought it smelled like pickled vegetables, so this was a real “love it or hate it” wine), and some of the catai wines, though they fell apart fairly quickly.

cheers, boyce

By: Gustavo Sieczka

Gustavo Sieczka — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:53:53 +0000

Very interesting post.
A recommendable article about wine in China is the one published last year on the International Herald Tribune titled Château China: $30 million ‘hobby’.
Here’s the link: http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/11/opinion/trmelvin.php

By: John Jex

John Jex — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:41:26 +0000

Chris, interesting new website and article! By chance I was recently in a “liquor store” in Umm Al Quwain, an hour out of Dubai, and picked up a bottle of Chateau Indage Cabernet Sauvignon from the Narayangaon Estate in Sahyadri Valley, Maharashtra, India. Unfortunately I can’t say I would recommend it; “fruity but rough” would be the politest description I could offer! I might try some of the other Indian wines the shops here have in stock, just out of interest – I will look for the ones you mentioned.

Still remember the old Shekou days fondly!. Cheers, John.

PS am now based in Dubai, still with Clariant, and responsible for Middle East and India.

By: b. cheng

b. cheng — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:48:25 +0000

your assessment is good, but it leaves out Grace Vineyards. This winery, in Shanxi, is the only (or one of the only) independent estate grown and bottled wineries in China. Their red wines are excellent and the only Chinese brand you’ll find at most high end restaurants in China.