I'm going to Beijing and Pingyao in a few weeks Although beer is probabaly the traditional dinner beverage ,does anybody know the availability of wine either in resturants or convenience stores for cocktails in our hotel?
We are taking the overnight soft sleeper to Pingyao, whats the food /beverage situation on that train?

Chinese wine are readily available in the big cities but they are not cheap. Dynasty wine is probably the best known and their whites is not too bad. Their beers are quite nice mostly lager or lighter tasting type beers.

You can find Australian, French, and other imported wines in the modern supermarkets in Beijing. Lots of Jacob's Creek and that ilk.

As Hanuman says, prices are high.

Overnight train Beijing to Pingyao has trolley service, a boiler at the end of each car with a flask in each compartment. Probably a dining car, although we didn't bother to look for it. Plenty of food stalls in the departure area at Beijing.

I would have thought green tea was the traditional dinner beverage.

I didn't find Chinese wines to be particularly expensive. I drank Great Wall and Dynasty brands, if I remember correctly they were around $6-$8 a bottle, this was 2008. Prices varied greatly from merchant to merchant though.

To be honest the Chinese wines are not the tastiest some bettre than others but you can get european wines bt the bottle in I believe the Friendship store in Beijing which has a little food shop off it beside starbucks. And yes tons of other shops sell wine its not the back of beyone anymore anything vcan be got now in China! Its just where I remember buying a bottle for my hotel room. The prices were the same or slightly more than I pay in Ireland. In restaurants I think the prices for european wine were on the high side. Trains I have not taken in 17 years there so all I remembered was tea! Stock up anyway!

One of my favourite web site for wine prices is: http://www.wine-searcher.com/

Input China as the "merchant location" and compare the prices of your favourite wine to those of your own country's.

I'm in China now and here to tell you if you do find wine it is very expensive. A $15 bottle of Chilean wine at home is $17 per glass here. Basic champagne is $24 a glass for Moet & Chandon White Label.

Heineken is $9 a bottle.

Small cities are cheaper if you are in a small restaurant. Big city, big hotel you'll pay big prices.

Grace and Great Wall were much better than I expected, that is very enjoyable at a reasonable price. Foreign wines are widely available but more expensive than here (DC). I never understood Chinese rice wines, definitely not sake. I just got back 3 weeks ago.

We were in China mid July into August. Our guide, who is from Beijing, said Chinese wine is not too good. Local beer is fine, tends to be mild, not heavy. The green tea in China is also mild. And drink only bottled water.