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

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?

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’s Argentine selections are available in two varieties – the “PS Collection“ and the “Martín Carrera Reserva Collection.” Both are wonderful examples of the wineries Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Chardonnay.

Our PS collection, the younger of our two varieties, provides a clean, fruity taste with great depth for such a premier wine. If stored properly, the wine has a shelf life of four to five years. Overtime, rich flavors gradually give way, evolving into a more subtle element in the greater embodiment a mature, dry wine.

Our Martín Carrera Reserva collection provides a seasoned, fully developed taste from the beginning. All our wines from the Martín Carrera Reserva collection have been stored in traditional French wood barrels that our vintners and oenologists have personally selected. These barrels have been used by Mendoza’s wine industry for over century, allowing Argentina’s wine producers to combine the superior skills and instruments of European wine making with the grace of one of the most conducive and healthy regional climates for growing wine found anywhere in the world.

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Mendoza Province – The heart and soul of Argentinean Wine

Mir Global’s Argentina selections come from the world famous wine growing region of Mendoza.  Mendoza Province is a picturesque region situation along the beginning of the Andes mountain range in mid-western Argentina. The Andes Mountains run along the western edge of the province, protecting the low lands and valleys where wine is grown from the cold and rain.

Argentina is a country with a long history in wine making and consumption. Until the early nineties, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside of Europe. In fact, many attribute this to the great number of Argentinians who can trace their ancestry back to Spain and Italy.

Combining the best of the old and new worlds, Argentinian wine has evolved into a delicious mix of the best tastes of Europe and South America. For those looking for a traditional dry red or white wine, our Cabernet Sauvignon (red) and Chardonnay (white) are two great options which combine the best of European wine making with Argentina’s idyllic growing conditons.

We also recommend trying Argentina’s Malbecs. Originally from the Cohar in Southwestern France, Malbecs are now the jewel of red wine from Argentina. The Malbec grape is a thin-skinned grape which requires more sun and heat to mature than grapes used in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot wines.

Malbec grapes ripen mid-season, adding a very pleasant plum-like flavor and complexity to the red wine blends. Furthermore thanks to the Andes mountains, growers in Argentina had the opportunity to experiment with Malbec grapes at different altitudes, producing slight variations in taste. The results have been warmly received by Malbec drinkers, who enjoy the blended flavors obtained from growing the grapes at carefully calculated altitudes.

• MIR’s current focus is on introducing American and European culture and wines into the Chinese market.

• MIR stresses relationships as the cornerstone of its business. We are there every step of the the way to enhance sales for our buyers and the producers we represent.

• MIR Global Marketing acts as an “outsource marketing department” for companies that don’t want to commit large fixed expenses.

• MIR’s Global Marketing team consists of highly trained, highly educated professionals with great knowledge of the brands that MIR represents.

• We assist clients in finding products they demand, whether it be food/wine from North and South America to Europe or the Middle East.

• MIR’s goal is to give you the edge above your competitors.

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

As a young Limeñan, Maritza traveled throughout South America before moving to Madrid, Spain for eight years. In the early eighties, she left Spain, and moved to New York where she settled down and has lived ever since.

In 2005, Maritza’s son Bennett traveled to China to study Mandarin and learn about conducting business in Asia. As a fellow wine enthusiast, Bennett struggled to find quality wines while abroad. It was at this moment that Maritza decided the new wine market of the 21st centiry was not in North America or Europe, but rather in Asia.

Soon after Bennett completed his travels, Maritza set out to create a new business for Mir Global Marketing LLC. Journeying back to South America and Spain, Maritza sampled new assortments of wines. Meanwhile, Bennett explored additonal markets in Asia, venturing to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

Upon completing their research, Mir Global Marketing LLC., was reborn as a new wine agency, catering to the tastes and preferences of the Asian consumer. Today Mir Global Marketing LLC., continues to do business in Asia, working tirelessly to adapt and tailor our business strategies to the unique conditions of the different markets which constitute the greater Asian region.

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.