City Weekend: This year, your World Atlas of Wine will be published in simplified Chinese—what do you think this says about China’s place in the wine world?

Jancis Robinson: I think it's great news because it means that there are sufficient numbers of Chinese are now seriously interested in wine to give a publisher the confidence to translate and launch this special edition. And, as you doubtless know, the world's wine producers are hoping that China will become one of their most important markets! It is almost easier to find some Bordeaux producers in China than in Bordeaux nowadays.

CW: How has China’s wine culture change since your first visit in 2002?

JR: I have the feeling that many more Chinese people feel confident about wine and have true experience of fine wine, which is great. And it seems to me that wine plays a much more important role In Chinese social life and entertaining.

But, I must say that when I compared my tasting of top Chinese wines in 2008 with a similar tasting in 2002, I was disappointed that there had not been more progress - especially in view of the fact that wine has improved so markedly virtually everywhere else in the world over the same period.

I am also rather mystified because the Chinese are such fastidious eaters and are so interested in and critical of food. Perhaps Chinese consumers just need a bit more education and the confidence that comes with it that will enable them to be a bit more demanding about the quality of wine produced in China.

CW: How does the pace of development of wine culture in the Chinese mainland compare with that of Hong Kong?

JR: They started at very different points in their evolution. HK seems to me to have been a very sophisticated wine market for at least a generation. In fact I don't know anywhere else in the world where the average quality of wine drunk is so high. For a long time HK wine drinkers seemed a bit too focussed on red bordeaux and the very top red burgundies but now they seem to be enjoying a much wider range of wines. I'd say mainland China still has a way to go to catch up with HK.

CW: Given its climate and soil conditions, what should China be doing to strengthen its wine industry? What regions are best for development?

JR: This is the million dollar question! It would be arrogant of me to give an opinion here when so many people have actually spent time in many potential parts of this vast country. But it does seem as though a key to improving quality is to reduce yields, although that can be difficult when grapes are bought in from farmers who are completely independent of the wine producing companies.

CW: Far fewer grape varieties are grown in China than in other smaller countries. Which varieties do you think would do well here?

JR: It all depends on the region and its peculiarities but I do think that the rather tart, hard Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that seem to predominate are not the most obvious choices to go with Chinese food and fairly new wine drinkers. I would have thought that very fruity wines, some of them white, would be much better.

CW: Grace Vineyard in Shanxi Province has garnered some attention from the international wine scene. What other Chinese vineyards are producing wine of quality?

JR: Certainly Grace has impressed me on each of my three visits to China. I went to visit the winery in 2008. See here for further thoughts and my favourite wines in a blind tasting of Chinese wines in March 2008.

CW: How is China’s growing taste for wine affecting wine prices internationally?

JR: It has certainly affected the price of Lafite. Ch Lafite was always the same price as the other first growths but, thanks to the Chinese fondness for this particular name (which is a bit of a mystery to the rest of the world - see this and my original article here. All wines with Lafite in the name, even the very modest AC Bordeaux and the second wine Carruades de Lafite, are far more expensive than they were very few years ago. It's amazing and the other first growths are trying to establish themselves like this In other burgeoning markets such as India.

CW: Which wines pair best with a Chinese meal, like kung pao chicken or yuxiang eggplant?

JR: Sorry. I will have to do some testing on my next visit!

CW: How did you become the wine consultant for Her Majesty the Queen? What are the Queen’s favorite wines?

JR: I don’t know really. I was simply invited to join the wine merchants with a royal warrant who form the backbone of the Royal Household Wine Committeee. Most of our blind tastings are in the cellars of Buckingham Palace.

I don't think Her Majesty is particularly interested in wine herself, but my husband and I were extremely honoured to be invited to a state banquet at Windsor Castle for the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy and his glamorous wife Carla Bruni.

CW: We love flying British Airways because the wines always pair so well with the meals. What do you look for when you choose wines for British Airways?

JR: Because our palates dry out in the air and we are less capable of spotting subtlety, we tend to choose wines that are slightly fruitier and a little bit more obvious than those we migh tserve on the ground. On the other hand, we have a long tradition of offering red bordeaux and white burgundy at the front of the plane. And always champagne of course.

CW: What is your favorite place you have tasted wine in Shanghai?

JR: China is changing so fast that I'm sure that my 2008 experiences are way behind the times!

Update: Jancis' new verdict on wine in China? "Forty eight hours in China recently was not enough for any profound investigation of the exploding wine scene there but it was enough for me to realise that at long last there are some exciting new developments in Chinese wine."