Sales of imported wines in China have been prolific in 2010. As Chinese people become more affluent and living standards rise, consumers tend to buy more wine because of the perception that imbibing wine is a sign of sophistication.

Total wine consumption in 2010 rose 61 percent compared with 2009. France was the big winner with a 67 percent increase in 2010 against the previous year, matched by a significant rise in total volume.

Spain, Germany and Italy were also major winners, with respective increases of 105 percent, 93 percent and 78 percent compared with 2009, although their total volumes were lower than France's.

New Zealand did not feature in the table of countries making major sales, but this small country continues to offer value for money.

The 2009 East Cape pinot noir is an example. It is black cherry in color and the berry flavors continue as a theme through the palate.

This wine is from the Marlborough region of New Zealand, in the northeast of the south island. It is the country's most prolific region, supplying 62 percent of all the wine grown there. The other nine regions produce only about a third of New Zealand's wine.

Sauvignon blanc is the most common wine in Marlborough, followed by chardonnay and pinot noir. Regular readers will know I dislike unripe sauvignon blanc, but I especially like New Zealand pinot noir.

With the East Cape pinot, soft tannins caress the mouth at first taste with hints of raspberry and truffle and mushroom. The wine is "hot" because of the high level of alcohol, the result of picking very ripe grapes. The alcohol is almost 15 percent, putting this pinot almost in the range of sherry or port, so be warned of its potency.

The flavors are pleasant and welcoming. A small problem with this wine is the "dumb" sensation that follows. This pinot simply dies on the palate after being swallowed. It does not follow through in terms of aftertaste. It is like kissing a person who does not respond.

The 2009 East Cape pinot noir sells for 140 yuan ($21) in outlets like Marks & Spencer. Matched with suitable foods, such as pork dumplings or duck, it will begin to show more character. It's a bargain price for such a good wine.

We move from New Zealand to Chile for the other wine reviewed this week. The 2009 Espiritu cabernet sauvignon is black cherry in color like the East Cape pinot and is also high in alcohol, at 13.5 percent. It offers aromas of blackcurrant and cassis and a range of berry flavors.

But again the taste falls short. Flavors linger briefly in the mouth but then disappear, like a lover fleeing the bedroom soon after an encounter. Gentle and soft aromas of spice and perfume linger in the glass, like the smell that a lover's perfume leaves behind in the bedroom.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/07/2011 page12)