Imbibe is a new semi-regular column that highlights wine, beer, hooch, booze, firewater, or any other kind of potent potables available around town that we think you should drink.


Champagne doesn't have the monopoly on bubbles. But given how many gallons of it are consumed at every Sunday in Shanghai, you would understandably think so. Believe me, there are other options out there, and some of them are surprisingly good. You've just got search them out. I've already done some of the work for you. Here are three places to start...

Sekt Riesling

Germany's vineyards lie at the very northern frontier of where you can grow grapes. We're talking latitudes as far north as Newfoundland or Mongolia where summers are brief and sunshine can be in short supply. Because of this, the Germans put as much planning and ingenuity into grape growing as they do car making. Nearly every southern slope, no matter how steep, is covered in vines. To harness whatever latent sunlight they can, growing sites are selected for rocks like slate that retain heat. Likewise, riverside plots are highly valued, and, surprisingly, not for irrigation purposes; the water actually works like a mirror, reflecting more sunlight onto the grapes. Because of all this, German wines are among the most terroir-driven wines in the world. They are deeply detailed reflections of their provenance. That's why I love German Rieslings so much. And Bardong has given me a style of Riesling to love even more, sekt.

"Sekt" is the German term for "sparkling." They don't make much of the stuff there. What they do they normally keep for themselves. In fact, I've only found one available in Shanghai. It's by a small producer in the Rheingau called Bardong. Since 1984 all they've made is sekt. Their singular sense of purpose comes through in the bottle. Where Champagne is dominated by creamy, yeasty notes, This wine has a pleasantly acidic bite with flavors of ripe tropical fruit. There's just enough of that peculiar petrol note to remind you that you're still drinking a Riesling. Prepare yourself for the next inevitable heatwave this summer and stock up on a few bottles.

Purchase it at: German Fine Wines.

Price: 418rmb

Inedit

Okay. I know it's not a wine, but it's still got bubbles, so I'm making an exception just this once. Spanish brewery Estrella Damm touts this as the world's first beer specifically designed to go with food. That claim seems a bit far-fetched. I find it hard to believe that before Inedit came along, no brewer ever took food into account when making beer. Nevertheless, I suppose such a claim isn't nearly as important as the name attached to the beer: Ferran Adria, the man behind the-world-famous-but soon-to-close el Bulli. The pioneering restaurateur and his team of sommeliers have joined forces with Estrella's brew masters to create this recipe. And while what they came up with may be Spanish in nationality, it's decidedly more Belgian in execution. Like a traditional witbier, Inedit is a blend of barley and wheat malts. If you've ever tasted brews like Hoegaarden or Vedett, you've probably already got some idea of what to expect. On the palate it's a distinctly fresh and fruity and pleasantly sour note -- you know, the kind of beer you could garnish with a lemon wedge. Adria and company add a few extra complex dimensions by brewing it with coriander seeds, orange zest, and licorice. They forgo any fining or filtering processes, giving its deep gold hue, a slightly cloudy haze. Carbonation is soft and subtle, which produces an eternally creamy head at the top of the glass; it also makes the beer much less filling than Inedit’s light lager counterpart. Estella is aggressively pushing the idea of Inedit being a "food beer," so they're instructing consumers to enjoy it the way one would a bottle of wine: drunk from stems and shared with a companion. In fact, they only sell it in 750ml bottles. As such, this one's best enjoyed when dining out.

Drink it at: el Willy

Price: 98rmb

Brachetto d'Acqui

Italy's northwestern foothills, better known as Piemonte, are best known for producing the legendary Barolo and Barbaresco. These are dense, focused, stringent, heavy-handed wines that must age upwards of a decade before they're even palatable (well worth the wait, incidentally). By comparison, the wine they make in the small Piemontese commune of Acqui Terme seems but a fizzy frivolity. This red sparkler made from the Brachetto grape foams up in the glass and creates a lacy, frothy top. As the bubbles pop, inviting aromas of candied rose petals and violets emanate from the glass. On the palate, it's off dry and rich with flavors of sweet strawberries and blackberries. It's great for dessert and begs to be matched with anything containing dark chocolate. With an alcohol content of only 7 percent, this wine is ideal for all of you lightweights out there. Like sekt riesling, Brachetto d'Aqui is another relative rarity; they just don't make very much of it. But, I've managed to find a few bottles on hand at City Shop. Unfortunately, I've depleted their stock by one bottle. My bad.

Purchase it at: City Shop's Xujiahui Branch

Price: 556rmb


... And if you've managed to navigate through all the wine geek speak above, here are a few wine-related happenings coming up and going on around town.


At Fulton Place, Rather than just promoting a single brand, Owner Nat Alexander and Chef Marc Johnson are just matching a custom-made dinner with some of their favorite labels on the Summergate portfolio. Among them: Pol Roger Champagne, Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling, Nautilus Pinot Noir. That happens July 23. Listing here.

Both locations of Pizza Marzano are offering 50 percent discounts on some very prestigious Italian labels like Gaja, Prunotto, and Zonin if you spend 120rmb or more per person. Listing, here.

Force 8 Cellars are splitting the difference between France and the U.S.'s respective national days with a tasting of some primo juice like Napa Valley's Silverado as well as some selections from Burgundy and Alsace. That happens July 14. Listing here.

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