6 Chinese Regions for Wine Lovers

If Chinese wines were once considered exotic and aroused curiosity among specialists, today they are gaining more and more relevance. China increased its wine production by 50% since 2014 and is now one of the largest producers of wines in the world. New wineries are emerging due to bamboo cultivation and some are determined to make premium wines in terms of price and quality.

Here are 6 Chinese regions essential to any wine lover:

1. Ningxia

Ningxia is a wine production powerhouse. The wide, heavily irrigated valley between the Yellow River and the base of Helan Mountain has proved to be one of China’s most promising vineyard areas. A range of wines is made here from grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt and Chardonnay. It is a region with high-quality wines for Chinese standards, in a more Bordeaux style. “In blind tastings with Chinese and French judges, four Ningxia wines among ten reds from the tasting stood out among the Bordeaux”, said Phillip M. Howard, wine expert at Assignment Help and Big Assignments.

2. Shandong

Shandong is one of the richest provinces in all of China, and one of its pride is the burgeoning wine industry. Most vineyards are located on slopes facing south, which guarantees better drainage of the excessive water flow. Curiosity: the region is on the same latitude as Bordeaux, in France. The soil is composed of a mixture of gravel and clay, very rich in calcium and minerals. As it has ideal water retention, it results in very good levels of sugar in the berries and potential for wines with higher alcohol content.

3. Hebei

Located in the northeast of China, most vineyards in Hebei are located in the town of Changli, Qianhuangdao City, bordering Bohai Bay to the east, with Yan Mountain in the north. Though lying on the coast, this region has a continental climate. Affected by the moist air from the sea, there is high humidity during the growing period, increasing the number of sprays needed to combat disease and rot.

Vineyards are planted on differing soils. First are the vineyards on low mountains and rolling hills to the north that have brown soils with a great amount of sand. Second, there are vineyards in the central and south, with infertile sandy soils. Finally, the vineyards on the eastern coast have light loam soils. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Longyan, and Chardonnay are also planted in a small volume.

4. Xinjiang

Bordering Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, Xinjiang produces grapes with very deep color and high sugar content. 

This region is extremely dry, with average monthly rainfall at 22 millimeters during the growing season. Water from the snow of Tianshan mountain is used for irrigation. The soils are deep and well-drained gravel and Sandy soils. Popular red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Pinot Noir. Popular white Varieties include Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Uni Blanc, and Yan73.

5. Yunnan

Located in the southwest of China, lying at the far eastern edge of the Himalayan uplift, bordering Tibet to the west, and the countries Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar to the south, Yunnan covers an area as large as Switzerland. In 2000, Yunnan Shangri-la Wine company purchased and processed the grapes from the farmers in exchange for being granted a monopoly on all Yunnan grapes. Attracted by the favorable terroir for wine grapes, Moët Hennessy in cooperation with the Chinese liqueur producer VATS, “established Moët Hennessy Shangri-La Winery Company in this area in 2012, who mainly produce Bordeaux blends”, says Rachael Burke, writer at State Of Writing and UK Essay Writing Services.

6. Shanxi

Shanxi is an important wine-producing province in eastern China. It covers a mountainous plateau between the western desert and the coastal plain. The wines are made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Grace Vineyards is Shanxi’s best-known grower and is one of China’s most highly regarded producers in terms of quality. Its Shanxi vineyards are located on the deep sandy loam soils outside of Taiyuan, where excellent drainage allows the vines to grow deep root systems, encouraging the health of the vine.

China has been producing wine for over two thousand years, but they were reserved for consumption at the Emperor’s Palace and for religious rituals. With the economic development of recent years, the Chinese have started to consume and drink more and better.

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Beatrix Potter works as a China expert at Top Asian writing services and Best Essay Services writing services, as well as an online proofreader at Top Canadian Writers website. Beatrix writes about Chinese culture in general but holds a fascination for the topic of Buddhism in China. She has given several presentations about it and is currently learning Mandarin.

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