Explore Chinese Wine Regions

There is hardly any country in the world where viticulture increased as much as in China between 2000 and 2015. The country now has a vineyard area of around 750,000 hectares. But most of it is used for the production of table grapes. It is estimated that only around 15 percent is made into wine.

What was originally a drink of the rich has now become a lifestyle drink. The main focus here is on light, sweetish red wines, which are also popular as mixed drinks with tonic or lemonade.

Chinese Wine Regions

One of the largest wine-growing regions in China is the Bohai Bay region, which includes Shandong province. There is a warm, humid monsoon climate with high rainfall. Red wine is traditionally produced in this wine region. The leading grape variety here is the international Cabernet Sauvignon. But the heat-resistant Marselan has also become more important here. This grape variety is a crossing between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir.

The main focus is on the city of Zhangjiakou northwest of Beijing in the province of Hebei. The large production company Great Wall is also based here.

Over the past few years, Chinese wines have repeatedly received major awards at international competitions, a positive signal that also has an impact on the Chinese market.

Small Boutique Wineries that Produce High-Quality Wines

In addition to big names like LVMH, Pernod Ricard and Rothschild, there are also many so-called boutique wineries. There are the wines of Judy Chan from Grace Vineyard, probably the most famous family winery, which also find their way beyond the country's borders. The wines of the winemaker “Crazy” Wang Fang from her Kanaan Winery in Ningxia are also appealing. Emma Gao is also one of the well-known Chinese winemakers; she built the Silver Heights winery in Ningxia together with her French husband Thierry Courtade, whom she met during an internship at Château Calon-Ségur in Bordeaux.