China

Question 1

Most planted wine grape in China

Answer 1

Cabernet Sauvignon

Question 2

Carmenere aka

Answer 2

Cabernet Gernischt

Question 3

Modern China wine industry dates to who/what in 19th century

Answer 3

Zhang Bishi
Imported 150 vinifera varieties
Founded Changyu

But political stuff -> no big wine stuff til 1980s

Question 4

Where was Changyu founded

Answer 4

Yantai in Shandong Province

Question 5

What happened to Chinese wine in 1980s?

Answer 5

People’s Republic opened to international development
CITIC x Remy Martin = Dynasty
Pernod Richard “Dragon Seal”
LVMH Chandon in Ningxia, etc

Question 6

What % of Chinese vineyards are used for wine?

Answer 6

10%

Question 7

Climate in most Chinese regions

Answer 7

Marked continental climates
Very cold adn arid winters

Question 8

Cold, arid winters mean what for Chinese vineyards

Answer 8

Need to bury vines as early as November to survive

Question 9

Comment on rain in China

Answer 9

Heavy summer rains are an issue
But rainfall overall is low

Question 10

Where are Heilongjiang and Jilin?

Answer 10

Far north-east of China
Extreme winter cold -> bury vines

Question 11

Climate in Beijing and Heibei

Answer 11

Humid continental
Warm humid summers
Cold winters
Torrential rain in August/September (but overall rain low)

Question 12

What moderates the temperature and humidity in Beijing?

Answer 12

Cool Pacific breezes

Question 13

Beijing and Heibei: pros/cons of planting near ocean

Answer 13

Pros:
No need to bury vines in winter (save cost)

Cons:
Excessive short-erm rain and humidity (fungal)
Over-rich soils -> high yields and vigour

Question 14

Climate in Shandong

Answer 14

Warm maritime
Lots of rain -> rot a big problem

Question 15

Shanxi and Shaanxi: cliamte

Answer 15

Dry continental
Inland, central regions

Question 16

Climate in Ningxia

Answer 16

Arid continental
Monsoon rains (but only 200mm annual)
Very windy -> dryness

Question 17

Ningxia is arid and windy which makes it v dry. So what?

Answer 17

Needs irrigation
Water from Yellow River

Question 18

Best area within Ningxia?

Answer 18

Helan Shan (Helan Mountains)
Mountains protect from desert winds

Question 19

Climate in Yunnan

Answer 19

Sub-tropical humid climate
Vines on slopes at altitude (1,600m-2,900m) -> moderate temperatures and reduce humidit

Question 20

Yunnan has a long, frost-free season. So what?

Answer 20

One of few inland areas in China where vines don’t need to be buried

Question 21

Is Phyllxoera present in China?

Answer 21

Apparently not

Question 22

Traditional vine training in China

Answer 22

Multi Cordon Fan system
Single Dragon system

Question 23

What is Multi Cordon Fan system

Answer 23

Multiple cordons grown from a very low trunk (popular for table grapes)

Question 24

What is Single Dragon system

Answer 24

Single trunk at a slight angle as a spur-pruned cordon

Question 25

China’s traditional training of Multi Cordon Fan or Single Dragon system. What do they do?

Answer 25

Carry high yields
Lack one single fruiting zone -> uneven ripening

So many wineries converted to spur-pruned Chang shaped system

Question 26

What is spur-pruned Chang shaped system?

Answer 26

Trunk is trained in a bended form -> easy to bury
-> ensure one unified fruiting zone

Question 27

Issues contributing to poor fruit quality in China?

Answer 27

Dense canopies
Excessive irrigation
Excessive fertilisation

Question 28

Leaf roll virus present in China. So what?

Answer 28

Under-ripe fruit
Cab Sauv and Carmenere popular here -> very green flavours if underripe!!

Question 29

Leaf roll virus an issue with Cab Sauv and Carmenere why?

Answer 29

Leads to under-ripe fruit
If under-ripe, Cab Sauv and Carmenere get green flavours

Question 30

What impedes improvement in traditional Chinese vineyards?

Answer 30

Lack of viticultural training
Lack of good vine material
Govt. owns all land -> bureaucracy

Question 31

Govt. owns all land in China. So what for vineyards?

Answer 31

Govt. determines agricultural practices
Can’t make site-specific changes without official sanction

Question 32

Comment on burying vines in China

Answer 32

Vines buried November until March/April
Need advanced manual labour skills
Adds cost (20-30%)
Cost and availability of labour an issue

Question 33

What is V. amurnesis

Answer 33

indigenous vine species in China
named after Amur Valley
resistant to cold
BUT makes off flavours

Question 34

Important wine grapes in China

Answer 34

Cabernet Sauvignon (70%)
Carmenere (aka Cabernet Gernischst)
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Chardonnay
Riesling

Question 35

Chinese winemaking is modelled on what?

Answer 35

Red Bordeaux
Long maturation 18 months in French oak barriques

Question 36

Wine in China is taxed as an industrial product. So what?

Answer 36

Adds 10% to price

Question 37

Better tannin ripeness in Chinese wine now. Why?

Answer 37

Better canopy management
More attention to picking dates (ripe pips and skins)

Question 38

Where does China rank in world wine consumption?

Answer 38

Thought to be #5

Question 39

China’s domestic wine industry dominated by what three companies

Answer 39

Changyu
Great Wall (owned by COFCO)
Dynasty

Mostly bulk operations, often blended with imported wine

Question 40

Example of big Chinese company having a small premium winery in portfolio

Answer 40

COFCO has Chateau Junding

Question 41

Small Chinese vineayrds of note

Answer 41

Grace Vineyard (Sahnxi)
Silver Heights (Ningxia)
Ao Yun (Yunnan)
Long Dai (Shandong)