Wine dining experience

"Italian Wine Restaurant" Fiume in Beijing is dedicated to creating good matches of wine and food. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Beijing is hardly famous for its wine bars, which are few and often seem to be quickly renamed "New Store Coming Soon". The fact that some medium to high-end restaurants in the expat warren of Sanlitun still don't offer wine by the glass is a barometer of how far China's capital is from embracing a wine lifestyle.

Enter Fiume, an "Italian Wine Restaurant", dedicated to creating good matches of wine and food.

Selecting correct wines is essential to having a complete Western dining experience, says Italian owner Omar Maseroli, a native of Parma. Alcohol is often viewed in the context of social drinking and celebrations, but pairing wines with food is an essential part of the culinary art. Good wines, he says, should enhance the taste of a meal, release the pressure and tension of work, and make people really enjoy time with their friends and family.

So each month, Fiume will suggest new selections of wines that customers can pair with the current menu. Every month, Fiume will also invite professional wine masters to host tasting events to continuously enhance the experience of wine lovers.