33. China Flashcards
What is the most planted variety?
Cabernet Sauvignon - ripeness can be an issue due to the cold
What is China’s general climate?
Continental - very cold, arid winters with humidity as low as 10%
How are winter conditions combatted?
Vines are buried from November to survive winter and retain more water
Why is burying vines beneficial in China? (2)
1) To prevent the vines from freezing - snow acts as an insulator
2) To permit moisture retention underground
What are China’s seven regions?
1) Heilonjiang & Jilin - far north east Russian border
2) Beijing & Hebei - east coastal
3) Shandong - east coast
4) Shanxi & Shaanxi - inland
5) Ningxia - inland
6) Xinjiang & Gansu - far north/north west
7) Yunnan - far south
Describe Heilonjiang & Jilin
Extreme winter cold - burial essential
Describe Beijing & Hebei
Humid continental with cool pacific breezes reducing humidity and moderating temperatures
Describe Shandong’s climate
Warm maritime with rot a problem due to high rainfall (monsoons)
Of China’s seven regions which is the climatic exception?
Shandong (maritime rather than continental)
Describe Shanxi & Shaanxi (2)
1) Dry continental
2) Humid
Describe Ningxia (3)
1) Arid continental
2) Windy
3) Irrigation available from the Yellow River
What is Ningxia’s best region and why?
Helan Shan (mountains) - protected from desert winds by mountains
Describe Xinjiang and Gansu (4)
1) Extremely dry
2) Snow as as early as October (short growing season)
3) Windy
4) Frost in spring and autumn
How is high volume possible in Xinjiang? (3)
Dry (low disease pressure)
Snow water for irrigation
Warm
Describe Yunnan (2)
1) Sub-tropical, humid
2) Vines at altitude (1,600-2,900) in Himalayan footballs
(Marijuana grows as a weed here!)
What makes Yunnan unusual for inland China?
It experiences a long frost free winter meaning vines don’t require burying
What is the common vine training method?
Chang - spur pruned
The trunk is trained in a bended, horizontal shape to allow burial creating less stress on the vine as lower to the ground
What three vine training issues contribute to poor fruit quality?
1) Dense canopies
2) Extensive irrigation
3) Excessive fertilisation
What is China’s main virus?
Leaf roll
Why is vineyard improvement difficult?
The government owns all land and determines agricultural practices meaning improvements can be slow/impossible.
Describe the labour scenario is China
Advanced skills are required to bury the vines. Younger people do not want to do it. Older workers are declined and/or demanding higher pay due to the experience required, which adds to cost
What is China’s main indigenous species? Name one advantage and one disadvantage
1) V. amurensis
2) It’s adapted to the cold
3) It can produce unusual aromas (like American hybrids)
Winemaking is akin to which famous region and how?
1) Bordeaux
2) Prolonged maturation, French oak
How do producers of volume wine meet demand?
Blending with imported product
Name three boutique Chinese producers
1) Grace
2) Silver Heights
3) Ao Yun
Where is most Chinese wine sold/consumed?
Domestic; at home
Where are the strong winds from?
Siberia - central Eurasian plains
Why are old vines uncommon in China and why are they unlikely to be common in most regions?
The thick old wood is difficult to bury
What is an advantage of China’s wine legislation?
Licensing is more fluid than in many countries i.e. wine can be purchased at any time of the day in retail locations including convenience shops and supermarkets
What is a disadvantage of China’s wine legislation?
It is taxed as an industrial product, which adds 10% to the price
What is the local name for Carmenere?
Cabernet Gernischt
Name two producers in China that dominate domestic production
Great Wall and Changyu
All of China’s wine regions are inland except for which two that are coastal?
1) Beijing/Hebei
2) Shandong
