How Come?

China is usually known for its cultural & historical heritage, cheap shopping, wonderful food and growing economy. However when it comes to luxury consumption it is another aspect of prices and culture. Especially when it comes to the non-existing knowledge of wine products. Cheap & bad wines are expensive without the knowledge of the public. Fine wine that costs around 100 SEK in Sweden, which is considered as expensive in Europe because of Swedish taxing politics & laws against the alcohol market, is on the other hand more than double the expense in China. For example, the lovely wine Couvent des Jacobins Bourgogne Rouge 2001 Pinot Noir by Louis Jadot costs 99 SEK in Sweden, however in China the price is approximately 258 RMB. The list goes on with the same examples. Sometimes far worst wines is even more expensive than the better ones (1 SEK = 1,3 RMB).

One time I went to a wine store which should be considered as a knowledgeable one, had put the price on Masi Valpolicella 2001 (77 SEK, 275 RMB) much higher than Couvent des Jacobins Bourgogne Rouge 2001 Pinot Noir by Louis Jadot (258 RMB).

Cigars that I love and adore because of its perfection and wonderful taste, is quite a disappointment in China. A cigar is not only a smoke or something you consume like an ice-cream or candy. It is something you can enjoy in any occasion with complements for aromatic perfection. It is not only the smoking of the cigar that provides its perfection it is its entire environment around it. When I went to the Casa Habana Club in Beijing on Jian Guo Men Da Jie to ask about a lovely Davidoff cigar, they simply answered me that:

I simply went crazy and though to myself that if it was possible for a professional Cuban cigar club to not know that Davidoff is a wonderful cigar from the Dominican Republic and not some cheap and ugly American cigar.

No, I have to say that when it comes to gastronomy and other luxurious consumption within the field of alcohol, western food, coffee and cigars China has a lot to learn.

Yours Sincerely!

Managing Director / Founder
Alexander Yu