Beijing- Jianguo hotel - recommended local mid-priced genuine chinese- approchable for foreigner

I suppose the title says it all but I'll elaborate anyway.....

I will will spending three nights (from tomorrow night till Sunday Morning) at the Jianguo hotel in Beijing's CBD (near the silk market).

I would love to venture out of my hotel for some genuine mid-priced chinese food but I always feel a little lost in chinese restaurants, espcially on my own.

Any user-friendly recommendations?

Thank you very much..

Aosta in China & Southeast Asia

Private Preserve and other solutions for preserving wine in an opened bottle

...but the body of the bottle is glass?
...reds to the fridge...and then a long, agonising, wait while your Nebbiolo gets up to the right temperature?....hmmm...I don't know if I have the patience....I'd start sipping way to early and spoil it!

...what do you doto get your cold wine up to speed? ...do you zap it into the microwave for a quickie?

Aosta in Wine

Private Preserve and other solutions for preserving wine in an opened bottle

Maria,

This question may appear a little obvious, but, should I assume these are glass recipients with plastic/rubber stoppers? I guess platics would inadvisable?

Do you aslo recommend fridge storage to slow wine evolution, even for Reds?

Aosta in Wine

....and what about Wine Shield?

Maria,

your explanation was excellent. You competently analyzed the likely effectiveness of this product.

I guess I will cary on with vacu vin and accept the fact that wine...like many things in nature(including ourselves) evolves with time and oxygen...sometimes for the better and sometimes not...

Marc

Aosta in Wine

....and what about Wine Shield?

...starting a new thread because the last one is getting a little too tecnical for me.

Any tooughts on "wine shield" by http://www.winepreserva.com? .....the one with the plastic circle to cover the wines?

Aosta in Wine

Private Preserve and other solutions for preserving wine in an opened bottle

As many of you, I love a glass of fine wine...... In fact I love a glass of fine wine every evening with my meal.

Problem is, there are six glasses of wine in a bottle and I eat out 2-3 times a week. So an opened bottle could last me up to 10 days.

I have been using the Vacu Vin method of air removal by suction for the last few years with reasonnable success (ie. within 3-4 days of opening the wine is still drinkable after which quality drops off).

I have read about Private Preserve (the inert gas spray can) though have not yet found it in European shops (BTW. any European reader know where it can be purchased?)

General consensus seems positive about Private Preserve but I would ask the Chowhound Board experts what is their take on this solution to lenthen the life of the god -given pleasure once the cork is out of the bottle.

Also would be love to hear about other successful wine preserving solutions.

Thanks,

Aosta

Aosta in Wine

next week's VINITALY 2010 in Verona

Will Chowhounders be visiting VINITALY 2010 in Verona?

I will be there for a couple of days but would also like to set aside some time to discover some new wines and producers.

Anyone available to meet up to and share some discovering?

Aosta in Wine

advice on Prowein in Germany

We will spending a day at the Prowein fair in Dusseldorf next week.

Have board members attended? How is it best handled?

One of our missions will be to find a dynamic distributor for the German market . Any suggestions or recomendations?

Aosta in Wine

Competitions, Wine guides, Critics, Magazines....who should we listen to?

So, surveying the week-end’s posts, I would say that Chowhounders give some credit to Guides and selective kudos to chosen Critics and Cellar Tracker.

Competitions are considered to have too many factors negatively affecting the reliability of their results.

Qualified tasting events where one can let one’s own palate decide seem a valued option.

Any other suggestions?

Aosta in Wine

Competitions, Wine guides, Critics, Magazines....who should we listen to?

You both make valid points about looking to outlets who reflect (or inspire) your own inclinations.

Are we then to assume that all these professionals (who make a living from) writing about wine are quite impartial and may not be “influenced”?

Are we then discrediting any and all Competitions? What do you think of Decanter’s recent World Wine Awards? Would those “medals” influence your buying decisions?

Aosta in Wine

Competitions, Wine guides, Critics, Magazines....who should we listen to?

Competitions, Wine guides, Wine Critics, Wine Magazines.........they are all “references” but they can all (in some form or other) stand accused of biased judgement and advice. Nonetheless, many of us (all?) refer to them as something of a Map to guide ourselves in our purchasing decisions.

In a perfect world, we should only make buying decision based upon our own taste buds. However, for most people, there simply isn't the opportunity to individually learn, taste and select.

So, we use some of the above "tools" to help us filter through the endless global choices down to a more manageable quantity.

My questions to the board are:

• Which of the above represent greater or lesser reference?
• How should we use them in a critical and effective manner?
• What other means are there for a “Consumer” to find his way though the maze to quality, value, new and exciting wines?

Aosta
P.S. Even this cherished board is, inevitably, full of opinionated advice...help!?! Who can I turn to??

PPS: Who do we believe ....or like all things in life, should be we simply take a critical and analytical view of everything others tell us?

Aosta in Wine

Seasoning the glass?

I believe the "seasonning" is an elegant way of "rinsing" the glass of any leftover "smells" it may have acquired in storage. ...

Even a recent machine wash could leave a residual "soapy" odour....whereeas a fresh "rinse" or "season" using your fine wine would ensure the dominant smell would be that of your exquisite beverage.

Aosta in Wine

Corks at dawn - A row in the champagne industry

My understanding of economics is that, if pure market forces were free to work with the laws of supply and demand , then the current excess production and inventory would result in a substantial drop in prices.

As it turns out, these market forces are being artifcially distorted and the customer is getting screwed.

Aosta in Wine

Corks at dawn - A row in the champagne industry

Well....all this Champagne talk made me want to taste again so I bought a few NV which I understand are made along the principles of the Recoltant Manipulateur or at least are privately owned (though correct me if I am wrong): Drappier , Billecart Salmon, Bollinger and Deutz.

....started with the Deutz...and was very pleased....

This is a bittersweet situation......

Aosta in Wine

Corks at dawn - A row in the champagne industry

When you refer to "Champagnes of lesser known small houses" do you mean bubbly or real French Champagne?
if you mean the latter, then my impression is that this decision (to let the grapes rot rather than risk a downturn in prices) cover all French Champagne producers (like an OPEC of Champagne).

Somehow I get more emotionnal about champagne prices than gas prices ...though I did install solar power on my roof as counter measure to the speculative oil prices in 2008 (remember those days of 150 US$/Barrel of crude)?

I wonder if can do something similar with my champagne conundrum?

Aosta in Wine

Corks at dawn - A row in the champagne industry

Bogie, you don't seem so p..... o.... as I am about the whole market economics being distorted by Rich Monopolistic Champagne Houses......

Aosta in Wine

Corks at dawn - A row in the champagne industry

Here is an interesting article in NYT about how the Chamapgne Houses are responding to the economic crisis and the drop in sales (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125192460913580955.html) which has also been picked up by The Economist (http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14270161) and finally (http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/31/growers-and-champagne-houses-set-to-battle-over-yield-limits?icid=sphere_wsj_teaser).

As a customer of this fine yet expensive and non-essential product (especially in these cash-strapped times), there are some aspects of this whole issue which make me very uncomfortable, actually I feel somewhat cheated (...and I HATE getting cheated):

Is it the idea that yeilds can be played around with so brutally without substantial impact on quality? Surely you'll get a better wine with low harvest.

Is it the idea that I got screwed on the price when demand was higher than supply but they would rather let excess production rot than give their loyal customers discounted prices in tough economic times?

Is my belief in capitalistics market forces feeling insulted at being tied to this monopolistic supply source who can manipulate the markets to their pleasing? ie." any which way, the customer is screwed".

Should I vote with my wallet? and how?

Comments?

Aosta in Wine

VinItaly 2009

Icantread,

nope! musta been someone else.

Anyway, will you be joining the throng in Verona in these next days?

Aosta in Wine

VinItaly 2009

If some of the contributors tohis Forum are going to VinItaly this week, I'd be glad to meet (and compare notes?).

I'll be at the "La Crotta" Stand in Pavillion 11 stand 3B on Friday and most of Saturday.

Marc
c/o La Crotta

Aosta in Wine

Gambero Rosso Guide

I would say Maria Lorraine's analysis is spot on. Slow Food (who publish GR) are on a "mission" and that filters through into the publication.

Duemilavini is my preffered go-to publication for bias-free qualitative analysis.

I know everyone abroad (I live in Italy) loves to name-check GR because it's "cool " (which, quite frankly, it is), but I wish they would take a better look at Duemilavini.

http://www.bibenda.it/duemilavini.php

Aosta in Wine

Dessert Recipe to Pair with an Amarone?

If some of the gathering are intollerant to cheese (especially mature ones), what could be the alternative(s)?

Aosta in Wine

Wine competition sampling: should I go for the gold?

I talaked to my Enologist friend (I think aka as winemaker in the US) an he confirmed all your statements.

I am however curious that he attributes the loss of smell of the wine is due to the water diluting the wine sample rather than any more complex mechanism at play.

What is the board's take take on this?

Aosta in Wine

Wine competition sampling: should I go for the gold?

Thanks Maria,

....I will follow your advice despite my misgivings about mixing old dregs with new wines....especially in tasting.

Marc

Aosta in Wine

saran wrap and corked wine

Bill,

to answer your question, I am something of a mix: from French mother and British father, married to an Italian girl and based in the tiny Alpine region of Val d'Aosta at the foothills of the Mont Blanc.

My vocabulary is a result of the above.

Saran Wrap probably refers to the name of the manufacturer whose product became so obiquitous in the US it stuck and substituted the descriptive name (similar examples in the UK might be Hoover - instead of vacum cleaner or Scotch instead of Sellotape).

Anyway, if this "corked-taint remover" solution atually works, it would be a godsend for me. I often buy wines when travelling and then store them in my cellar for several months or years. It then becomes difficult to bring them back in case iof a fault.

Seems most of testing was on White wine, does it work also with Red?

Marc

Aosta in Wine

Wine competition sampling: should I go for the gold?

Sorry I don't understand Maria lorraine's point 16) from her post of july 10th 2007(see above) : ie. if I don't rinse my wine glass between each different pour ...surely I will get some leftover from the previous wine mixing with the following one?'

How do I avoid that whithout a water rinse-out between each pour?

thanks,

Marc

Aosta in Wine

Wine competition sampling: should I go for the gold?

Sorry I don't understand Maria lorraine's point 16) : ie. if I don't rinse my wine glass between each different pour ...surely I will get some leftover from the previous wine mixing with the following one?'

How do I avoid that whithout a water rinse-out between each pour?

thanks,

Marc

Aosta in Wine

saran wrap and corked wine

I am most interested in finding solution to "corked" wine , however I have no idea what is "saran wrap" ?
For the further education of this Non-American, could some kind hearted soul please clarify ? (using international vocabulary)

Might it have anything to do with Kitchen film (or cling-film)?

If not, then can you please what it is ?

Thanks very much,

Aosta in Wine

Pacherenc du Vic Bilh - Bouscassé - 2000

France (and Italy) have some hidden gems along with some disappointing bottles ....actually, your post got me thinking...how about launching a thread to deal with these "hidden gems"? ....after all many of us love the thrill of the chase and the discovery of the unknown "appelations".
Here is my starter stake: Pacherenc is sure to be fairly osbcure to the many but, believe me, well worth hunting down.

Aosta in Wine

Pacherenc du Vic Bilh - Bouscassé - 2000

I picked up this bottle in France last week when looking for some interesting dessert wine alternatives. I have been sippin' it over that last couple of days........just a chilled glass after dinner (instead of dessert).

It is a good example of sweet late harvest wine, whith a nice balance of sharpness to make it stimulating and maybe a touch of oxidation which also appeals to me in sweet wines (like the Tokajis of yesteryear).

But what really got me surprised was the Price of 10 Euros. Considering the high production costs of these late harvests I never though you could get this quality at those prices from France.

Anyone found similar results?

Aosta in Wine