[A version of this post appeared first in Grape Wall newsletter. Sign up for free here.]

Them youngsters. And their youngster wine-making ways.

The just-released list of participants in the “Young Generation China Wine” area at next month’s Wine to Asia trade fair in Shenzhen is a bright spot amid the doom and gloom currently around imports, production and sales.

First, the number of producers has risen from nine at the inaugural pavilion last year — when the group’s acronym was YGC — to 19 yesterday, with more than two weeks to go. (See my video of last year’s crew, complete with catchy music, here.)

Second, YGCW symbolizes the growing diversity within a local fine wine trade often seen as obsessed with expensive Cabernet-driven Bordeaux-style wines that are far from ideal for an emerging consumer market. Instead, this group covers a wide range of grape varieties, wine styles, provenances and price points. (See some examples below.)

Plus, stories, stories, stories, from the rugged coastal regions in Shandong to the wide flat arid ones in western China to the soaring mountain valleys of Yunnan in the south. Just the creativity of a new wave of labels by Chinese producers is enough to get some consumers picking up bottles. Here are a few from our World Marselan Day party this Saturday.

On top of this, YGCW members are the type to connect directly with lots of consumers, the type you are most likely to see at wine bar popups and at festivals, not only those for wine but also for whisky, coffee and [fill in the blank]. This is in contrast to some established wineries that gravitate to those standard dinners at high-end restaurants and five-star hotels where food is served one dish at a time, each paired with a wine, which is how almost no one eats or drinks here.

Of course, YGCW is far from the only group of local wineries collaborating in China. We can find many regional groups, with one of the best being Yinchuan Wine Association, although membership is of course limited by geography. Other groups draw on wineries from different regions, though these often gravitate toward the older more conservative producers, including some of the biggest, based on my observations.

What makes YGCW stand out, and why I think it is growing so fast, is that it tends to attract people who might be spread across China but are close in spirit in terms of pushing the boundaries of local terroir, making intriguing wines and connecting directly with retailers and consumers. The moxie of the YGCW members is good for the trade and consumers as a whole.

You can find the full YGCW list for Wine to Asia at this link. And below are a few examples of YGCW members, which are found everywhere from Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Yunnan to Shaanxi, Shandong and Sichuan.

Xiao Pu

Run by former sommelier and wine buyer Ian Dai, Xiao Pu is a driving force behind the YGCW. Dai has made wine in a half-dozen regions of China, with a wide range of styles, from orange wines to soft plush reds to pet-nats, plus cider and gin, and he is among the most active in reaching out to wine bars and consumers. The red blend shown above is called “The Gathering” and is one of his most successful wines.

FARMentation

Luo Yuchen has combined steady gigs at wineries such as Jade in Shaanxi with projects around the country, including in Yunnan and Ningxia. As noted in my last newsletter, he is now pursuing a “renaissance” project to boost old brands and veteran grape varieties in China, with the first one inspired by Danfeng winery, founded in 1911 in Shaanxi.

Jiang Yu

Named after its founder, this garage winery in Qiushan Valley — close to Lafite’s Longdai, Treaty Port, Runaway Cow, Mystic Island et al — works with both regional grapes, including a small plot of Grechetto, and Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Yunnan. Plus, experiments with Chinese oak barrels.

Mountain Wave

This winery in the rising Jinshan / Gold Mountain area of Ningxia focuses on an unexpected trio of Malbec, Marselan and Pinot Noir. These are used to make single variety wines as well as blends, both in still wine and pet-nat form. The ‘p.m.m.’ on the label above refers to the three varieties in question.

DEVO

Another Ningxia operation, mostly focused on traditional-method sparkling wines, and dabbling in other styles, including a pet-nat made with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gloriville

This operation in Zhangjiakou, just north of Beijing, is focused on minimal intervention wines, including with the white grape Longyan / Dragon Eye, which has something like 800 years of history in this area of China.

Check out these producers and more during Wine to Asia!

The current China wine market is one where imports, production and consumption fluctuate between stagnation and decline but where the number of wine contests, master classes, publications and trade fairs has seen growth.

There are endless fairs spread across the country and held practically all year long, ranging from that annual spring behemoth in Chengdu to tiny local gatherings.

Out of all those, there is only one fair in which I am active, Wine to Asia, an annual three-day affair held each May in Shenzhen and backed by Veronafiere.

Here are eight reasons why I like Wine to Asia, besides Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area being among the most economically healthy and heaviest wine-drinking spots in the country.

Cutting Edge

Wine to Asia has a strong focus on emerging trends, with the best example being the Living Wine zone it has featured since 2020 and that is arguably the show’s most popular area. Small-scale producers of orange, natural, pet-nat et al wines from a dozen-plus nations join forces to create one huge diverse fun group.

And the fun spills over to Shenzhen’s bar scene after the fair finishes each day –last year the Slovenians led the way at a bacchanalian 100-plus bottle bash at The Weeknd wine bar.

Local Heroes

Wine to Asia also supports local wines, including a pavilion for YGC — recently renamed YGWC — the Young Winemakers of China, which launched last year in Shenzhen with nine participants.

The participants include both boutique wineries and freelancers who source grapes and rent equipment to create their own brands. Products range from barrel-aged Bordeaux blends to pet-nats and orange wines to grapes such as Dornfelder, Black Muscat and Grechetto. Plus, some ciders and fruit tree wines.

(Word is this pavilion will have twice as many participants this year.)

Booze Talk

It wouldn’t be a trade fair without master classes but at least wine to Asia offers a mix of general themes from Bordeaux to Brunello, Riesling to Malbec and Greek to Chilean to Italian wines, with quirkier events featuring intriguing personalities, such as insights into the biodynamic goals of Ningxia’s Domaine des Aromes.

The bonus is a “pop-up talk corner”with no registration and fun topics, from the experience of a Chinese winemaker in Burgundy to the wine industry in Belgium’s Flanders area to new versus traditional styles of sake.

Expect more this year, including a panel on China’s Gen Z wine consumers.

Beyond The Fair

Wine to Asia simultaneously organizes the Greater Bay Area Wine Week, which featured some 50 wine bars in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan and Dongguan last year and spotlights the connections among producers, importers, distributors and consumers.

There are also offsite events during the fair, two of which I helped organize last year: a Grace Vineyard Marselan-themed wine dinner at Xiang Jiao Hunan restaurant and a Jing-A / Grace Marselan beer and wine tasting at The Weeknd wine bar. (I also joined a Greek wine dinner by Hellenic Agora and two off-site tastings by the YGC. Good stuff.)

Project Support

Speaking of Marselan, Wine to Asia has supported my World Marselan Day project, both at the fair, via a tasting of 30-plus wines last year, and beyond, via a Marselan blending class at The Merchants in Beijing.

Creature Comforts

So many fairs and roadshows have crap food and coffee. But given Veronafiere runs Vinitaly, which has a wealth of food options at its annual Verona fair, it’s no surprise that spirit is increasingly found in China, including a cafe (complete with coffee cocktails), gelato, kombucha and decent food options.

(I’m hoping they also add music this year — maybe a few funk-oriented DJ sets toward the end of the day to reenergize people?)

Standard Fair Fare

Finally, In case anyone thinks Wine to Asia is just about niche wines, It also has a good selection of the countries, regions and brands that make up the backbone of sales in China.

Italy and France and Chile and South Africa, Brunello and Bordeaux and Malbec and Riesling are all there. And it’s fun to catch up with favorite brands from around the planet, whether that means Colome from Argentina or Spier from South Africa or Garzon from Uruguay.

The Man Incontro(l)

While many people react to new ideas with skepticism — why would anyone care about some unknown grape like Marselan? — Incontro actually goes out in search of them.

All this is driven by local Veronafiere head Simone Incontro. As with all trade fairs, there is a need to sell booths and pavilions. But unlike many, Incontro also has the consumer in mind, including with those emerging trends, such as Living Wines, the YGC and the pop-up talks. And this sense is based on first-hand experience of visiting wine bars, restaurants and retailers venues across the country.

This year’s Wine to Asia is May 9 to May 11 and the cutoff for booking a booth is soon! If interested in joining, click here for more details here (English) or click here (Chinese) or contact me and I will put you in touch. (I received no money for writing this post, I simply appreciate having a special fair such as this in China as well as the support for World Marselan Day.)

Cathay Pacific has added one Chinese wine to its first class service and three to business class until May 31 as part of its ‘Discovery Wine Series.’

Domaine de Long Dai 2020 from the Shandong-based winery of DBR Lafite is the first class option, while a trio of Ningxia wines make business class.

That threesome includes ‘Tasya’s Reserve’ Cabernet Franc 2018 from Grace Vineyard, which has wineries in both Shanxi and Ningxia.

Also making the cut were Silver Heights ‘Jiayuan’ Marselan 2021 and Xige Estate ‘Jade Dove’ Single Vineyard Cabernet Gernischt 2019.

First in first class

Grace is no stranger to Cathay Pacific, with the airline’s website stating that, “In 2009, Grace Vineyard’s flagship wine Deep Blue 2008 was selected by Cathay Pacific as the first Chinese wine available in First Class and Business.”

At that time, Chan wrote a post called ‘Bold enough to accept an underdog’ on the Grace website, about the mixed reaction of passengers to her wine in the wake of high-profile food safety scandals in China.

Given that context, she wrote “I cannot blame those who fail to trust China’s wine” and contrasted with those who might defend an inferior wine.

“The brand determines the fame,” she wrote. “A man might find excuses for a vintage made by a renowned foreign winery that fails to please him. On the other side, it is impossible to accept a local vintage in such manners.”

Fifteen years later, trust and interest in Chinese wine is much higher, thanks in part to veteran producers like Grace.

Four from forty

The four China wines were chosen from among forty by Cathay Pacific drinks manager Ronald Khoo and consultants Debra Meiburg and Roy Moorfield.

There is also this from a press release that in general is taking wine just a bit too seriously:

“To ensure the wines are served to the standard expected by First class passengers, Khoo conducted a training session with a core group of cabin crew, guiding them through a tasting of the entire ‘China Wines’ Discovery series. Talking points about the series were also disseminated to other cabin crew members before the start of the promotion.”

I hope that didn’t cut into any of the time designated for safety training. Get more details about the Cathay Pacific wine program here.

Mention that Jiangyu makes some of China’s quirkiest wine and the ears of those in the trade perk up .

That’s because the pronunciation of this garage winery in Qiushan Valley in Shandong sounds close to that of the country’s largest producer, Changyu, the latter associated with mass market products rather than niche ones. And is even based in the same province, Shandong.

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But Jiangyu is a tiny operation, encompassing just two rooms: one with all of the production equipment and–separated by a glass wall–one serving as a cellar. Owner Jiangyu–yes, the winery is named after him–says the facilities were whipped together in just two months.

So, what’s quirky about Jiangyu? Here are three examples:

• Jiangyu is the only China producer of Grechetto I know, with access to 7 mu / half a hectare of these grapes, planted near the valley. (He translated the grape name to “ge tu”, meaning “a journey accompanied by song.”)
  
• Jiangyu is experimenting with barrels made that use local oak, sourced from near the border with North Korea.
  
• Jiangyu is sourcing grapes from over 2000 meters high from over 2000 km away in Shangri-la in Yunnan province. He has just over one hectare of grapes there, split between Cabernet Sauvignon at 2300 meters and Chardonnay at 2600 meters, with a former employee of LVMH’s Ao Yun overseeing the fruit. And he says that temperature-controlled shipping to get those grapes to Shandong is pricy.

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Owner Jiangyu has only been working at the wine game five years but has quickly made a name for himself. And will be presenting his wines in Italy this week as part of an annual ‘Road to VinItaly’ tasting hosted by Wine to Asia.

I also visited his winery last weekend and he pulled samples from about a dozen barrels: it was fun to see the uniqueness and expressiveness of each.

An elegant pure Chardonnay with refreshing crispness and chrysanthemum aromas. A Grechetto with a bigger smoother body and notes of everything from chamomile tea to orchard fruit — think pears — to a slight creaminess. And a Petit Manseng with sweet-and-sour character I could see pairing with many Chinese dishes.

A highlight was that Yunnan Cabernet Sauvignon: from the first whiff I knew it was from distant places, with its mild but vibrant violets and pure wild dark berry.

What a surprise to be drinking these wines, using grapes from near and far, in a tiny nondescript building with a winemaker still yet to each a half-dozen years under his belt. I happily tasted through those wines, nearly one year after meeting Jiangyu last May at Wine to Asia Shenzhen, and thought how those tasters in Italy are going to have a real treat this week.

Set the course due west: China wineries Jiangyu from Shandong and Silver Heights are heading to Italy this week.

Both will participate in the event ‘La Via della Vite: A Natural Wine Journey Across Eurasia’ spearheaded by Wine to Asia (Veronafiere), ahead of its annual trade fair in Shenzhen in May, and by Vignaioli e Territori (VI.TE.), an association focused on natural wines.

The event is slated for April 12 at Vino Esclamativo, in the historical city of Mantua, with nine wineries from Italy, China and Austria, a brewer from South Korea and a cheese partner. Both Chinese wineries have ties to Italy.

Silver Heights CEO Marco Milani, who has helped spread the brand around the globe, hails from Italy.

And Jiangyu is the sole producer I know in China of Grechetto, a grape that originally hails from Greece but is most associated with central Italy, notably Umbria. That connection excites owner Jiangyu,

“It will be very interesting to present my wines, especially Grechetto, in Italy because that is its home country,” he posted online. “I never expected to bring it back to where it comes from, but life is full of surprises, so let’s just rock.”

Given Jiangyu participated in last year’s Wine to Asia, in some sense things have come full circle.

See Wine to Asia’s WeChat post on this week’s event here. And the poster below for more details.

[Note: A version of this post first appeared in Grape Wall newsletter. Sign up for free here.]

Xige Estate, the sprawling high-tech Ningxia-based winery with parallels to Penfolds, is expanding to Tibet, per wine media reports.

Xige Estate was established in 2017 and quickly burst onto the scene thanks in part to wide swaths of vineyards planted in the Qingtongxia sub-region as early as 1997, previously used by Pernod Ricard and then-partner Guangxia and by the 48 contestants from 17 nations in the Ningxia Winemakers Challenge. These were paired with a high-tech setup, including VinWinzard monitoring system, and international consultants alongside operations manager Liao Zusong.

Also helping Xige get off to a quick start: owner Zhang Yanzhi, a Bordeaux-trained winemaker, headed importer and distributer Easy Cellar, known for its success in selling Penfolds Max.

The company has a stated aim of doing everything from mass market labels to top-end ones — it launched a RMB3000 / USD415 Pinot Noir — which fits that Rawson’s-Retreat-to-Grange mentality. And had initial vintages using a numbering system–N28, N50 –that seemed akin to Penfolds ‘Bin’ series. In any case, the most recent big news is about Xige’s project 2600 meters high in Tibet.

The operation is based in Zugong County in Tibet, near where that region intersects with Sichuan and Yunnan, across the border from Deqen County and its well-known Shangri-la wine scene.

Per Huaxia Wine Journal and other sources, the official announcement was made by Zhang during a March 15 banquet. The project covers 5000 mu (330 hectares), with 2000 being established vines and 3000 to be replanted. There are also several thousand vines over a century old, with some over three centuries, per media reports.

This is not expected to be the last project for Xige, as producers now seek a broader footprint and more diversified portfolios to appeal to consumers, including those for premium wines. We don’t only seen this with large to mid-sized operations but also smaller players exploring the country’s terroir, including FARMentation, Xiao Pu and Petit Mont.

Of course, Xige’s is far from the first modern vineyard or winery in Tibet. Pazhu, for example, has staked a claim to the highest vineyard in the world, according to Guinness, measured at 3563 meters above sea level in 2018.

And a high-altitude China wine class by Sophie Liu at this month’s Chengdu Wine Fair featured not only Pazhu but also Damei Yong, founded in 2009, and Qiu Zi Ka 1865, named for the year a famed French missionary arrived in the area.

There are others, too, including Tian Lu, which claims the world’s highest winery at 3911 meters.

None of this is a knock on Xige. It’s still fairly early days for the modern wine scene in those parts and China at large.

We also see other newcomers planting a flag at high altitudes, including — here’s that name again — Penfolds, which is active across the border in Shangri-la, using Cabernet Sauvignon from there and Marselan from Ningxia to create the wine CWT 521 — CWT stands for China Winemaking Trial.

(There was confusion a few years ago as to whether or not Penfolds made its China wines with Xige facilities, with the latter stating this was not the case.)

As with Xige in Tibet, Penfolds is following in the footsteps of others, such as LVMH’s Ao Yun, Xiao Ling and veteran Shangri-La Wines. (For more on this region, check out this post, this post and this post from my November trip.)

Anyway, as with all of China’s regions, it will be interesting to follow how the scene develops, given how quickly policy can change. Xige, for example, arose during a swerve in Ningxia’s wine strategy. As I wrote in “Coop d’etat: Pigeon Hills symbolizes new shift for Ningxia” in 2018:

“Many trade visitors to Yinchuan have heard the “small winery, large area” spiel in recent years, the idea of settling a 200-plus kilometer north-to-south swath of Ningxia with boutique operations. There are at least 86 functioning wineries there now, most of them small, many racking up medals at contests here and abroad.

“Pigeon Hills is not part of that. The powers that be, concerned those medals haven’t meant much higher sales, saw the need for some big leading brands, too. Pigeon Hills has risen from the dust in less than a year with 10 million liters of tanks, a fermentation capacity of 6,000 tons and cutting-edge equipment.

“Call it an attempt at a Chinese Penfolds, at a widely-known brand that consumers trust — and trust is a key issue for local producers as they get crushed by imports — and that makes both top-flight labels and large amounts of inexpensive wine for middle class buyers.”

Check out the full post here, which includes a barrel / tank tasting of the first wines even as the winery was under construction and some background on the area, including how the first vines were planted the same year as the visit of a Fujian official, on an anti-poverty mission, who would rise a few decades later to become the leader of China.

My post about Gen Z and wine in China just got published on Wine Searcher. It’s hard to cover the topic in just 1200 words, especially as about the only thing most people have figured out is that Gen Z is hard to figure out.

But with 260 million people and a unique history — it grew up with the rise of social media, e-commerce and an economy that knew but strong growth until recently — it is a spending force that will increasingly influence the wine scene.

A few quotes from the article, with the full version at this link:

“We are a generation that witnessed major shifts on all fronts of society in a very short period, so we are more accustomed to and welcoming of new products and concepts. Just within the alcohol industry, we saw the emergence of RTD (ready-to-drink), including zero-sugar low-alcohol drinks, canned wines, tea-infused alcohols, and so on.” — Andrea Leng, Chanson Winery

“They want to try every wine, no matter Chinese or imported, from big wineries or small ones, from orange wines to screw caps. They decide what wines are good compared to years past when students tried to learn what is good.” — Professor Ma Huiqin, China Agricultural University, on students in her introduction to wine class

“[Gen Z] grew up with social media. They don’t follow the traditional wine critics or wine professionals. They like to create their own communities and they like to follow people speaking their language.” — Terry Xu aka ‘Xiao Pi’, leading wine KOL

“We have a substantial percentage of young and female consumers for our brands, perhaps because of the more novel forms of wine products we are providing, like bag in box, ready-to-drink mulled wine and the wine punch series called ‘juice wines’.” — Wang Shenghan aka ‘Lady Penguin’, leading KOL

“We are preparing a big five-year promotional plan for this generation, which includes pairing Chinese cuisine from different cities with local and international varieties we cultivate in Greece. I believe this generation will change all of the wine market in China because their consumption is real.” — Liakos Constantinos, Greek wine importer Hellenic Agora

For more, including the kinds of wines Gen Z tend to pursue, read the full article here.