KQED's The California Report Bay Area Winemaker Tried To Bridge Food And Wine Gap At Chinese Restaurants
Jan 23, 2026
Tina Caputo, a radio reporter who produced and on-the-ground narrated the China Club story. She explores a Chinese American winemaker bringing Sonoma and Napa wines into Chinatown restaurants. Short segments cover pop-up wine dinners, community history, and reactions from diners and restaurateurs.
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Winemaker's Chinatown Pop-Up Story
- Coral Wang launched China Club as an extension of her Sonoma-based winery, Maison de Plaisance, to host pop-up wine events in Chinatown.
- She uses the gatherings to demystify wine and connect community members with local Chinatown restaurants and history.
Introduce Wine Through Local Gatherings
- Bring wine into familiar cultural settings to demystify it and encourage new drinkers to try it.
- Host low-pressure events in neighborhood spots so people feel comfortable exploring wine with food they already know.
Hidden Role In California Wine History
- Chinese immigrants provided essential labor that helped build Sonoma and Napa's early vineyards and wineries after the Gold Rush.
- Coral Wang wants to spotlight that often-overlooked contribution through storytelling at her events.