China correspondent Ken White reports from Dalian.

‘Hi Martin, My favourite tipple here is Dragon seal 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s about $AU9 but in my opinion is above the rest for everyday quaffing. That said there is a great Cabernet Franc I drink every time I’m in Beijing, the name of which escapes me. [Possibly Changyu? Ed.]

I have only found it in Morels, a European restaurant in the San Litun district where the Embassies are situated. Sells for about 40 bucks in the restaurant. Yantai, which is just across the bay (three hours by fast ferry), is a fast growing wine area and the above wines stem from there.

Forget the whites. Long way to go before they become drinkable.

However, a really great sparkling is Dragon Seal for about $AU20. Certainly, on a par with anything of the same cost in Australia. Another brand of reds and whites is Dynasty, far too sweet for our tastes.

Buying wine here is not a problem; the French chain Carrefour and the German chain Metro carry French, Australian, South African, Chilean wines etc. Koonunga Hill sells for about 20 bucks and Jacobs Creek 15. Rawsons Retreat however, is about 30.

Problem here is that the Chinese claim to have invented vineyards, along with everything else for that matter. Even claim to have invented soccer (I kid you not) I reply with the line ‘Then how come you’re so bad at playing it.’

The Chinese have no culture on how to drink wine. Even my [Chinese] brother in law who worked in the UK for two years still insists on drinking wine like Chinese spirit, i.e. you scull it. Not a good way to drink a Grange Hermitage perhaps.

Beer is the most popular drink among the young but older men often refer to it as Ma Niao – literally horse’s p-ss.

They prefer the fiery white spirit which can range in price from a couple of Aussie dollars a bottle to about $80 for a small bottle of the best quality ‘Mao Tai’ which I’m told was Chairman Mao’s favourite tipple.

The story goes that during the Long March, on the run from the Kuomintang, the Red Army arrived at a small village called Mao Tai that brewed its own unique liquor. The rest, as they say, is history. After a couple of days R & R they were so fired up by the good brew they chased Chang Kai Shek all the way back to Hong Kong.

Haven’t acquired a taste for it personally. In my opinion there’s not much difference in the $2 bottle or the $80 one. Like grading various brands of Methylated spirit. Still my brother in law (not to mention my Russian mates) loves the stuff.

Anyway, it will be a few years yet before Chinese wines are on a par with ours but give ’em time. In a country developing as fast as this one anything’s possible. Cheers, Bai Kaishui (in another far less interesting life known as Ken White).