Bubbly as a young girl
Grace Vineyard owner Judy Chan says it took six years to get her new sparkling wines, the first made by a boutique winery using traditional methods, to the market, where they finally arrived last summer. She named the series of four wines "Angelina" - the name of her young daughter - "because it perfectly captures the joy and love of life that shines in little girls everywhere, but especially in my own sweet girl." The four are all made using the traditional method - with secondary fermentation in the bottle - and include the vintage Brut Reserve 2009 (pictured) as well as three non-vintage bubblies, each made with a single variety grape: chardonnay, cabernet Franc and chenin blanc. The Brut Reserve 2009 has aged on its lees for 36 months, adding layers of flavor and complexity. It retails for 288 yuan ($45), while the three non-vintages cost 158 yuan each.
Available on the Chinese mainland through WeChat (Angelina online shop), T-mall (Grace Vineyard flagship store) and JD.com (Grace Vineyard flagship store); in Hong Kong at Ponti Wine Cellars and Brix Wines & Spirits.