In this monthly column, Shanghai’s most committed dipsomaniacs get together to share and compare some of the wines available around town. It’s a no-nonsense guide to the good, the great and the bloody ordinary of wine. Which one will win the day this month?

Attendees

• Mat Ryan – JustBeer and Cuvee Wine bar partner – fingers in every pie (as long as it’s alcoholic).

 • Alan Duffy – Partner in Cuvee, ex GM of the big booze joints in town.

• Dean Lapthorne – China Manager, Donelli Vini wines.

• Alessandro (The Jaguar) Pezzani – Coffee Merchant and International man of mystery.

For Starters

Luke, the laughable larrikin from our previous tastings, and butt of most of the jokes, was a late withdrawal, so we got onto the James Boags Premium lagers. Available from JustBeer, Mat might be a little biased in declaring this nectar from Australia as good as it gets, but there weren’t a lot of disputes. A European-style lager, made from Tasmania’s finest waters, it’s a sensational beer. Pull out your map of Tassie and you’ll see it’s from Launceston in the middle of the Apple Isle. Don’t try and serve this stuff to those in southern Tasmania, but anywhere else is fine.

Web: www.justbeer.cn

WINE 1 – Gavioli Prosecco, Italy

After the beer, we called for the first wine. A Prosecco favoured by Italians, The Jaguar declared it a “celebratory drink” even before it was poured. “A lot finer than Champagne,” said the Aussie who is married to an Italian. He then went on to say that all Italians start their day with this (after their coffee). The Jaguar, an actual Italian, agreed, and started jabbering in his local language. “Delicate beading,” declared Duffy, to which none of us had any idea how to respond. The boy from Parma (The Jaguar), is putting this with Parma ham and Parma cheese, and possibly some Parma seafood (although Parma isn’t anywhere near an ocean). The Jaguar finished it off by teaching us about Prosecco’s bubble science – the longer the bubbles last, the better apparently. All in all, it’s a bloody good drop of sparkling that won’t break the budget.

Imported by Donelli. Price: RMB 121. Web: www.pluswines.com

WINE 2 – MAN Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa

We then got into the South African Cab Sauv. Mat’s a big fan of the label, nice and clean. Deano cracked the bottle, and was very “conservative” with his pours. More suited to a shot of tequila these pours were, but we managed. One of the best value retail priced red wines in town, this is a seriously bloody good wine, with the niceminty flavours of Cab Sauv. Deano declared it “a rock ‘n’ roll” wine, which “punches above its weight”. Duffy started talking food: lamb cutlets with rosemary and potatoes seemed the go, along with a bit of complementary mint.

Price: RMB 108. Web: www.pluswines.com

WINE 3 – Gavioli Lambrusco, Italy

Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine, fondly known as ‘Lambo’. Duffy was taken aback by the “intense colour” and Deano (the importer), waxed lyrical about the fact that this is the wine that opened the USA market to sparkling Italian wines. “The wine of good times,” declared The Jaguar, but Mat didn’t share his excitement – it is, admittedly, probably a bit too metrosexual for an Aussie bloke to admit to consuming. Alan reckons a New York Style Cheese Cake would be perfect with this wine.

Imported by Donelli. Price: RMB 121. Web: www.pluswines.com

To Cleanse

After polishing off the last of the wines, we tried some of The Jaguar’s coffee, ‘Espresso Nation’. Plenty of crema on these espressos, and they finished us off nicely.

Summary 

I think we all hate to admit it, but the Lambo probably won the night’s tasting, in all likelihood because we were well and truly lubricated by the time its cork was popped. The South African wine was also very good, but we’d recommend you pair it with food slightly more substantial than the meats and cheeses we were having with it.

Cuvee, 528 Kangding Lu, near Xikang Lu. Tel: 6288 1189 .Web: www.cuvee.net.cn. To have your products included in a tasting, email: [email protected]