Top wines in the Asian media

1. Pyren Vineyard Broken Quartz Shiraz 2011

Singaporean blogger “Wine Xin” picked out this wine as part of a tasting that highlighted the breadth of styles and grape varieties on offer from the Australian state of Victoria.

Recalling 2011 as “one of the wettest years in the Pyrenees and the wines were generally not well-considered”, he noted the problem many producers experienced in achieving ripe fruit.

By contrast, Wine Xin pointed to this wine’s “pronounced floral scent over peppery spices and, while the acid was a little sharp, tannins were properly ripe, well-textured and not harsh. A case of good winemaking despite bad conditions.”

2. Castell de Vilarnau Brut Rosado

Writing on the Grape Wall of China blog, Jim Boyce meets Weiley Lu, who has jusr turned his Beijing restaurant The Loop into a wine shop.

Asked to recommend options for first time wine drinkers, Lu picks out Cava Vilarnau Rosado as an ideal introduction to sparkling styles.

“It is a Cava made with the traditional method, just like Champagne”, he explains. “This one is made with Pinot Noir and Trepat.”

As for the taste, Lu describes the Cava as having “light, crispy, refreshing acidity yet is complex and bubbly.”

3. Takahata Winery, 2012 Yoshi Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay

On a visit to the Yamagata mountains during a particularly dramatic rainy season, Melinda uses her blog, Tokyo Drinking Glass, to highlight the challenge faced by winemakers in this corner of Japan.

Picking out some of the top wines from her trip, Melinda describes Takahata’s 2012 Yoshi Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend as “the surprise of the bunch.

“Furiously sparkling, with a delightful cherry-blossom-pink tinge, this bubbly started out bone-dry and then developed a lovely, high-note sweetness during the meal. It was the perfect match for homey Chinese chicken curry and cucumber salad. I’d like to try this again with spicy dishes.”

4. Dumol Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California, 2011

For the second week in succession Jeannie Cho Lee MW recommends a US Pinot Noir, though this time it’s from California, not Oregon.

Writing on asianpalate.com she selects a Pinot Noir from Dumol in Russia River Valley as her “wine of the week”, describing it as “muscular” and “more about power than finesse and detail” while praising the wine for its “persistence and lovely texture”.

5. Luzhou Laojiao Guojiao 1573 Baijiu

Jeannie Cho Lee has also been attempting to increase her understanding of Chinese drinking tastes with an extensive Baiju sampling.

Having tried over 80 Baijus, she records an “interesting array of new flavours that could be appreciated with the right dishes” (although some made her cough just smelling them).

Her favourite was the Guojiao 1573 Baijiu from Luzhou Laojiao which she described as “refined” and “strong” with “intense Thai jasmine and fermented bean flavours” and a price tag over ¥800 (£86).

6. Weingut Artner Steinacker Zweigelt Reserve, Carnuntum, Austria

The team at Winebuzz in Hong Kong has selected Zweigelt as its variety of the week, describing wines made from this Austrian grape as a “spicier version of Beaujolais”.

As a result, the wine website recommends three different Austrian wines, starting with a Zweigelt rosé from Alois Kracher and ending with the 2009 Steinacker Reserve Zweigelt from Weingut Artner, costing HK$535 at Schmidt Vinothek.