When we think of the Chinese, we usually don't make the link with wine (consumption), at least I don't. When we eat at a Chinese restaurant, we often have a beer with it or a soft drink. (Although I recommend a nice semi sweet Gewürztraminer or Riesling if you are eating spicy Chinese food)
In China, tea is undoubtedly the most popular drink. Traditionally, tea has been seen as one of the seven indispensable products for every household (along with fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar). And although drinking tea is a common practice among the Chinese, it is never consumed with food during a meal (except in certain parts of southern China). The reason for this is that oil and tea do not go well together and most food is prepared with oil. During the normal daily meal there is normally always soup (not much more than a clear broth) on the table, which then serves as a drink. However, on official occasions or when guests stay for dinner, wine is an indispensable part of the menu, without wine it is not complete and people are convinced that good food only goes together with good wine, something very logical in my opinion.
It is not surprising that in a country where rice is the staple food, rice wine is the most popular alcoholic beverage. The Chinese name for rice wine is huang jiu (literally "yellow wine") and there are many types such as: glutinous rice, millet and regular rice. The color can vary from golden to dark brown and the alcohol content from 14 to 16%. It is quite similar to sherry in color and taste.
A Chinese study shows that (specially) wealthy Chinese are increasingly interested in imported wines but are hampered in their purchases because a lot of them do not understand the information on the bottles. That is why people often turn to domestic products.
However, this will not last long given the fact that wine producers are doing their very best to adjust the wine labels and the Chinese market is therefore very “Booming”. Wine has become a status symbol for wealthy Chinese, red wine (whose color symbolizes happiness in Chinese culture) is currently a favorite among modern city dwellers. Chinese companies are increasingly investing in European vineyards. According to the Financial Times, the export of the best Bordeaux wines was increasingly shifting to China and Hong Kong. These countries imported more French wines than Great Britain and Germany. Compared to the year 2000, 39 times as much Bordeaux wine was shipped to China in 2012! Last year, in 2022, China imported an impressive amount of 340 million liters of wine. That sounds like a lot but comparing to the year before (420 million liters in 2021) you can see it’s decreasing.
From importer to exporter
In the wine industry, China is currently the export market where it all happens. One record after another is broken. But what you don't hear much about is the rapid growth of China's own wine production. And this is not only intended to supply its own home market, but also to sell wine to Europe and other continents itself. China is already the twelfth largest producer in the world and continues to develop new vineyards and wine companies at breakneck speed. The climate in China is temperate to subtropical. Many wine regions resemble those of Europe, but we also find them in coastal areas and deep inland towards Mongolia where there is great drought and severe winters. In addition to many hundreds of indigenous grape varieties such as the Beichun (mainly found in northern China because of its resistance to the cold) and the Long Yan (grape with a high production yield), modern wines are also made from the better-known grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling planted. Partly thanks to European know-how and joint ventures, quality is improving by leaps and bounds and in the not-too-distant future we will also be able to find a quality Chinese wine in the wine shop.
Gānbēi
Roel Peters RP-Vinos USA
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