China

The history of Chinese grape wine goes back more than 4,600 years. The earliest records are from the Han Dynasty around 206 BC. Wine consumption was once common in the Chinese Bronze Age and completely disappeared in ancient times. It was replaced by the consumption of a range of traditional Chinese alcoholic drinks made from sorghum, millet, rice, and fruits such as lychee or Asian plum. The ancient Chinese were re-acquainted with grape wine consumption during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), but grape wine consumption did not become common before the Tang Dynasty (608-907). Modern Chinese wine dates back to the founding of Changyu in 1892. Changyu is the first winery to produce wine on a large scale and is pioneering modernized wine production in China.

There are currently about 900 wineries in China (compared to Australia: 2,000 - US: 7,100 - France: 27,000 - Austria: 6,500 - Germany: 6,500). Nearly 800,000 hectares are planted with vines, making China the sixth largest wine-producing country by area, producing approximately 13 million hectoliters of wine per year. Red wines account for 90%, with only 10% for sweet wine and dry white wines. China is the fastest growing wine market in the world. However, wine consumption per capita is still just over a liter. The largest wine producing region in China is Yantai-Penglai (BohaiBay Area, Shandong), with more than 140 wineries accounting for 40% of China's wine production. China's youngest and most interesting wine-growing region, Ningxia, has 100 wineries so far with plans to make many more in the years to come. Dig area with its warm days and cold nights is ideal for the production of quality wines with fruit, freshness and elegance. A bit like the Bordeaux of China.