CHINA IST ROT
Riesling an der Wüste Gobi
By Herbert Klapperich
中国在公元前 400 年就开始了葡萄栽培，如今已成为一个拥有 12 个葡萄酒产区的新兴葡萄酒国家，并且是世界上最大的红葡萄酒消费国。10 年前，我们还可以看到白葡萄酒的成功故事，尽管每顿饭都要喝上广受欢迎的 “中国白葡萄酒”（一种高浓度米酒）。中国是红色的–这同样适用于葡萄酒的风味。现在，人们种植、压榨并享用出色的赤霞珠（Cabernet Sauvignons）葡萄酒。2021 年，波尔多葡萄酒在一次国际评审团盲品会上被 “击败”–波尔多葡萄酒被评审团 “击败”–这一事件在葡萄酒界引起了强烈反响。获胜葡萄酒来自最小的葡萄酒产区宁夏。宁夏位于中国北部的贺兰山脉，葡萄园海拔高达 1200 米，气候条件十分严苛： 夏季炎热干燥，冬季 “冰冷”，温度低至零下 25 °C。
总体而言，中国葡萄种植业得到了中国政府的大力支持。随着进口的增长和对酒庄（主要是波尔多）的直接购买，这种投资主要针对日益增长的中产阶级–“上层阶级”。
一个典型的例子是迦南酒庄和中德混血的酿酒师王芳–她也被称为 “疯狂的芳”，因为大约 10 年前她在中国种植了自己的雷司令，当时没有人相信她会成功–“不可能完成的任务”。
一般来说，雷司令的耐寒性和对冬季霜冻的不敏感性在选择时起着重要作用。雷司令的生长期相对较短，从 4 月中旬到 9 月。夏季用黄河水灌溉植株。由于冬季非常寒冷，每年秋季必须将葡萄藤绑在地上，并用泥土完全覆盖。葡萄藤被灌满水，这样黄土就会结冰。土壤就会像冰块一样冻结。然后在春天再把冻住的葡萄藤挖出来。
当被问及为什么要购买中国雷司令时，王芳回答说：”如果你是葡萄酒爱好者，你必须品尝中国雷司令。你必须品尝世界各地的雷司令，为什么不品尝中国的雷司令呢？中国的雷司令就是我的雷司令”，她还种植了赤霞珠和梅洛等红葡萄酒。每年的总产量约为 10 000 瓶。几年来，全国各地一直在开展公关活动，强调白葡萄酒，尤其是雷司令的美妙口感。尽管征收了进口税，但进口量仍在上升。一些知名葡萄种植商，如 Hugel（阿尔萨斯）、Dr Loosen（摩泽尔）、Wegelersche Weingüter（莱茵高/摩泽尔）和 Prinz zur Lippe（萨克森/迈森），都对雷司令的各种风格（从干型到 Beerenauslese）大加赞赏。雷司令被视为中国 “白葡萄酒革命 ”的先锋。由奥地利葡萄种植者和葡萄酒顾问 Lenz M. Moser 创立的 “张裕摩塞尔酒庄 ”是当地的先驱。该酒庄也位于宁夏，目前已成立了一所葡萄酒大学，并建立了约 200 个酒庄。母公司 “张裕葡萄酒公司 ”于 1892 年从德国、奥地利、西班牙和意大利引进葡萄品种，这标志着中国葡萄树适应气候新品种的起点。
20 世纪 70 年代，美国，特别是法国的葡萄树来到中国。时至今日，与欧洲和美国、澳大利亚等 “新世界 ”国家相比，中国的葡萄酒生产仍被认为是 “早期 ”发展。我们很高兴地看到雷司令取得了巨大的进步，宁夏以其高质量的进攻性和高度负责的葡萄种植者展示了中国葡萄酒的发展和未来–向所有葡萄酒爱好者致以诚挚的祝贺！
香港的系列报道
CHINA IS RED
Riesling in the Gobi Desert
By Herbert Klapperich
After the beginnings of viticulture 400 years before Christ, China is now an up-and-coming wine country with 12 wine provinces and is now the world’s largest consumer of red wine. In addition, the growing success story of the colour WHITE has been observed for around 10 years – towards ‘our’ white – even though the popular ‘Chinese White Wine’, a high-proof rice wine, is served at every dinner.
China is RED – this also applies to the flavour of the wine. Outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons are now being cultivated, pressed and enjoyed. In 2021, Bordeaux wines were ‘trumped’ in a blind tasting with an international jury – an event that was widely recognised in the wine world. The winning wine came from the smallest wine region, NINGXIA. This is located in the north of China in the Helau Mountains with vineyards at altitudes of up to 1200 metres and strict climatic conditions: Hot, dry summers and ‘ice-cold’ winters down to -25 °C.
Overall, Chinese viticulture is receiving lavish support from Beijing. This investment is aimed at the growing middle class following increases in imports and direct purchases of ‘upper class’ chateaus – primarily in Bordeaux. A prime example is the KANAAN vineyard with the German-Chinese winemaker Wang Fang – also known as ‘crazy Fang’ because she planted her own Riesling back in China around 10 years ago and nobody really believed in her success – ‘mission impossible’.
In general, good winter hardiness and insensitivity to winter frost play a selection role for Riesling. The growing period is comparatively short, from mid-April to September. In summer, the vineyards are irrigated with water from the Yellow River. Due to the very cold winters, the vines have to be tied to the ground every autumn and completely covered with soil. They are flooded with water so that the loamy soil freezes like an ice cube. The frozen vines are then dug up again in the spring.
When asked why you should buy Chinese Riesling, Wang Fang replies: ‘If you are a wine lover, you have to try Chinese Riesling. You have to try different Riesling from different parts of the world, why not Chinese Riesling? Chinese Riesling is my Riesling.’ She also cultivates red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The total production figures are around 10,000 bottles per year. For some years now, a PR campaign has been running across the country, emphasising how wonderful white wines taste, especially Riesling. Despite import duties, import figures are rising. Players with well-known winegrowers such as Hugel (Alsace), Dr Loosen (Mosel), Wegelersche Weingüter (Rheingau/Mosel) and Prinz zur Lippe (Saxony/ Meissen) praise the greatness of Riesling with its styles, from dry to Beerenauslese.
Riesling is regarded as the spearhead of the ‘white wine revolution’ in China. A local pioneer is the ‘Chateau Changyu Moser’ with the Austrian winegrower and wine consultant Lenz M. Moser. This is also located in the province of Ningxia, where a wine university has now been founded and around 200 wineries have been established. The parent company ‘Changyu Wine Company’ imported grape varieties from Germany, Austria, Spain and Italy in 1892, which marked the starting point for new varieties with Chinese vines adapted to the climate.
In the 1970s, grapevines from the USA and especially from France arrived in the country. Even today, Chinese wine production is considered an ‘early’ development compared to Europe and those of the ‘New World’ such as the USA or Australia. It is a pleasure to observe the triumph of Riesling and the province of Ningxia shows the development and future of Chinese wines with its quality offensive and highly committed winegrowers – a hearty congratulation to all wine lovers!
A series of reports by HK
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