WTF?? Meet Jacquelin, the Face Behind Wine Tasting With Friends

Ha, ha, starting strong I see. I mean, I am fueled by my mission to hunt great value wines. But that doesn’t roll off the tongue so nicely for social media, right? And so one day I came up with a composed surname of sorts for myself, if you will—WinePimp. Jacquelin WinePimp I am, and it’s also my pleasure to chat with you guys today.

Oh, I am in fact a true and tested Beijinger. I was born here, and grew up in a hutong in the Wangfujing area, so old school central Beijing. 

Sure! I run a wine distribution company in Beijing. Time really does fly when you find your calling—this is my 16th anniversary in the business in China, where wine is still very much considered a luxury item. What does that status imply? A series of unfortunate things. For starters, the average person lacks sufficient knowledge about wine, and the market has yet to develop properly in China. The funny, the fake, the downright bad, and don’t forget the overpriced! All too often, you end up paying way too much for your wine.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the adagio is true: you do kind of get what you pay for…to a certain extent. I firmly believe that wine—good wine, at that—is a far more affordable item than my customers may be led to believe otherwise. Whether it’s in your daily life or on some special occasion, you can and you should enjoy a fine glass of wine! This is the spirit I bring to my events, and overall my mindset as a professional wine dealer. Authenticity and quality all across a range of palates and budgets—from high-end wines to that affordable bottle you need for a weekday treat.

Wine is a great social tool, I feel. Sometimes it’s hard to approach new faces at a party, and yet if we’re all holding a glass of wine, suddenly there’s an opportunity to break the ice. So I organize these wine events on a regular basis, but always with a different theme and selection of wines. I’ve come to name these socials "WTF??—Wine Tasting with Friends!!", they take place at a restaurant location somewhere in downtown Beijing, include some exciting wines to sample, and then you’re all set for a wonderful time! 

The next WTF is set for the afternoon of Saturday, Nov 9, at Bistro 108. The theme is "Every Bottle Is A Story", and you may look forward to a neat selection of Italian wines, which I confess to being very fond of. All in all, a total of 11 wines; two of them right at the start as welcome drinks, and the rest spread throughout the event. And you know, the title for the event isn’t random at all. Each and every wine really does have a unique story, infused with a rich historical background. Why is the black rooster such an important symbol for Chianti Classico producers? Did you know about the Veronese wine that celebrates the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet? And don’t forget about Taurasi, the southern king of Italian wines, hailing from the shadows of the Vesuvius, the largest active volcano in Europe, a region with many enchanting legends. 

There will also be a mystery auction, as well as fun, interactive games. These are wine-themed so you can learn cool facts and tips, but always in a non-imposing, engaging way.

I just said that I am partial to Italian wines because, well, there’s just something for everybody with those. Italian wines feature over 2,000 active grape varieties, and you just never run out of styles and flavors to discover. That being said, with wine the world is truly your oyster! We keep the menu exciting from one event to the next, and so sometimes you will sip a South African wine, and then discover a bottle from Argentina next. Or I will have a flight of wines from different countries all at once. In fact, I also bring Chinese wines; despite my caveats above, we also have our own hits! I have such fond memories of each of our annual wine tours to Ningxia, which is often dubbed China’s Napa Valley. These book out fast every time! 

Funny you should mention that—we do! Our Spanish wine tastings, which by the way are wildly popular, come to mind. They’re named "Rioja Underground @ A Secret Location", because we usually host them at this wine cellar that used to be a wartime bomb shelter, and is nestled in Beijing’s massive underground network, built in the fifties and sixties. The network sprawls across the central area of town, and as you may imagine the vast majority of it is considered a sensitive location and thus owned and controlled by the government. There are precious few spots that you can access, and one of them is this bomb shelter that was converted into a private wine cellar. After all, it’s the perfect environment for wine to age! 

Nowadays, this wine cellar is open exclusively for pre-organized wine events. Our guests find it super cool, and I have learned to look at it as this mysterious place where our cultures blend and interact in unexpected ways—Beijing’s not-so-remote-history and Western wine culture. 

Last but not least, you can always count on us to host a private wine tasting event. Birthdays, special celebrations, any occasion you can think of, really. Let us know what you need and we’ll tailor our offer accordingly.  

Well, the act of drinking wine in itself is no rocket science, but we certainly do make a bit of a fuss about the specifics when sometimes, particularly when we’re just getting into this world, it can all really be way simpler. I know I try to introduce each wine in a relaxed way, without delving so much into the academics of it.

Take the wines of the Rioja region, for instance. They’re classified by their aging process, and divided into four categories—Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran reserva. But I don’t go on a crazy masterclass about this. Instead, I start with a fun fact: Rioja wines are typically based on a grape variety known as Tempranillo. Then, I ask my guest to think of this grape as some guy that we’re about to get up close and personal with. Throughout the event, we will meet him at the different stages of his life: from a cheerful, juicy and naïve youngster to his sexy, mature fifties. You know when people say that so-and-so is aging like fine wine? I do love this expression, because it works the other way, too. A bottle of wine does evolve with time, much like a person does.  

Hmm, I’ll be honest with you, it’s hard to explain how to find decent wine in just a few lines. I think you want to start by finding a trustable wine supplier that knows their stuff. Just a sales person won’t do if you really want to find the perfect choice for your taste and budget.  

You can literally find good wines at nearly all price ranges and for all different styles. Good is much too subjective a word, in that there’s no solid definition of it. Price, region and more—those are fine to consider, but at the end of the day, it’s about what you like. So my advice would be to try different wines and educate your palate, one glass at a time. 

Well, you can never go wrong with a bottle of sparkling wine for that party you got an invite to, but don’t fret if your budget isn’t all that great. A nice Prosecco won’t break the bank and you’ll still leave a good impression! Prosecco really is such a great choice for parties. It will pair well with nearly all dishes, because the bubbles act as the perfect palate cleanser. Want to be a classy host? Champagne is the way to go big, but again, there are great value alternatives: South Africa has its excellent sparkling wines, known as Méthode Cap Classique (MCC). 

Say you’re looking for a red wine. Indeed, it’s all about the occasion. For a formal dinner, try a Rioja red or Barolo; they’re rich, profound and elegant, and will match nearly every richly flavored dish, too. Alternatively, you really can’t ever fail with a Sangiovese or a Pinot Noir; we’re talking the kind of old school elegance that immediately betrays your good taste. 

All about the right white wine? A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is sure to be a crowd pleaser. And Italy has your back with a good, affordable Pinot Gris.

As a matter of fact, I started out as an interpreter. Once, I was hired by a wine maker that was hoping to sell a couple of large wine containers in Beijing. Out of good heart, I suppose, I helped the wine producer set up lots of meetings with potential buyers, with long-time prospects in mind. What started as just another assignment morphed into my taking care of this wine producer’s business, and there’s a crucial element of trust here. Rather than contacting the wine maker back in his home country, these buyers found they trusted me more to close on any deals, because I was the old Beijinger that wouldn’t go anywhere. I gained my wings throughout the years, and eventually, I founded my own company.  

With regard to your second question, I think there are always two sides to every story. After the pandemic, I switched my focus from large distribution channels to end customers and company buyers. For the first decade of my business, I’d dealt with large distributors mostly and was thus eager for a new opportunity. This is particularly valid since most of my customer base is made up of expats who have indulged in wine since their youth. As a result, they have a much wider palate than the wholesale distributors I used to work with. They inspire in me a need to think out of my own, old box. Nowadays, my customers provide me with a chance to research and discover lots of new wines. It honestly makes me happy to stay on my toes and constantly challenge myself to learn new stuff. 

It is true that ours is still largely a male-dominated trade. Most wine dealers are indeed still males. That being said, I believe that people who can appreciate fine things in life tend to have a good heart. I’ve met lots of great friends in the wine business, regardless of gender. I luckily haven’t experienced any discrimination. My fellow dealers respect me as a hard-working business owner, that’s all. 

Oh, fun question! My favorite person in the wine industry is Emma Gao, the owner of Silver Heights Winery in Ningxia. In her capacity as a winemaker, she has literally placed China on the world map of wine. Silver Heights was also the first Chinese winery to export to Bordeaux; they’ve also catered many state banquets, which fills me with pride as a Chinese citizen myself. Emma is a true star, and I make sure to pay her a visit at least once a year. Remember those Ningxia tours I was telling you about just before? The itinerary always includes a stop at Silver Heights, where we have dinner with Emma herself in her vineyards, under the stars. 

I take myself to be a fairly knowledgeable person when it comes to Italian wines. So, my plan in the near future is to expand my field of knowledge and learn way more about French wines, especially Burgundy. 

It really was a lovely conversation, and the best part is that we can always keep it going face-to-face, at my wine events or however else you can think of. Please add me on WeChat! (13426475879/ JacquelinWinePimp), and you could also always follow me on Instagram if you’d like (@jacquelin_winepimp). 

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