When one thinks of first-class wines, one's thoughts do not necessarily turn first to China. Yet the Middle Kingdom is one of the oldest wine-growing countries in the world, with evidence of wine production dating back to 2000 BC. At the time of the Tang Dynasty in 700 AD, vineyards were established and Marco Polo reported that he had drunk an excellent wine in Taiyan. In the 14th century, however, any further development was halted by the state decree to clear the vineyards. It was not until 1892 that viticulture really took off again. In the last 30 years, China has set out to play a major role on the world wine map. To this end, the vineyard area has been massively expanded, a lot has been invested in cellar technology and great expertise has been brought to the country in the form of renowned winemakers from Australia, but also from Austria, for example. Today, the vineyard area amounts to approx. 790,000 hectares, with which China has drawn level with France and overtaken Italy; only Spain is still ahead.
The grape varieties are all from Europe; primarily Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau for white wines, and Blaufränkisch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Malbec and Gamay for red wines.
The white wines mostly come from the North Eastern Plateau or Bohai Bay in the east of the capital Beijing, while red wines come from Shacheng, the Northwestern Area, and the provinces of Snadong and Hubei. For the Chinese themselves, wine does not play a major role; rice wine and beer are the preferred alcoholic beverages here, as well as spirits such as cognac. A lot of wine is exported, but measured against the size of the country and the total export of Chinese goods, this corresponds to just 1%.
About 8 million hectoliters are produced annually, which is quite little compared to Germany, for example. But there are already some remarkable wines made to a very high standard, which change hands for high prices. Winegrowing in China has already developed a great dynamic.
The country has 23 provinces, and each has its own traditional cuisine, most of which has little to do with the Chinese dishes familiar in Europe. Sichuan dishes are characterized by strong spices and herbs such as chilli, ginger and spring onions. Shanghai cuisine focuses on fish and seafood, while Lu cuisine is based on pasta such as noodles and Swabian ravioli. Uyghur cuisine, on the other hand, features Persian influences. Nyonya cuisine, on the other hand, is Malaysian.
Colours generally play a major role in Chinese dishes, representing the 5 elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Famous of course is the Peking duck, a recipe from the Ming dynasty, which requires a very elaborate preparation.
The restaurant culture is impressive, with numerous mentions in the Michelin Guide.
