The year 2020 has brought great challenges and difficulties for everyone, all over the world.

Here in Beijing, we rode out the first and second waves of COVID-19, hoping for the day we could celebrate again with our Chaîne brothers and sisters.

Thankfully, our hopes were realised. On August 22, we were able to hold our first official event, a “Welcome Back Wine Tasting” at O’bar in the Nuo Hotel Beijing.

The unpredictable Beijing weather surprised us with a beautiful summer night and a nice cool breeze.

Le Sommelier International supplied us with ten different wines for a truly spectacular tasting. They ranged from “Barcino”, an Old World Spanish cava, to a New World Australian “Clare Hills Shiraz”.

The Nuo Hotel Beijing staff passed around an array of sliders, foie gras, and spring rolls. Our members and friends also enjoyed tastings at several live food stations.

In the true spirit of Chaîne camaraderie, we welcomed members from several Bailliages from other cities, including Tianjin, Chengdu, and Shenzhen.

It was a wonderful evening where we could finally take off our masks and enjoy the things that truly matter in life: food, wine and friends.

We would like to thank Emilio Muedra Royo of Le Sommelier International for supplying the wines, and the Nuo Hotel Beijing team, with special thanks to Rutger Wildenborg, Bernhard Wimmer, Bob Che and Ilja Poepper, for organizing such a fantastic event.

Vive la Chaîne!

Preston Thomas
Vice-Chargé de Presse