Chinese wine: the grape wine behind a fast-rising fine wine scene
When people in the UK search for Chinese wine, they often land on rice wine or cooking wine. This page is about something else: grape wine, made from the same Bordeaux varieties you know, grown in some of the most extreme vineyards on earth. China's vineyard area is concentrated in a few key provinces. Xinjiang has the most land under vine, Ningxia follows with roughly 38,000 hectares, and Shandong on the coast has a long winemaking history in a wetter, maritime climate. Across all of them, Cabernet Sauvignon leads, alongside Merlot, Marselan and Cabernet Gernischt (the local name for Carménère).
Ningxia deserves a special mention. On the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains, vineyards sit at 1,000 to 1,200 metres on a dry, sunny plateau with more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and big swings between day and night temperatures. Winters drop to around minus 20°C, so growers bury the vines under earth each November and dig them out again in spring. The result is ripe, full-bodied reds with a surprising lift of acidity.
Ao Yun: Yunnan Cabernet grown high in the Himalayan foothills
The most talked-about Chinese red is Ao Yun, a project from Moët Hennessy (the wine and spirits arm of LVMH) whose first vintage, 2013, was released in 2016. The vineyards lie near Shangri-La in Yunnan, at the foot of the sacred Meili Snow Mountains above the Mekong valley. Around 30 hectares are split into more than 300 tiny plots across four villages, Adong, Xidang, Sinong and Shuori, at 2,200 to 2,600 metres. The name means "flying above the clouds".
That altitude shapes everything. Fewer hours of direct sun but a very long season, about 160 days from flowering to harvest against roughly 120 in Bordeaux, give slow, even ripening. The terraces are too steep for tractors, so vineyard work and harvest are done by hand. In the cellar, oxygen levels are about a quarter lower than at sea level, so the team adapts with extra aeration during maceration and malolactic fermentation partly in clay jars. They even taste and finalise the blend at sea level, because thin, dry air dulls the palate.
Ao Yun 2018 and 2019: two vintages of Chinese red wine compared
The 2018 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 7% Syrah and 4% Petit Verdot. Expect deep purple colour, cassis, blackberry and black cherry, a touch of green pepper, smoke and clove from new oak, and very fine, layered tannins. It is the more generous of the two.
The 2019 left out Merlot entirely: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Syrah and 6% Petit Verdot. It is a wine of energy rather than size, with red berries, blood orange, mint, cedar and pipe tobacco, and dusty tannins that build to a juicy, precise finish. Side by side, they show how much vintage matters in a young region still learning its sites.
Food pairing for Chinese red wine
These are structured, Cabernet-led wines, so treat them like serious red wine from anywhere. Slow-roasted lamb, beef with black pepper sauce, Peking duck or char siu pork all work well, and so do aged hard cheeses. Give them time in a decanter, especially the 2019.
Chinese wine FAQ
What is the best Chinese wine?
Among Chinese reds, Ao Yun from Yunnan is widely regarded as the benchmark for fine wine, and Ningxia's Helan Mountain producers are building a strong reputation for Cabernet blends.
Is Chinese wine the same as Chinese rice wine?
No. Rice wine such as Shaoxing is huangjiu, fermented from glutinous rice and wheat-based yeast, and is mostly used for cooking or sipping on its own. The wines here are made from grapes.
Which grapes are used in Chinese red wine?
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, with Merlot, Marselan, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Gernischt (Carménère) also widely planted.
How long can Ao Yun age?
Ao Yun is built for the cellar, with firm structure and new oak. It rewards several years of bottle age, and a decanter helps if you open it young.