CHINA
China has been cultivating grapes for centuries, with Vitis vinifera vines arriving in the country through the ancient Silk Road. Yet it was only relatively recently that China burst on the world wine stage as a serious source of fine winemaking.
The growth of the Chinese wine industry over the last two decades has been staggering. Although the consumption of Chinese wines remains predominately domestic, there are increasing numbers of producers aiming for listings in the top restaurants of London and New York as well as in Shanghai and Beijing.
Whilst wine is now produced in 25 of China's 28 Provinces and Autonomous Regions the industry is concentrated in four broad regions - the Shandong Peninsula; the far North-East (Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces); the Mid-North-East (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province and Shanxi Province) and the far North-West (Xinjiang and Ningxia Autonomous Regions and Gansu Province).
The majority of Chinese wine produced is red wine and the most widely planted grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon. There are also substantial plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Franc alongside Syrah and Grenache. White wines are produced predominately from a variant of Italian Riesling, as well as plantings of Chardonnay and Muscat.
