Bottled in China: A Wine & Food Podcast

India consumes more whiskey than Scotland produces. It is a nation of 1.4 billion people, of spirits and celebration, where wine accounts for barely one percent of the alcohol market. And yet, something is shifting. A growing middle class, an expanding cohort of women entering the workforce, and a wave of new free trade agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia have placed India at the threshold of becoming one of the world's most consequential wine markets.

In this episode, we speak with Sonal C Holland, India's first and only Master of Wine, about the decade-long journey that took her from a Fortune 500 corporate career to the highest credential in the global wine trade. We explore India's wine scene, the structural barriers of duties and state-by-state distribution, and the quiet revolution underway among a new generation of consumers.

Connect with Sonal C Holland, Master of Wine, on Instagram and discover more about her remarkable journey in her new book, One In a Billion: Becoming India’s First Master of Wine.

Special thanks to Rachel Mamane for putting this piece together and to Jeff for the audio editing.

Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things wine, food and beverages from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!
Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!
Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com

What does it take to bridge two wine worlds? 

Lenz Moser has made 75 trips to China over 21 years, transforming from curious visitor to pioneering winemaker at Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia.

As the fifth generation of Austria's legendary Lenz Moser wine family, whose grandfather invented the revolutionary trellising system used across Europe. In this episode, we discuss how Lenz brought his vision and winemaking wisdom to China's emerging wine frontier. After managing Austria's pre-eminent winery and serving as General Manager for Robert Mondavi in Europe, he turned his attention east in 2005.

In this episode, Lenz shares his journey from that first overwhelming moment in Beijing Airport to becoming the winemaker Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia. We discuss how he spent 10 years building trust before Changyu appointed him head winemaker, and why understanding China's contradictions: patience versus speed, became essential to his success. He reveals the secret behind Ningxia's world-class wines: the smallest Cabernet Sauvignon berries on earth, grown in a desert terroir that went from unknown to World Atlas of Wine recognition in just over a decade.  

Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things wine, food and beverages from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!
Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!
Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com

What happens when China's wine market shrinks by 15% annually since 2019, yet some companies post their best year ever? In this landmark 200th episode of Bottled in China, we assembles an expert roundtable to decode 2025's contradictions and what they mean for 2026.
Guests:
Nick Marro, Principal Economist for Asia, Economist Intelligence Unit
Ian Ford, Founding Partner at Nimbility, previously the Co-founder of Summergate
Martin Shen, Managing Director, Tiansai Vineyards (Xinjiang)
Richard King, Sommelier in Shanghai's fine dining scene
From Beijing's anti-corruption crackdown that decimated government banqueting to the surprising surge in aromatic white wines, our panel reveals how "involution"—China's race-to-the-bottom pricing wars—is reshaping everything. Discover why post-2000 consumers spend fortunes on wine pairings but only Instagram the famous labels, how instant retail delivers chilled bottles in 30 minutes, and why Xinjiang is becoming China's hottest wine destination.
The verdict? China remains Asia's largest bottled wine market with massive upside in a $300 billion² beverage alcohol sector—but only for those willing to adapt to the new normal.
Insights: IWSR Wine Landscapes 2025 - China, ¹Wine market CAGR -14.9% 2019-2024. ²$266 billion TBA value

Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things wine, food and beverages from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!
Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!
Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com

What if everything you've been told about alcohol and health is wrong—or at least incomplete?
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laura Catena, a Harvard and Stanford-educated physician and fourth-generation vintner behind Argentina's legendary Catena Zapata. As the driving force behind the 'In Defense of Wine' campaign, Dr. Catena is not here to tell you that wine is a miracle cure—she's here to cut through the noise and present what peer-reviewed science actually says about moderate alcohol consumption.
Dr. Catena believes the current conversation around alcohol and health has veered away from accurate science, reduced to oversimplified headlines that ignore nuance. She walks us through two landmark reports—one from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and another from the American Heart Association—that challenge the prevailing black-and-white narratives. These aren't studies cherry-picked to support the wine industry; they're comprehensive reviews that acknowledge both the potential benefits and real risks of alcohol consumption.
In this episode we discover what moderation actually mean? We explore the breaking research on wine and health, but we also zoom out to examine the larger picture: the undeniable dangers of smoking, the rapid rise of weight loss drugs and cannabis, and how industrialization and processed foods have fundamentally reshaped both what we consume and our overall health. Dr. Catena argues that informed decision-making requires understanding the full spectrum of evidence—not just the parts that fit a particular narrative.
Whether you're a wine lover, a health enthusiast, or simply someone trying to make sense of conflicting headlines, this conversation offers a refreshing perspective grounded in science, context, and honesty. 
To find out more about Dr Laura Catena's In Defense of Wine Campaign, you can visit her official website here: In Defense of Wine and watch her informative YouTube video here: Wine & Health by Dr. Laura Catena
Research Papers and Insights Discussed:
NASEM report and the American Heart Association's review.
Ozempic Curbs Drinking—So What Does That Mean for the Alcohol Industry? | SevenFifty Daily
 
This episode was brought to life by the exceptional writing of the talented Rachael Mamane, a James Beard-nominated author and culinary researcher.

Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things wine, food and beverages from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!
Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!
Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com

Think you know how to pair wine with Asian cuisine? Think again.
In this episode, we explore the intriguing insights of Master of Wine Richard Hemming, who challenges traditional pairing norms with his groundbreaking book, Wine & The Food of Asia. After two years of rigorous research, including the testing of 400 wines and 80 recipes from 13 countries, Richard invites us to rethink our approach and discard the traditional rules.
Today, we explore the misconceptions about Riesling being the go-to choice for spicy foods and uncover effective strategies for navigating complex pairings. We'll discuss how to pair wine with Chengdu and Chongqing's iconic mala spice, identify suitable white wines for vinegar-heavy dishes, and highlight Richard's unexpected wine and Asian food combinations.
Richard's book, Wine & The Food of Asia, is available through the 67 Pall Mall website, with Amazon distribution on the way. 

Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things wine, food and beverages from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.china

Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes!
Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!
Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com