Marry wine

Author: Wu Shuxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This book is a collection of over seventy works by the author, drawn from her columns in media outlets such as the Economic Observer and the China Wine Information Network. Over a decade of wine tasting experience has shaped the author's insights, which she shares through vivid and rich prose. Her reflections on fine wines blend seamlessly with life's observations, infusing her wine reviews with a sense of fashion and wisdom. The book is divided into four chapters, set against the backdrop of Shanghai, showcasing the diverse allure of fashion-conscious individuals under the influence of alcohol, the elegance and social customs of high-end wine parties, the pairing of wine with cuisine, and the role of wine in various celebrations. Over 150 exquisite color illustrations are specially selected, perfectly complementing the text to provide both intellectual enjoyment and sensory delight.
The "Champagne-like Woman" – Reading Wang Anyi's The Longing Song
It has been a long time since the reading of Wang Anyi's The Longing Song, where the "Champagne-like Woman"—Wang Qiyao—was discussed. When it comes to the charm of old Shanghai, Wang Anyi is second only to Eileen Chang in capturing its essence. Her protagonists are complex yet quintessential figures, such as Wang Qiyao in The Longing Song. Her personality and experiences embody the common traits of beautiful women born in Shanghai's alleys in the 1930s and 1940s. They endured the changes of the times, lived lavish and varied lives, and were aptly likened to "Champagne women."
Girls from Shanghai's alleys were originally of modest backgrounds, much like the grapes of the Champagne region in France. Before the invention of Champagne, the region was not ideal for growing high-quality grapes. The grapes grown in Champagne's northern France were generally low in sugar and high in acidity. If used for traditional wine, they would likely result in an ordinary product. To mitigate their shortcomings, winemakers often reduced the alcohol content, increased residual sugar, and balanced it with acidity, creating approachable table wines—much like girls from the alleys, who might marry someone of similar status to their fathers, achieving a mediocre but contented life, akin to Wu Peizhen in the book.
However, Wang Qiyao, a beautiful girl from the alleys, met a man who appreciated her beauty, much like Dom Pérignon, the monk who discovered the potential of Champagne's grapes. He realized that if these grapes were bottled before fermentation was complete and left to ferment again in the spring, the carbon dioxide trapped inside would create bubbles, resulting in a superior wine. Because this wine was made in the region called Champagne, it came to be known as "Champagne."
Since its inception, Champagne has been celebrated worldwide. Similarly, Wang Qiyao's beauty was discovered and propelled her to participate in the Shanghai Miss competition, where she became the beloved third-place winner. Like Champagne, once famous, it could no longer be found in ordinary restaurants or on common tables but was reserved for upscale dining establishments, ballrooms, and the beverages of the elite—gentlemen, politicians, and the like. Just as Wang Qiyao, after becoming Shanghai's third Miss, refused to settle for the ordinary fate of girls from the alleys and yearned for a more refined and unknown life, she readily embraced the arms of the director who could offer her such a life.
Wang Qiyao's entry into the Alice Apartments was like Champagne entering a cellar—12 degrees Celsius and 70% humidity, the perfect environment. The cellar was quiet, as described in the book, a frozen stillness, a fairyland of wasted youth and solitary aging, suitable for women who refuse mediocrity and delight in extraordinary dreams. Wang Qiyao was no ordinary woman, nor was Champagne. But in the cellar, she endured boundless solitude and waited, just as Champagne waited to mature until it was ready to be enjoyed—like Wang Qiyao waiting to meet the director. This waiting was the essence of their beauty and the value of their lives.
After leaving the Alice Apartments, Wang Qiyao, like Champagne leaving its ideal cellar, embarked on her life's journey. However, the surrounding environment was no longer suited for Champagne's growth. The temperature and humidity fluctuated too wildly, hindering its proper maturation. Yet, Champagne's purpose was to be enjoyed at the right time, achieving its best destiny—even if it was no longer at its peak.
Like Wang Qiyao, though she could no longer love others as she had loved the director, she still needed a man who loved her and loved her in return, and was the perfect match for her at this stage. In her later middle age, Wang Qiyao was like a well-aged Champagne—subtle yet rich in flavor, like toasted bread and biscuits at their peak. This stage of Wang Qiyao exuded maturity and the quiet elegance of a woman who had seen the decline of her former glory. She was rare in her time, naturally attracting young men like Ye Gong, who adored old Shanghai fashion and were known as "Old Klea."
Once Old Klea ignited Wang Qiyao's romantic dreams, he fled, leaving her to face the inevitable decline of an old Champagne. Old Klea was much like some people in Shanghai today—they loved Champagne for its superficial charm, failing to appreciate its depth or desire to truly understand it. For example, when opening a bottle of Champagne, people often shake it vigorously, spraying half of it out, truly wasting its delicacy and essence.
This April in Shanghai, the warm breeze carried light rain. Outside the Drama Art Center on Anfu Road, I carried an insulated bag containing Nicolas Feuillatte's (Nicolas Feuillatte) Grand Cru Champagne, chilled to perfection, along with two Champagne flutes, waiting for my theater-writing friend, Betty, to arrive.