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Written by Aline Conus
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Wine tasting seems to be en vogue all over the world and especially in the international big cities on the five continents. So, what is all the fuss about wine?
Originally wine was just a drink that would keep much better and longer than water (at a time when keeping still water was not an easy thing to do) and would also allow people to get closer to God whether through offerings or through delirium and imagination.
Today wine has become a lot more: it is still present in a number of religious ceremonies, a religious offering for a number of practitioners around the globe, part of daily life for the inhabitants of the wine producing countries, a sign of good taste for the Brits, the drink for family Sunday lunch for the French, a chic social practice for the Americans, a barbecue must for the Aussies...so how is it regarded in China?
Wine: status symbol for the young generation or a way to increase the amount of rice available in the country for the government?
The Meaning of Wine
China is one of the largest Asian countries and has its own indigenous grape varieties even though some argue the tradition for grape wine making is relatively recent. There is occasionally even confusion in Chinese as to the meaning of the English word "wine", which is sometimes mistakenly used to describe all forms of alcohol.
The oldest tradition of alcohol production and mass consumption in China comes from two alcoholic beverages: jiu and li which are made from fermented rice or wheat. This makes those products beers (brewed from cereals) rather than wines (which in the strict definition should be fermented from fruit juice).
The History of Wine in Ancient China
Some accounts suggest General Chang Chen may have brought grape seeds back from contemporary Uzbekistan as early as the Han dynasty and planted those in two regions: Xinjiang and Shanxi.
What is certain is that at the beginning of the Tang dynasty China was importing large quantities of grape wine from contemporary Uzbekistan. Also from around 640 vines producing vinifera grapes were imported and cultivated in China. From that time viticulture was apparently successful in central China (Gansu, Shanxi) and soon wine was made from an indigenous grape variety called vitis thunbergii in Shandong province.
Modern Chinese Wine History
However, it was not until 1892 that an official of the Qing government established the first winery per se in Yantai using European vinifera grape varieties. During the following fifty years several wineries were established in Shandong and wines produced there were mostly consumed by the expatriates living in China. From 1949 the wineries were supported by the government who enhanced the blend of grape wine and water.
Then after China's opening in the 1980's foreign companies have been attracted to invest in wine production in China and some "chateau-style" wineries have been created.
A major rationale for the Chinese government to strongly support the production and consumption of grape wine is the lack of cereals in general and rice in particular. Indeed China has been importing large quantities of rice since 1968. Chinese people love rice so much that they cannot produce all they need to eat so the government sees the production of rice wine as a waste of rice to feed the population. As a consequence the consumption of grape wine instead of rice wine helps the country get more rice to eat and puts less pressure on the government to import rice.
"If the recent evidence showing that wine was enjoyed with food during the Han dynasty is true, then it seems that China is today simply returning to its ancient traditions."
Where is wine produced in China today?
Modern China's vineyards are spread all across the country from the West (Xinjiang which represents approximately 32% of Chinese vines, Tibet 5%) to the East (Shandong 15%, Hebei 14%, Shanxi 3%), the North (Jilin 3%, Tianjin 5%, Liaoning 12%) to the South (Yunnan 11%). Temperatures on the Eastern Coast (Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin) are relatively good for vine cultivation and wine production with cool, light but recurrent winds and medium humidity levels. However, the summers and autumns can be quite wet which is favourable for several vine diseases and grape rot. This can result in poor quality wines and poor quality grapes. Nevertheless central Shandong province has proved particularly favourable for modern viticulture. The slopes have ideal sun and wind exposures and the vineyards are planted at altitudes of 150-250 meters.
Grapewine: which grapes?
Today there is a wide selection of grape varieties planted in China. This ranges from indigenous grape varieties: Beichun, Long Yan, Ju Feng and more, to Italian Rieslings and several Russian imported varieties. More recently several grape varieties from France have been imported and planted in China (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay...) to produce higher quality wines.
The Chinese elite may have had a long tradition of grape wine drinking for ceremonies and feasts. If the recent evidence showing that wine was enjoyed with food during the Han dynasty is true, then it seems that China is today simply returning to its ancient traditions.
The modern elite in China is drinking more wine and showing more and more interest towards wine and food pairing - the science of which wines should be drunk with which foods. That wine is also being consumed in China's major cities is also a sign of China's opening up to foreign cultures.
So, it seems grape wine tasting and drinking in China is actually much more than a fashionable behaviour. It is both the revival of an old tradition and a trendy habit but also reflects a will from the government for a better balance of eating and drinking in the country overall.
Somehow one could say that the French and the Chinese see wine in the same way...
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