Funny as it may sound, wine and people actually share many qualities. Both have styles, stories and personalities that are unique and both are impressive forces of nature. In honor of the London Olympics and just to have some fun, I decided to match the performance and styles of well-known Olympic athletes to wines that mirror their personalities and accomplishments. Two of the most compelling storylines coming out of these Olympics are the accomplishments of three well-know Chinese male athletes and the powerful Jamaican sprinters.
Chinese stars
China is already off to a fast and successful start in the London Olympics but some stars tower above the others in terms of fame and potential. This is also true of wines. Hurdling champion Liu Xiang and basketball player Yi Jianlian have been two of China’s most famous athletes for the better part of a decade while the new swimming star Sun Yang may well be the next Chinese mega star.
Liu Xiang is already a classic who has the opportunity to add to his historic resume with a victory in the 110 meters hurdles final on August 8th. But what really make his person and story so compelling are the trials and tribulations of his journey and the immense pressure he’s had to face. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, no one was under such pressure to perform yet a chronic injury ruined any glorious repeat of his 2004 gold medal. Chateau Rauzan Segla like Liu has reached the greatest of heights of performance and fame, then for a variety of reasons suffered through years of underperformance only to come back stronger and better. This classic Margaux appellation chateau exemplifies the qualities of grace, fluidity and balance that are also so beautifully exemplified in Liu’s running.
The 2nd growth Chateau Rauzan Segla for centuries was only eclipsed by the great Chateau Magaux and was generally considered the second wine of the appellation. However, during the early and middle decades of the 20th century the chateau often underperformed and failed to live up to its historic level of excellence. But the great Margaux vintage of 1983, coincidentally the year Liu Xiang was born, saw a resounding comeback. Now owned by the luxury company Chanel, Chateau Razan Segla is now back at the top of its game making some of Bordeaux’s most stylish and elegant wines. Depending on how much you wish to spurge for this superb wine, I recommend the great Margaux vintages of 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2009 or the less expensive but still good 1994, 2001, 2004 and 2008 vintages.
Sun Yang may well be the next great athletic star in China. There was Yao Ming, then Liu Xiang and now Yang. Already a gold medal winner and world recorder holder, this precociously talented 21 year old youngster can only get better. In the world of wine, some of the greatest new stars on the scene are Pinot Noirs from Central Otago, New Zealand. Central Otago is the southern hemisphere’s most southerly wine region, and like Sun, a relative newcomer to world prominence. Also like Sun, Pinot Noir wines from Central Otago are winning gold metals, often beating more established Pinot champions from Burgundy and the Pacific Northwest. The taste profile of these wines is as long and tall as Sun’s physic and like the affable swimmer, the wines are unpretentiously fun. As Sun wins more medals over the coming days, I suggest you open up a few bottles of Central Otago Pinot Noir wines and just like his performance you won’t be disappointed. All available in Shanghai, I recommend Central Otago Pinots from the producers Tiki, Tatty Bogler and Gibbston Valley.
Another Chinese star that may have an even harder task achieving a medal is basketball player Yi Jianlian. I’ve like this slender and gentlemanly player since he played for the New Jersey Nets and while he has never achieved the acclaim and fame of compatriot Yao Ming he fights like a champion every time he wears the national jersey of China. Witness the 30 point and 12 rebound promethean-like effort against Spain last Sunday. Yi along with NBA star Pau Gasol were the two best players on the court that day. Picking a wine to match the proud and graceful attributes of Yi is actually quite easy. Because he performs so well representing China, his natural wine alter ego must be from China and two of the best Chinese wines are the Grace Vineyard Chairman’s Reserve, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend from Shanxi, and Silver Heights The Summit, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt and Cabernet Franc blend from Ningxia. Both of these reds are among the very best Chinese wines combining the smooth, generous yet persistent qualities of Yi Jianlian on the basketball court.
Jamaican sprinters
Half a century ago on August 6th the new nation of Jamaica was born. This year on the same day the 100 meters sprint final shall be run and all three million Jamaicans are hope that in honor of the country’s golden jubilee the podium that evening will hold not one, but three Jamaicans as the “Jamaica, Land We Love” national anthem is played. Unrealistic, pure dreaming you think? When you consider the fact that six of the top seven times in the 100m sprint this year have been run by the Jamaicans Usain Bolt, Yolan Blake and Asfa Powell, this national desire may not be so far fetched after all. As the 2008 Olympic champion and dominant sprinter in the world over the past half decade, Bolt is in a class by himself. However, Blake beat him twice during the Jamaican trials and Powell has run some impressive times, and both running share the dynamic and explosive power we’ve come to associate with Jamaican sprinters. In the wine world wines that have all the dynamism and power of Jamacian sprinters are the Tempranillo red wines of Toro in the North of Spain. Jamaica is a small country known for powerful sprinters, while Toro has the smallest sized Tempranillo grapes that make some of Spain’s most powerful wines. Like accomplished sprinters these wines starts fast in the mouth with explosions of powerfully fruit and graceful tannins. They also finish with a powerful kick of mouth-coating tannins. Two great Toro reds you can find in Shanghai are the Vega-Siclia owned wine Pinta and Elias Mora Crianza.
