Foreign

Toasting the tofu with fine wines as West courts East

By Li Fangfang (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-24 13:16

Workers harvest grapes at the Chateau Margaux vineyard in the Bordeaux region of France. After experimenting with Shandong and Shanghai cuisine, Chateau Margaux will now try matching more styles of Chinese cuisine with its wines. [Photo / Bloomberg]

French vineyard Chateaux Margaux seeks to marry wines with a variety of Chinese cuisines

BEIJING - A world-renowned French winery is encouraging diners to sample its products during Chinese feasts this Spring Festival rather than imbibing traditional drinks.

Bordeaux-based Chateau Margaux sought to match different Chinese cuisines with its range of quality wines.

In December, the vineyard hosted three feasts in Beijing and Shanghai in honor of Asian gourmets, celebrities, prominent business figures, leading academics and senior officials to taste and share their views on the results of its efforts.

"The Chinese have been used to washing down Chinese cuisine with beer and Cognac from the West. Why not try high-quality French wine?" said Zhuang Buzhong, a Singaporean gourmet. "You can try it, accept it then enjoy it."

Paul Pontallier, general manager and chief wine maker with Chateau Margaux, added: "I hope the Chinese can get to know our high-quality wines with their own food, through their experiences combining Chinese cuisine and French wines.

"We are not pretending to sell more wines here. It's all about our long-term commitment to marry the Chinese cuisine icon with French wine, and our long-term understanding on how Chinese culture marries French culture."

Pontallier said Chateau Margaux has already invited two chefs to try innovative matches of vegetable dishes with wines for vegetarians at its headquarters.

"We are confident our global experience can help us bring wine with Chinese dishes to a superior level and add Chinese cuisine with wines into the global diet culture," said Thibault Pontallier, son of the general manager and the ambassador for Chateau Margaux in Asia.

Pontallier junior made China his focus after taking up his position developing the brand across Asia.

Over the past year, he has traveled around China to taste different styles of cooking in order to understand the complex Chinese diet, as well as seeking many times to find the perfect match between Chinese cuisines and Chateau Margaux wines.

"We found it's not difficult to match Chinese dishes with wines because, like Chinese cuisine, French diet varies from lighter, simple dishes to more complicated offerings," said Pontallier junior. "And some Chinese food and sauces go very well with the tannin in our wines, making the flavor more subtle and tasty."

Chateau Margaux has found perfect matches between Chinese tofu and its fresh, dry white Pavillon Blanc 2009, Peking roast duck and Pavillon Rouge 2003, and sea cucumber with Chateau Margaux 1989.

"Now we are entering the stage of bringing together people who can appreciate it and exchange views to help us find a perfect diet list of Chinese cuisine with wine," said Pontallier junior.

"In a country with an extensive and profound tea culture, we are confident the local people can also respect wines, another fantastic drink in the world."

After experimenting with Shandong and Shanghai cuisine, Chateau Margaux will now try more food and wine matches with more Chinese cooking styles, said Pontallier junior.

"We just want to bring wine culture to the Chinese through their own experiences, not to teach," he added. "It's not all for business because we are worried whether we can provide enough wine for the Chinese market after people here get to know our brand and high-quality wines."

To further showcase its long-term commitment to China, Chateau Margaux, together with the China Great Wall Society, launched the 2010 Great Wall Protection Project in July last year, offering help in securing the future of China's most precious treasure.

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"Chateau Margaux cellars and estate premises were classified as historical monuments in 1946. We are therefore dedicated to the preservation of historical monuments and we are pleased to be able to extend our philosophy all the way to China and to such an exceptional historical marvel of architecture," said Pontallier junior.

A group of more than 30 volunteers, Great Wall experts and media traveled along the Great Wall from east to west, covering 10 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. During the 9,500-kilometer journey, the group examined the current condition of the Great Wall in more than 20 sections and fortresses and successively held 15 themed activities.

The project results helped to educate and promote awareness among the public about the importance of the preservation of the Great Wall of China.

Famed since the 12th century as one of the four best French Bordeaux vineyards, Chateau Margaux successively won the favor of the former American President Thomas Jefferson, the French Emperor Napoleon III and, more recently, China's President Hu Jintao, it being the only winery the latter visited during his stay in France in 2001.

Chateau Margaux currently produces three rare "treasures": Chateau Margaux, Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc.

The average annual production of the Grand vin, Chateau Margaux, is 150,000 bottles, while the second wine, Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, has an average production of 200,000 bottles. The dry white Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux has a production of around 35,000 bottles.

A bottle of Chateau Margaux 1787 holds the record as the most expensive bottle of wine. It was valued at $500,000 by its owner but was accidentally broken by a waiter in 1989. Insurers paid $225,000, a sum worth about $390,000 at today's prices, according to the WhatItCo$t$ website.