Wine

In Tianjin where the infamous "white liquor" reigns supreme is there room for wine? To find the answer we sought the advice of a local wine expert Mr Zhang Jie. Mr Zhang’s penchant for wine began as a hobby in 2005. As he drank wine with friends, more than just a good drink was found, a business emerged. In recent years Mr Zhang has gone on to start and run a successful wine importing company headquartered in Tianjin. As such, he himself, the business he owns and the many customers who enjoy his selection of imported wines are all evidence, yes, there’s still plenty of room for wine in Tianjin.

Our conversation with Mr Zhang revealed however, like so many others things wine upon arrival in Tianjin, put simply "has changed". As the old saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans. So too wine like the expats that are in Tianjin for the most part become "localized". What are some of the biggest differences in how wine related culture in Tianjin is different than overseas? For start, wine tends to link people to different social groups here. As Mr Zhang expressed, folks who love to drink "white liquor" essentially the equivalent of drinkable gasoline, don’t tend to drink a lot of wine. Thus these two social groups tend to function somewhat independent of each other. For example Mr Zhang personally rarely drinks white liquor. Likewise, most of his friends do not drink white liquor either. Instead when they get together, be it for business or pleasure, they drink wine.

Expats may actually want to keep this bit of Tianjin alcohol culture in mind when living, working and playing here. For some, they may feel absolutely required to drink white liquor at business or social gatherings as illustrated in the stories in the outset of this article. However, as Mr Zhang reveals, perhaps a change in alcoholic beverage, namely from white liquor to wine, will result in a change of social circles. As such, the "need" to drink unwanted white liquor will be drastically reduced.

A second difference in Tianjin wine culture is that of quantity. In Tianjin wine drinking has been "localized". That means, the more the merrier, therefore drunken bouts may likely occur. This is in contrast to how some expats may typically drink wine. In other countries wine may not be drank with the explicit intent of getting drunk. Overseas folks might drink wine for the alleged health benefits, such as a half-glass of red wine each day. Clearly the goal isn’t inebriation. Likewise, if wine is drunk with meals, perhaps a glass or two will be consumed. In such a case, again, no intoxication may result.

Therefore as wine has found its place in Tianjin’s alcoholic culture it may not be the type of wine drinking expats are accustomed too. Forget the scene of a single glass of wine being sipped on slowly as the night slips along. Instead in Tianjin, Mr Zhang said a few bottles of wine amongst friends wouldn’t last the night, as some local party goers drink a glass of wine like its water. While the social circles in Tianjin may change according to the alcoholic beverage being chosen, the style of drinking doesn’t appear to change much at all. Large quantities of wine are often consumed, and very likely everyone will be footloose and fancy free by the nights end.

What types of wine are popular amongst expats in Tianjin? Mr Zhang states red and white wine both sell well. White wine is enjoyed more in Southern China, while red wine is catching on in the North. A top seller is a medium bodied red wine from France called Domaine Val Colombe which sells around 180 RMB/bottle. Another favorite is from France, Grand Vin de Bordeaux at around 300 RMB/bottle. A selection of both dry red wines and dry white wines from Chile also sell well amongst both locals and expats. One thing Mr. Zhang stressed though, price is not everything. Higher price does not automatically mean higher quality. Therefore find a wine vendor which can be trusted and let ones palate be the guide. Drink wine that actually tastes good, rather than simply being expensive.

Wine culture is growing throughout China. Mr Zhang notes year by year the quantity of wine being imported into China is on the rise. Interestingly though, as with so many things, wine culture in Tianjin is still in its early stages. From Mr Zhang’s perspective it has only been within the last 10 years that wine drinking has started to pick up some momentum in Tianjin. Staying true to its roots, Tianjin tends to be slow on adoption when it comes to accepting "outside" things, which includes wine. Still Mr Zhang is optimistic about the continued growth of the wine market within Tianjin.

Sylvia Kim and her whisky club members