Wines of China

Sourcing wines from China in the United States is not impossible but they are not what naturally springs to mind when thinking about trying wines from emerging markets.  Even in Hong Kong, where I was on a one-year teaching assignment, there was scant awareness of wines from China.  Having said that, we did have an especially good Chinese wine recommended to us at a dining establishment that featured traditional Cantonese dishes.

image courtesy of China Daily

So, I decided to dedicate a weekend to tasting a few wines recommended by one of Hong Kong’s renowned wine retailers.  In the process, I learned that despite China beginning to earn international acclaim for its wines, it still ranks only 10^th in terms of wine production - on a par with Portugal, and behind Germany and Chile.  Ironically, land area under vines in China is substantial, but most grapes are not used for wine production.  Apparently, the Chinese have a fondness for fresh table grapes, and the industry is geared toward that.

The local retailer recommended three wines - two white and one red - all three comprising common grape varieties (known as Vitis Vinifera).  They represented two of China’s most prestigious wine growing regions - Shandong and Ningxia, and some of China’s most highly regarded wines come from these two viticultural areas.

Shandong is the largest wine producing region and is situated in the coastal east of mainland China.  The Shandong peninsula is the heart of this wine region and has a climate similar to Bourdeaux.  Domaine Baron de Rothschild Lafite has a vineyard here

Ningxia is China’s wine capital (the equivalent of Napa Valley in the USA) and is located in the north central area of the country with an arid climate.  The main subregion is Yinchuan, which is characterized by high-altitude, rocky soil.  Chandon and Pernod Ricard have vineyards here.

Longing Vineyards 2022 Reserve Sea Breeze Petit Manning

The first tasting was from Longting Vineyards, a boutique heritage winery located in the main sub-region of Yantai, which is the northernmost portion of the peninsula.  The 2022 Reserve Sea Breeze Petit Manseng is grown on the east slope of Mount Feng with exposure to the coastal climate, hence the name Sea Breeze.  The wine is characterized as comprising notes of pineapple and apricot, and I instantly picked up on a saline quality influenced by the sea breezes.  My experience with this grape variety is that it can be high in viscosity, but this wine was more medium-bodied, appropriate to pair with seafood.  The Longting Reserve Petit Manseng is priced at about $64 USD ($498 HK) and is a recipient of a bronze medal in the Chinese Wine Awards.

The second tasting was from Silver Heights, a producer with rock star status in Ningxia.  The 2022 Jiayan Pinot Noir is grown in the foothills of Ningxia’s Helan Mountain.  The wine was described as having a medium body with floral, berry and herb notes that pairs well with lamb, which is common in the region.  This wine was very balanced, much like an Oregon Pinot and nothing like the jammy offerings from California’s central coast.  The Jiayan Pinot Noir is priced at about $46 USD ($360 HK) and is the recipient of a bronze medal in the Chinese Wine Awards.

Silver Heights 2022 Jiayan Pinot Noir

Those tastings were followed by another wine from Silver Heights – the 2022 Reserve Chardonnay, which was described as a full-bodied wine comprising peach, nectarine and toasted oak.  I found this wine to be closer to medium-bodied and the least compelling of the three.  The Silver Heights Reserve Chardonnay, which also received a bronze medal, can be paired with seafood or creamy pastas and sells for $47 USD ($365 HK).

According to wine-searcher.com, these wines may be sourced from specialist importers based in New York, or potentially shipped directly to the USA, depending on certain restrictions and/or statutory regulation.

Ganbei!