Chinese Red Wine

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Think red wine-producing countries and chances are that China won’t be the first place that springs to mind. The country has not historically enjoyed a reputation for producing fine wines, but all that could be set to change. Red wine is increasingly seen as a ‘status symbol’ drink among Chinese high society and both consumption and production of red wine in China is seeing sharp growth. So much so that experts are predicting this densely populated country will become the world’s largest wine buying market in years to come.

China has in fact been producing grape wine for centuries. As far as modern wine production goes, the country’s history dates back to 1892, when a Chinese foreign diplomat named Zhang Bishi pumped up the country’s meagre grape production by importing tens of thousands of wine plants from Europe and the USA. The fruits of his labour are still paying off today, with Changyu Pioneer wine, the company he founded, up there among the world’s 10 largest wineries.


Changyu and two other Chinese wine giants, Great Wall and Dynasty, together corner 50 per cent of the Chinese wine market, making their products the best known wines both domestically and abroad.

Back in 2003, one Chinese wine producer made the rather startling statement that they wanted to see the Chinese begin to drink wine in the same sort of quantity as milk and, while that clearly hasn’t become the case, the Chinese are certainly starting to embrace the concept of both producing and consuming red wine. Chinese red wine is now starting to find its way onto UK supermarket shelves and, while the country has yet to produce a wine that could be considered up there with the best of Europe or the New World, it is producing some perfectly drinkable wines that are finding favour with curious wine drinkers.

Dynasty, a joint venture between the Chinese government, French brandy firm Remy Martin and the intriguingly-named Hongkong International Trade and Technology Investigation Organization, has so far had the most critical success internationally, picking up some 14 gold medals in international wine competitions. The company also received the trophy for International High Quality at the 30th Brussels International Wine and Liquor Appraisal Conference after picking up gold medals for three consecutive years.

Among the best of the Dynasty red wines is the Cabernet Sauvignon, a dry red made according to the traditional wine making methods of Bordeaux. This wine, made from grapes of the Jiaxian Vineyards in Tianjin, is very drinkable. Dynasty wines have graced the tables of Chinese state banquets and at embassy events for around a decade, so you’ll be in good company if you make this your Chinese red wine brand of choice. Dynasty now exports its wines to over 20 countries, including the USA, Canada, the UK and even France, so it’s easier than most to track down.

Of the Changyu stable, perhaps the best of the red wines is the 1992 vintage Chauteau Changyu Cabernet Gernischt. Grown in the vineyards of Beiyajia using Cabernet Gernischt grapes, this ruby-red wine was stored in oak barrels for three years, resulting in a very respectable, fairly full-bodied red wine. The leading Chinese wine company may remain little-known outside China, but with imports to Europe, the United States and Canada, this looks set to change as interest grows in Chinese red wine.

China’s other large wine producer, Great Wall, has produced some decent bottles such as the 1994 Chateau Great Wall Dry Red, which is made from Chardonnay and Merlot grapes and his notes of mixed fruit. A mellow yet robust wine, this might pleasantly surprise wine enthusiasts who have scoffed at the concept of Chinese red wine.

Great Wall is the number one Chinese wine company in terms of exports, so you could be seeing a bottle in a supermarket or wine store near you. Its vineyards are in the Shacheng region of China, known for the high quality of its grapes and now bottles more than 100 types of alcoholic drinks, including distilled and sparkling wines.

It may not yet have carved itself a reputation as a major player in terms of premium wines, but the sheer speed at which the Chinese wine production market is growing means it’s surely only a matter of time before Chinese red wine becomes as acceptable as those from the New World. Serve these wines at a social gathering and you’ll score points for novelty value alone and you’ll be able to say you were first off the starting block when it came to exploring the world of Chinese red wine.