Fear not it can be done according to this article from CNNgo. Below are the major rules, author Joanne Yao assembles thanks to the help of Jean-Marc Nolant of Park Hyatt Shanghai and Philippe Huser of Napa Valley Wine Bar & Restaurant of Shanghai.

Mir Global definitely recommends you check out the article in its entirety where each rule is elaborated upon.

How do you pair a wine with Sichuan chicken in peppercorn lava or sweet, saucy hongshao rou? Wine pairing with Chinese food is possible, but does require significant experience. Here’s a list of suggestions, courtesy of the experts: sommeliers Jean-Marc Nolant of Park Hyatt Shanghai and Philippe Huser of Napa Valley Wine Bar & Restaurant.

Rule 1: Avoid foods that require dipping in vinegar

Rule 2: Make sure lighter flavored dishes are served first

Rule 3: Likewise, start with your white wine and then move on to red

Rule 4: Chinese food with Chinese wines? Yes, but select well

Rule 5: Choose your wine based on the preparation rather than the ingredients

Rule 6: Make sure your Chinese food and wine night is feasible

Read the complete article: Pairing wines with Chinese food: It can be done at CNNGo

A friend of Mir Global just dropped me an email with a link to this video, shot earlier in the month when Mir Global Marketing was coincidentally in Beijing presenting our wines.

Linda Kennedy of the China Daily takes a trip to Chateau Changyu, one of China’s most recognizable domestic wine brands (Great Wall is another which comes to mind). It’s also a common sight to anyone who has spent thirty minutes watching CCTV9 during the past 6 months, where a commercial from the vineyard is constantly aired and makes the vineyard out to seem “world class.”

Perhaps it looks world class and has the big bucks to get a one year advertisement slot on CCTV9 (China’s English language channel), but according to the wine experts of Beijing, Jim Boyce and John Gai, and also my own palate, this vineyards wine is nothing special.

Watch the video and decide for yourself if you’ve been convinced to dish out $50-70 usd on a fine bottle of Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon is really worth it?

Business and Finance News from the HK is reporting that Beijing has agreed to provide two new facilitation measures in which wine exported from HK to the mainland.

1. Importers who have registered with Mainland customs authorities can ask for a pre-valuation of wine duty 10 working days before a shipment is exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland. When it arrives at a Mainland boundary point, Mainland customs will valuate it within one working day

2. For registered importers who have not chosen to conduct wine duty pre-valuation, Mainland customs will strive to shorten the clearance time at Mainland boundary points. For wines which have been imported to the Mainland before, with submission of all the necessary documents and no irregularities identified after inspection, the clearance procedures will normally take no more than three working days. For wines which are new to the Mainland market, the valuation procedures will usually be completed within seven working days. If the customs clearance cannot be completed in time, the goods can still be released with a guarantee deposit.

The measures will first be implemented as a pilot in Shenzhen, and may be extended to other major Mainland boundary points subject to development. Both sides will work towards the target of implementing the measures early next year.

Mir Global Marketing LLC’s winter promotional tour of the major Chinese metropolises is now under way. For the next few weeks we will be bring you updates live from the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.

Red Wine; China’s sudden romance with wine

Read more directly from the New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2009/11/red-red-wine.html#ixzz0XWzunqWl

More than 500 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions are taking part in the HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, 4-6 November, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The fair’s second edition features wine-industry seminars, tasting sessions, workshops, award presentations and wine experts from around the world. One of the highlights this year is the inaugural Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, billed as the first Asian wine competition.

By Peter Brieger (AFP) – Nov 7, 2009

HONG KONG — Chinese wine imports have soared more than ten-fold in the past few years but foreign producers hoping to cash in on the boom are warning the market is fickle and not for the faint of heart.

China is on track to import 10 million cases of wine this year, up from 840,000 in 2004, according to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

Wangfujing, Beijing - 2006

Asian wine consumption, excluding Japan, is expected to double from this year to 27 billion US dollars in 2017, the council believes, with much of that growth driven by Hong Kong and cash-rich China.

In another sign of the growth of the market, last week’s Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair, the second such annual event, attracted 520 exhibitors from 34 countries — double last year’s number.

“Many people are shocked by the speed of the growth,” said Raymond Yip, the HKTDC’s assistant director. “But there is a lot of pent-up demand for wine.”

The disposable income of an emerging Chinese middle class has grown and many of its members are choosing wine as a healthier alternative to spirits, Yip said.

“People are getting more health conscious and all of a sudden wine has become fashionable,” he added.

But Raymond Signorello, proprietor of Signorello Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley, said he has been struggling to find the right agent to market his premium reds on the mainland.

“It’s kind of a gold rush,” he told AFP from his booth at the fair.

[...] Click here to read the full article from AFP

Wine – BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Industry Guide – new market research report from companiesandmarkets.com

* Market: Food and Drink
* Published Date: 21/10/2009
* Report Title: Wine – BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Industry Guide
* Table of Contents: View Table of Contents
* Report Type: Market Report
* Country: Global
* Number of Pages: 102

The Wine – BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Wine industry. The report includes easily comparable data on market value, volume, segmentation and market share, plus full five year market forecasts. It examines future problems, innovations and potential growth areas within the market.

Scope of the Report

• Contains an executive summary and data on value, volume and segmentation
• Provides textual analysis of the industry´s prospects, competitive landscape and profiles of the leading companies
• Incorporates in-depth five forces competitive environment analysis and scorecards
• Compares data from Brazil, Russia, India, and China, alongside individual chapters on each BRIC country; Brazil, Russia, India and China
• Includes a five-year forecast of the industry

Highlights

• The BRIC Wine market grew by 8.5% between 2004 and 2008 to reach a value of $25.3 billion.
• In 2013, the market is forecast to have a value of $34.6 billion, an increase of 6.5% from 2008.
• India was the fastest growing country with a CAGR of 21.2% over the 2004?08 period.
• Why you should buy this report
  • Spot future trends and developments
  • Inform your business decisions
  • Add weight to presentations and marketing materials
  • Save time carrying out entry-level research

Market Definition

The wine market consists of fortified wine, sparkling wine and still wine. The market is valued according to retail selling price (RSP) and includes any applicable taxes.

Click here to view the table of contents from the report

The China chapter breaks down as follows:CHAPTER 6 WINE IN CHINA 78

6.1 Market Overview 78
6.2 Market Value 79
6.3 Market Volume 80
6.4 Market Segmentation I 81
6.5 Market Segmentation II 82
6.6 Market Share 83
6.7 Five Forces Analysis 84
6.8 Leading Companies 92
6.9 Distribution 97
6.10 Market Forecasts 98
6.11 Macroeconomic Indicators 100