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Jim Boyce
Researcher, writer and event organizer with a focus on the China alcohol industry
Jim Boyce is a China-based researcher and event planner focused on wine and baijiu.3 He is a Canadian expat who has been living in Beijing for an extended period.1 Boyce is known for his extensive involvement in the Chinese wine industry and his passion for alcoholic beverages, ranging from beer to Chinese baijiu.14
Key aspects of Jim Boyce's profile include:
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Founder of "Grape Wall of China": He created this non-profit website dedicated to covering China's wine scene since 2007.12
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Wine industry expert: Boyce is recognized for his insights into the Chinese wine market, conducting wine tastings, winery visits, and providing news and interviews.2
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Marsalan wine advocate: In 2018, he initiated the annual World Marsalan Day to promote awareness of this grape variety among wine enthusiasts and industry professionals.1
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Writer and contributor: Boyce regularly writes about the Chinese wine market, including updates on Australian wine's return to China and emerging trends in the industry.2
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Event organizer: He is involved in planning events related to wine and spirits in China.3
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Broad beverage interests: While primarily focused on wine, Boyce also shows interest in other alcoholic beverages, including local whisky, gin, and craft beer.3
Jim Boyce's expertise and long-standing presence in Beijing have made him a respected voice in China's wine industry, particularly in analyzing and reporting on market trends and developments.24
Highlights
RIP: Don St Pierre Sr., co-founder of ASC Fine Wines in China and one of the trade's most iconic characters, has died at age 82.
Born in 1941 in Canada to a 'dirt poor' family, St Pierre dreamed of playing baseball but instead led a life of global adventures that took him to Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and Japan, among many other places.
It ultimately led him to China, where he headed the first car joint venture, Beijing Jeep, in the 1980s, then in 1996 started ASC Fine Wines with his son, Don Jr.
In those early wine days, the main competitors were Montrose and Summergate, but ASC ultimately ran ahead of them and everyone else, eventually selling to Suntory in 2009. But not without overcoming lots of obstacles.
Those include everything from what he calls the “hijacking” of his first wine stock by a partner, to a devastating warehouse fire, to facing massive cash flow challenges early on. (He got much-needed funding via Gernot Langes-Swarovski, of Swarovski crystal fame, after meeting him by chance during a cigarette break at a Beijing event–-Swarovski bought 49 percent of ASC just four months later.)
In a case that underscored the topsy-turvy nature of China’s business scene: St Pierre Jr. was detained for nearly one month in 2008 during a high-profile Customs investigation. St Pierre Sr. called it “the toughest time in my life.”
Then, shortly after his release--to great relief--ASC hosted wine critic Robert Parker on his first trip to continental China, which included a dinner on the Great Wall, where St Pierre Sr. certainly enjoyed his signature Marlboro Reds while a harpist played 'My Way' on that ancient landmark.
More about Don St Pierre, Sr.'s life, the memorial held for him last night in Beijing, and his memoir at the link. In the latter, he details creating his own wine brand -- Chateau Saint Pierre -- during the early days of the company, when few consumers consumed wine.
“Don Jr and I had to come up with a name, label design, capsule design, cork type and quality, bottle design and a few other details to make a brand,” he wrote. “Of course we knew shit about any of those things, but we dove in.”
At one point, Chateau Saint Pierre was selling over 200,000 12-bottle cases per year.
Don St Pierre, Sr, RIP.
https://lnkd.in/gSYWAEAH
#china #wine #winebusiness #winepromotion #winesales #ascfinewines #asc
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