Vintage Asia

What do you pair with Kung Pao chicken: Bordeaux or Chianti? These days, it’s not uncommon for Asians to ask. Having adopted McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, Asia is now developing a taste for the West’s snobbiest beverage: wine. Denis Gastin, an Australian wine critic and authority on the Asian wine scene, says that the latest generation is particularly keen: "Younger people in the more affluent countries generally see wine as part of being ‘international,’ and many encountered the wine lifestyle while working or studying overseas." Japan is leading the way, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore, and China is catching up. According to the Shanghai Daily, wine imports surged 91 percent in the first three quarters of 2006. China now has some 500 wineries. The country’s vineyards (almost half of which are planted with cabernet sauvignon) have grown so fast that China recently became one of the top 10 wine-producing nations by acreage.

The European wine industry is certainly not turning up its nose at the China market. Last year, French wine exports to China were expected to top $100 million, and many French companies are partnering with domestic Chinese wineries. Italy is aggressively marketing its wine in China, as well as investing in Chinese vintages. In 2005, the northern Italy-based liqueur producer Illva Saronno Group bought a 33 percent stake in ChangYu, China’s oldest and largest wine producer.

Although many of the Asian wines lag behind their Western competitors, quality is on the rise. Some of them are even being exported to the United States and elsewhere, mostly finding their way onto the wine lists of ethnic eateries. So what goes best with Kung Pao chicken? Perhaps a nice glass of Dragon Seal Cabernet Sauvignon.