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上海外滩27号建成于1920年，原为英国贸易商怡和洋行的产业。这座历经百年风霜的复古主义建筑几经易手——它曾经是日本海军的情报处，又做过上海外经贸委的办公楼。如今，这座气场强大的9层建筑更名“罗斯福”，由美国的罗斯福基金会投资改建成顶级的餐饮会所。二楼的酒窖占据1100平方米，藏有16个酒类分销商在此寄售的20万瓶2500个品牌的酒，高档的售价50万人民币。酒窖为欧洲庄园风格，一排排深色木制酒柜，混凝土墙面无任何装饰，地面为石材，没有吊顶。Tom Hinde告诉我，在一扇推拉架之后藏着一个隐秘的包房，供尊贵的客人使用。里面存放着顶级酒，包括来自他的家乡纳帕谷的传奇啸鹰红酒。
这时候Tom的老板姚明从我们身边走过。身高2米29的姚明气场当然是强大的，正如这座宏伟的欧洲建筑。然而第一次如此近距离见到姚明，却感觉他是个友好亲切的普通人。Tom Hinde是姚明葡萄酒公司的总裁兼酿酒总监，他告诉我，说来也巧，姚明的这种为他赢得无数中外粉丝的个性正好跟纳帕谷红酒的风格不谋而合。2011年12月1日，姚明纳帕谷葡萄酒在罗斯福举办盛大的上市会。首批5000箱仅供中国市场；另一批500箱的1.5升限量版将于2012年初发布。
“姚明爱上了纳帕谷的赤霞珠葡萄酒，这种酒气场很强大。”Tom解释道，“而我的任务就是让纳帕谷的葡萄大放异彩，展示纳帕谷最好的一面。”纳帕葡萄酒结构分明，个性鲜明，丹宁味甜美，正好映射了姚明的性格。
姚明与纳帕葡萄酒结缘始自他的火箭队队友、刚果球星Dikembe Mutombo的启蒙。Dikembe煞有其事转动酒杯的样子让姚明神往，渐渐地他也成了一个红酒迷。如今，姚老板认认真真地投入于酒庄主的角色。
姚葡萄酒公司告诉《私人飞机》，姚明和Tom一直肩并肩地投入到整个葡萄酒酿造的过程中。姚明提出他对酿造的意见，但全权交给Tom去做最后的决定。Tom是酿酒的老手，上世纪90年代曾经担任Kendall-Jackson酒庄的总经理，后来又出任Flowers酒庄的总裁。
姚明完全尊重Tom贯彻全天然的酿酒哲学——这意味着在葡萄种植、发酵到调配酿制的整个过程中，采取最低程度的干预，一切皆遵循古法，以自然的方式进行。
我们也开瓶品尝。这款酒充满新世界的活泼，水果味丰富，讨人喜欢地甘甜，应该很适合搭配当下流行的跨界调理。酿制风格和技术是波尔多的，以82%的赤霞珠、8%的梅洛、7%的丽珠和3%的小维铎为原料——这些都是盛产于法国波尔多地区的葡萄品种。
姚明说，他的团队强调长远计划，公司打算在纳帕谷购买酒庄，并拥有自己的酿酒厂。
纳帕谷风云人物很多，Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz, Louis Martini和Jack & Jamie Davies都深深地影响了如今纳帕谷的风貌。可惜这些人物并不为中国的消费者所熟悉。中国葡萄酒消费者更青睐法国大牌，尤其是拉斐和Mouton。但是如今，纳帕有了姚明这样一位重量级大使，中国葡萄酒的版图是否会因此改写呢？
在NBA打了9年球的姚明很喜欢美国文化。他爱上了德州的牛排，喜欢林肯纪念碑、华盛顿纪念塔和曼哈顿时代广场这样的地方。加州一直是他的最爱之一。谁能抗拒加州的阳光、美食、葡萄酒和好莱坞呢？不过，现在的姚明不那么需要加州通往上海的直达航班了。也许姚明是纳帕谷的庄主，但是他已经幸福地衣锦还乡。
The House of Roosevelt on Bund 27 is an imposing 1920 building built for Jardine Matheson, a prominent colonial British trading firm, and now in the hands of the American power family, the Roosevelts. The second floor of the nine-floor building is an imposing wine cellar of 1,100 square meters, 2,500 labels, and 20,000 bottles, easily the largest cellar in the booming town of Shanghai and possibly the entire country. It is all stone floors and dark wood shelves with raw concrete walls and uncovered ceiling, suggesting a European villa. Tom Hinde told us that there was a "secret" cellar hidden behind a sliding shelf with all the super premiums, including Screaming Eagle from his native Napa Valley in the chilly vault.
Tom’s boss and partner Yao Ming passed us at that moment. At 7-foot-6-inch, he looked imposing enough, yet strangely personable and friendly at the same time. I learned quickly enough that this unique and appealing character profile was exactly what Tom Hinde, president and director of winemaking, Yao Family Wines strived to express in the 2009 Yao Ming Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 5,000 cases have been released exclusively to the China market through Pernod Ricard the importer, with a big launch at the wine cellar of Roosevelt on December 1st, 2011. Another 500-case limited release, Yao Family Reserve, is scheduled for early 2012.
“Yao Ming fell in love with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which happens to be a very imposing wine varietal and region,” explained Tom, “My job as winemaker is to showcase the best of Napa Valley, to highlight the grapes from those vineyards.” Napa Valley wine, big, structured, and delicious with gentle tannins, is what Yao Ming likes and coincidentally, quite a lot like the star himself.
Yao’s love affair with Napa Valley wine started at dinners with his Houston Rocket teammate, the Congolese Dikembe Mutombo. Yao Ming was fascinated with the way Dikembe swirled his glasses. Yao gradually became a connoisseur himself and is now taking the proprietor’s role rather seriously.
Yao Family Wines told U-Jet that Tom and Yao work together throughout the entire production process. Yao gives his input on the wines and blends along the way, but fully trusts in Tom to make all the final decisions and produce the outstanding wines. Tom is an experienced hand in wine, having been general manager of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates in the 1990s and then president of Flowers Vineyard.
Tom has a free hand in adopting the “artisan” technique -- minimal intervention in the winemaking process, from growing and fermenting all the way to blending, all natural and done in a traditional manner.
We tried a bottle and found the wine very new world – lively, straightforward, with forward aromas and tinge of cheery, blackberry and cassis, but a bit austere on the palate. It is blended in Bordeaux style, with 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, all Bordeaux varietals. We were told the wine will age well and can be enjoyed for many years to come.
Yao Ming and his team plan to purchase vineyards and establish a winery in Napa Valley, with a goal to make Napa Valley wines for the long-term.
Napa Valley has produced its fair share of legends, such as Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz, Louis Martini and Jack & Jamie Davies, hugely influential in shaping the Valley into what it is today. But these figures are unfamiliar to the Chinese, and in China, French wine still reign supreme, with big names such as Lafite and Mouton. Now Napa Valley cannot have a better ambassador than Yao Ming. Will China’s wine landscape be shifting quickly?
Apart from Napa, there are many wonderful things about American culture that Yao enjoyed while living in the United States. He loved the steaks in Texas; he visited the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Times Square in Manhattan and loved them. California will still be one of Yao’s favorites place in the world. He loves the weather, food, wine, Hollywood movies, and of course the direct flights to Shanghai, which he no longer needs that much. Napa’s new wine proprietor now lives happily in native Shanghai with his family.
这时候Tom的老板姚明从我们身边走过。身高2米29的姚明气场当然是强大的，正如这座宏伟的欧洲建筑。然而第一次如此近距离见到姚明，却感觉他是个友好亲切的普通人。Tom Hinde是姚明葡萄酒公司的总裁兼酿酒总监，他告诉我，说来也巧，姚明的这种为他赢得无数中外粉丝的个性正好跟纳帕谷红酒的风格不谋而合。2011年12月1日，姚明纳帕谷葡萄酒在罗斯福举办盛大的上市会。首批5000箱仅供中国市场；另一批500箱的1.5升限量版将于2012年初发布。
“姚明爱上了纳帕谷的赤霞珠葡萄酒，这种酒气场很强大。”Tom解释道，“而我的任务就是让纳帕谷的葡萄大放异彩，展示纳帕谷最好的一面。”纳帕葡萄酒结构分明，个性鲜明，丹宁味甜美，正好映射了姚明的性格。
姚明与纳帕葡萄酒结缘始自他的火箭队队友、刚果球星Dikembe Mutombo的启蒙。Dikembe煞有其事转动酒杯的样子让姚明神往，渐渐地他也成了一个红酒迷。如今，姚老板认认真真地投入于酒庄主的角色。
姚葡萄酒公司告诉《私人飞机》，姚明和Tom一直肩并肩地投入到整个葡萄酒酿造的过程中。姚明提出他对酿造的意见，但全权交给Tom去做最后的决定。Tom是酿酒的老手，上世纪90年代曾经担任Kendall-Jackson酒庄的总经理，后来又出任Flowers酒庄的总裁。
姚明完全尊重Tom贯彻全天然的酿酒哲学——这意味着在葡萄种植、发酵到调配酿制的整个过程中，采取最低程度的干预，一切皆遵循古法，以自然的方式进行。
我们也开瓶品尝。这款酒充满新世界的活泼，水果味丰富，讨人喜欢地甘甜，应该很适合搭配当下流行的跨界调理。酿制风格和技术是波尔多的，以82%的赤霞珠、8%的梅洛、7%的丽珠和3%的小维铎为原料——这些都是盛产于法国波尔多地区的葡萄品种。
姚明说，他的团队强调长远计划，公司打算在纳帕谷购买酒庄，并拥有自己的酿酒厂。
纳帕谷风云人物很多，Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz, Louis Martini和Jack & Jamie Davies都深深地影响了如今纳帕谷的风貌。可惜这些人物并不为中国的消费者所熟悉。中国葡萄酒消费者更青睐法国大牌，尤其是拉斐和Mouton。但是如今，纳帕有了姚明这样一位重量级大使，中国葡萄酒的版图是否会因此改写呢？
在NBA打了9年球的姚明很喜欢美国文化。他爱上了德州的牛排，喜欢林肯纪念碑、华盛顿纪念塔和曼哈顿时代广场这样的地方。加州一直是他的最爱之一。谁能抗拒加州的阳光、美食、葡萄酒和好莱坞呢？不过，现在的姚明不那么需要加州通往上海的直达航班了。也许姚明是纳帕谷的庄主，但是他已经幸福地衣锦还乡。
The House of Roosevelt on Bund 27 is an imposing 1920 building built for Jardine Matheson, a prominent colonial British trading firm, and now in the hands of the American power family, the Roosevelts. The second floor of the nine-floor building is an imposing wine cellar of 1,100 square meters, 2,500 labels, and 20,000 bottles, easily the largest cellar in the booming town of Shanghai and possibly the entire country. It is all stone floors and dark wood shelves with raw concrete walls and uncovered ceiling, suggesting a European villa. Tom Hinde told us that there was a "secret" cellar hidden behind a sliding shelf with all the super premiums, including Screaming Eagle from his native Napa Valley in the chilly vault.
Tom’s boss and partner Yao Ming passed us at that moment. At 7-foot-6-inch, he looked imposing enough, yet strangely personable and friendly at the same time. I learned quickly enough that this unique and appealing character profile was exactly what Tom Hinde, president and director of winemaking, Yao Family Wines strived to express in the 2009 Yao Ming Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 5,000 cases have been released exclusively to the China market through Pernod Ricard the importer, with a big launch at the wine cellar of Roosevelt on December 1st, 2011. Another 500-case limited release, Yao Family Reserve, is scheduled for early 2012.
“Yao Ming fell in love with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which happens to be a very imposing wine varietal and region,” explained Tom, “My job as winemaker is to showcase the best of Napa Valley, to highlight the grapes from those vineyards.” Napa Valley wine, big, structured, and delicious with gentle tannins, is what Yao Ming likes and coincidentally, quite a lot like the star himself.
Yao’s love affair with Napa Valley wine started at dinners with his Houston Rocket teammate, the Congolese Dikembe Mutombo. Yao Ming was fascinated with the way Dikembe swirled his glasses. Yao gradually became a connoisseur himself and is now taking the proprietor’s role rather seriously.
Yao Family Wines told U-Jet that Tom and Yao work together throughout the entire production process. Yao gives his input on the wines and blends along the way, but fully trusts in Tom to make all the final decisions and produce the outstanding wines. Tom is an experienced hand in wine, having been general manager of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates in the 1990s and then president of Flowers Vineyard.
Tom has a free hand in adopting the “artisan” technique -- minimal intervention in the winemaking process, from growing and fermenting all the way to blending, all natural and done in a traditional manner.
We tried a bottle and found the wine very new world – lively, straightforward, with forward aromas and tinge of cheery, blackberry and cassis, but a bit austere on the palate. It is blended in Bordeaux style, with 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, all Bordeaux varietals. We were told the wine will age well and can be enjoyed for many years to come.
Yao Ming and his team plan to purchase vineyards and establish a winery in Napa Valley, with a goal to make Napa Valley wines for the long-term.
Napa Valley has produced its fair share of legends, such as Robert Mondavi, Joe Heitz, Louis Martini and Jack & Jamie Davies, hugely influential in shaping the Valley into what it is today. But these figures are unfamiliar to the Chinese, and in China, French wine still reign supreme, with big names such as Lafite and Mouton. Now Napa Valley cannot have a better ambassador than Yao Ming. Will China’s wine landscape be shifting quickly?
Apart from Napa, there are many wonderful things about American culture that Yao enjoyed while living in the United States. He loved the steaks in Texas; he visited the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Times Square in Manhattan and loved them. California will still be one of Yao’s favorites place in the world. He loves the weather, food, wine, Hollywood movies, and of course the direct flights to Shanghai, which he no longer needs that much. Napa’s new wine proprietor now lives happily in native Shanghai with his family.