产区详情

Shanxi is an important wine-producing province in eastern China. Covering a mountainous plateau between the western desert and the coastal plain, Shanxi is becoming increasingly well-known for its wines. These are made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat, Chardonnay and Merlot.

The province of Shanxi covers roughly 60,000 square miles (155,000 sq km) of land within the Luliang and Taihang mountain ranges. The province of Hebei is on the eastern border, and the Yellow River makes up the western edge of the province. China's capital city, Beijing, is about 250 miles (400km) from the Shanxi capital of Taiyuan, where much of the province's viticulture takes place.

Shanxi has a continental climate, but is still affected by the East Asian Monsoon, which brings cool, moist air from the Pacific and Indian Oceans to the warmer land, causing rain. Most of the annual rainfall occurs in summer, and high levels of humidity can promote fungal vine diseases such as mildew. However, this rain is inconsistent from vintage to vintage, and Shanxi's high altitude and high levels of sunshine mean that in years when there is less rain, high diurnal temperature variation results in grapes with a balance of phenolic ripeness and acidity, leading to good quality wines.

As in neighboring Ningxia, winters in Shanxi are cold and dry, due to far-reaching weather systems from Siberia. As temperatures drop below freezing, growers must bury the vines to insulate them from the devastating cold over the winter. While this is an expensive and time-consuming process, an abundance of labor means that it is possible in this part of China.

Grace Vineyards is Shanxi's best-known grower, and is one of China's most highly regarded producers in terms of quality. Its Shanxi vineyards are located on the deep sandy loam soils outside of Taiyuan, where excellent drainage allows the vines to grow deep root systems, encouraging the health of the vine.

Shanxi is known for its coal-mining industry and its consequently high levels of pollution. Recently, the local government has made a push toward finding more environmentally friendly industries for the province, and many coal companies have begun investing in Shanxi vineyards.