What does the Yao deal tell us about China? That everything the wine industry has come to believe about tackling the Chinese market is on target. Brands matter. Prestige matters. Celebrity matters. Why do Lafite and Mouton still reign supreme there? Because they have the reputation. Artisanship (with all due apologies to that press release) is irrelevant. Terroir is irrelevant — although the overall brand power of Napa Valley certainly holds sway. more ›

We already knew Yao had a soft touch around the basket and middling math skills, but who knew he wanted to be a sommelier? The former 9-time NBA All-Star intends to sell his own wine in China, proving once again that he is the most interesting man in the world. more ›

Lipton, the most prominent brand to be named by China's top quality watchdog among the 19 tea labels found to contain excessive rare earth content yesterday, has scrambled to action, recalling and destroying one batch of its product from supermarket shelves: more ›

A new Spanish addition to Xintiandi has chosen the Spanish National Day to throw their grand opening party, and we see no better way to celebrate Día Nacional de España. Copeo bar and lounge, presented by la Finca Spanish restaurant, invites you and everyone you know to come celebrate with free-flow Sangria from 9pm to midnight (25RMB per glass after that.) They'll also have tapas to munch on and DJ Clément Pony on the decks. more ›

"A LOCAL hospital yesterday was told to compensate a man who was given a glass of wine a day as part of treatment for his alcohol-damaged liver. The patient, Le Changjiu, claimed the daily 200-milliliter ration of rice wine - a Chinese alcoholic drink brewed from rice - worsened his cirrhosis of the liver. The hospital, which was not named, was ordered by Jing'an District People's Court to compensate Le almost 100,000 yuan (US$15,450). Le, in his late 40s, was hospitalized on July 28, 2008, and diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Wine was included in the treatment to wean Le off alcohol. Le's liver deteriorated further. The court ruled the hospital was partly responsible." [Shanghai Daily] more ›

An electronic mailer sent out today by Mesa-Manifesto claims that the well-loved restaurant and bar will be evicted from their current location on Julu Road in a matter of months. The Chinese copy of the text, which differs slightly from the English, indicates that this has to do with the government's urban redevelopment plans. If you know of any other establishments in the neighbourhood receiving similar eviction notices, let us know in a comment below.
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We've been watching closely as the horrible events of Monday's fire unfolded but now you can do something to help. BEAN is hosting a special fundraiser at Kaiba to help the victims of the devastating Jiaozhou Lu fire which led to a tragic 53 deaths, inflicted numerous injuries and displaced hundreds more. All proceeds from the drinks event will go directly to the Shanghai Red Cross Jiaozhou Lu fund. more ›

This week and the next, Shanghaiist takes a look back at their favorite shots from various Shanghaiist contributors through 2009. If you want to contribute your photos to us, it's a super easy process - just tag your favorite Shanghai shots with "Shanghaiist" on Flickr or send it to us by email (photos@shanghaiist.com) and it'll show up in our Flickr pool. more ›

The last time we were in Hangzhou, a friendly maitre-d named Luke posed a very thought-provoking question to us: where on earth is the Nongfu Spring, and how big could it possibly be to fill so many darn bottles of water? Of course, we know that the fabled spring of Nongfu is just a metaphorical figment of our collective, commercialized imaginations, but it still made us want to check out their corporate headquarters to see what was really up. more ›

Hey folks, remember our last Shanghaiist Scrabble night? You can win 250RMB of Cotton's vouchers and the title of Shanghaiist Scrabble champion if you come to the next one we're hosting: Tuesday, November 24th. Pit your vocab and scrabble strategy against the drinks you'll be getting in order to compete. It'll be a cold night, but with the copious amounts of alcohol and Cotton's warm fireplace (with real fire!), you'll be sure to feel as cozy as possible on a Tuesday night. more ›

We've got a whole new bag of tricks to spice up our semi-monthly Shanghaiist Happy Hour at Cotton's. Well, technically, it's a bag of tiles- Scrabble tiles. After searching in vain for a game of Scrabble and only finding Maonopoly sets, we decided that we would maverick it and just make our own. And since we all know how witty and clever Shanghaiist readers are, we'd like to cordially invite you to join us next Tuesday, October 27 for the first monthly Shanghaiist Scrabble night! more ›

Come on out and have a drink with us! more ›

It may be really dorky of us, but we love ourselves some pirates. No, really - we were dressing up in frocks and corsets and eye patches and talking about 1800s naval warfare loooong before Johnny Depp came around and made it cool. So when we found out that a pirate-themed rum bar had opened up literally around the corner from our apartment, we nearly gagged from our glee. more ›

In case you're looking for a chill place to hang out tonight and celebrate French National Day, come on over and hang out with us at the Shanghaiist Happy Hour at Cotton's on 294 Xinhua Lu. more ›

If you're a Francophile looking for something a little more special (but maybe a little more low key than a six hour ladies' night, though if that's your thing then chacun ses goûts) to do on Bastille Day, come and hang with us at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu. more ›

More photos on the Shanghaiist Contribute page. To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site (and here). more ›

Just a reminder for everybody hankering for an after work drink. The Shanghaiist Happy Hour starts at 6PM tonight! Come for the music, the company, the drink deals (20RMB Tsingtaos, 30RMB other select drinks) and the chance to win one of THREE vouchers for Aegis Co-op! more ›

Wondering what to do tomorrow after work? Why not join us for our next installment of the Shanghaiist Happy Hour? Since it's the third one since we're restarted hosting these things, we're raffling off THREE gifts this time. more ›

Earnshaw Books will host an evening of conversation, books and live jazz featuring Graham Earnshaw to celebrate the release of Tales of Old Peking, authored by Shanghaiist contributor Derek Sandhaus! more ›

The next Shanghaiist Happy Hour at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu falls on the one-year anniversary of the devastating Sichuan earthquake, so we have decided to team with Hands On Chengdu, an organization committed to supporting the long term redevelopment of the areas affected by the earthquake for this Tuesday's gathering. Entry to the Happy Hour is free, but we'll be holding a lucky draw with some great donated prizes — all proceeds will go to Hands On Chengdu. Hands On Chengdu will have an informational booth at the happy hour and will be accepting donations and signing up volunteers on site. more ›

Yep, we had so much fun last time around that we've decided to host it twice a month from now until eternity. Which means, come this May 12, you can once again head over to Cotton's Xinhua Lu location to take advantage of (hopefully) good weather and great drink deals. Don't front like you're not excited! more ›

Just a reminder for all of you fans of after-work revelry: tomorrow night, from 6pm to 10pm, you can enjoy the company of fellow Shanghaiist readers. According to weather reports, it's going to be a beautiful night - perfect for the outdoor area at Cotton's Xinhua Lu location. more ›

Guess where you could be exactly a week from now? Drinking with us at Shanghaiist's first happy hour of the year! Assuming the weather gods decide to bless us with as sunny a Tuesday as today was, we'll all be hanging outdoors, chatting and listening to great (if we may say so ourselves) music at Cotton's Xinhua Lu location. more ›

At tomorrow's big holiday party at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu, get your photo taken with Santa Claus — or Father Christmas, if you swing that way — between 8:30 and 11:30 pm (Santa likes to hit the bars on Tongren at about midnight). Shanghai-based photographer Stephen Yang will be taking professional portraits (lights and everything) of party guests chilling with Santa in Santa's VIP room (behind the first-floor bar). All party-goers are welcome ... and it doesn't cost you a thing. We'll post the pics on Shanghaiist early next week. more ›

Shanghaiist recently enjoyed a few nonfat egg nogs with DJ El Nomo, who promises to make the Shanghaiist/Cotton's holiday party "the wildest holiday blowout ever held at Cotton's on Xinhua Lu." A tall task indeed. You may recognize El Nomo from such weblogs as Shanghai Bananas. And, of course, he is ranked No. 1 worldwide in the controversial Gothamist DJ Rankings. The following is a transcript of our unfiltered discussion with Asia's very own wizard of wax. more ›

Early weather reports for the weekend are looking quite nice, so it looks like late-December outdoor seating will be a definite possibility at the Shanghaiist/Cotton's holiday party this Saturday at the new Cotton's on Xinhua Lu (pictured). And if the outdoor heaters (and bar) aren't cozy enough for you, head on inside the villa for the real wood-burning fireplaces (and more bars). And DJ El Nomo! more ›

The wait is over. We've finally found a Mexican restaurant that has satisfied our too-long simmering desires for big hearty burritos, soft fish tacos, chunky guacamole, and a selection of salsa both sharp and subtle. The new Cantina Agave, located on the Fumin side of the new Mansion complex on Changle Lu, has brought the California-style Mexican fare we fell in love with back home to Shanghai, wrapped up in reasonable prices and a much appreciated focus on authenticity. more ›

You never forget your first, and for many people in Shanghai that first (bar) was probably Face on Ruijin Lu. Sadly though, Face's 10 years on the scene are numbered. You have until December 14th to say goodbye. (Thanks to SmartShanghai for the sad news). more ›

Smart Shanghai more ›

A nice crowd of beer lovers gathered at Southern Barbarian on Saturday afternoon to ... well ... drink beer. Very good beer. And eat food. Very good food. Mission accomplished. For attendees who left with minds foggy thanks to the strong beers, these photos should jog your memory. Yes, you did drink that much. more ›