While the rest of the wine world is mired in a flout, Chinese imports "grew by over 50% in 2011 from 17 to 26 million cases", said Ian Ford (pictured here fondling grapes) of Summergate during our breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria in Shanghai. Not surprisingly with this growth, the number of licensed importers wanting a cut of the pie has skyrocketed, from barely 800 to just over 4,000 in less than five years. Interestingly, although the number of hotels and restaurants being opened continues to raise eyebrows, this rise in consumption is not being fuelled by expatriate drinking habits, but by native Chinese who are interested in wine. We're not yet talking about a wine by-the-glass programme in every local restaurant, but the signs are encouraging. However you parse it, though, red is still the colour. Comments