Winemaking in China
When talking about the world's top ten wine producing nations we often overlook number six on that list, China. The history of viticulture in that country is very old. Vines were first imported from Iran in 128 BCE. The vast majority were used to produce food grapes or raisins as early attempts at winemaking had to compete with the much more ancient tradition of making wine from rice. In the 19th and 20th century as the popularity of wine grew, foreign investment began pouring into China beefing up the industry. The closest China has to a Mediterranean climate is a small strip of land on the coast between Shanghai and Beijing. Unfortunately this area is often hit with monsoons which can destroy entire vineyards. Today, even with all of the foreign money and technology, Chinese prefer beer to wine. If they drink wine at all it is a cheap, very sweet, Chinese red wine mixed with lemonade or tonic water. But as China continues to open up, international investors continue to gamble on a wine loving Chinese population.
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