WSET® Level 4 D3 Wines of the World > D3 - China > Flashcards

D3 - China Flashcards

Examines the regions, grapes, methods of production, and styles of China. (53 cards)

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1
Q

What is the most planted grape varietal in China?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon

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2
Q

What 2 other red grape varietals are highly planted in China?

A
  1. Merlot
  2. Carmenère
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3
Q

What is Carmenère locally known as in China?

A

Cabernet Gernischt

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4
Q

What wine styles are generally made in China?

A
  • Red wines, most of which tend to be dry, with or without new oak influence (dependent on price), though some off-dry and sweet reds exist
  • Rosé and white wine are made in small quantities
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5
Q

To what century can China trace its wine roots?

A

Late 19th century

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6
Q

Who founded the Changyu winery in Yantai (Shandong Province)?

A

Zhang Bishi, a businessman and Chinese government consul in Asia.

He imported ~150 vinifera varieties into China.

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7
Q

In what decade did China’s wine production really start to take off?

A

1980s

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8
Q

Fill in the blank:

CITIC, the Chinese government’s foreign investment arm, partnered with the French government and Remy Martin to create a Sino-French winery in Huailai (near Beijing) with wines being sold under the _____ label.

A

Dynasty

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9
Q

The Chinese brand Dragon Seal was developed by which global entity?

A

Pernod Ricard

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10
Q

LVMH’s Chandon operates in which province in China?

A

Ningxia Province

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11
Q

In the 1990s, why did China release a health campaign encouraging consumption of wine and fruit-based drinks over cereal-based spirits?

A

To address a shortage of grain.

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12
Q

Nearly all grape-growing regions in China have this kind of climate.

A

Continental

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13
Q

Winters in China can be very cold and arid.

What must some winegrowers do to help the vines survive the low winter temperatures and arid conditions?

A

Bury their vines, sometimes as early as November.

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14
Q

Most, but not all, wine regions in China experience light or heavy summer rainfall?

A

Heavy rainfall

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15
Q

Name a wine region in the northeast of China.

A
  • Heilongjiang
  • Jilin

Both are subject to extreme winter cold; burying vines is essential here.

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16
Q

Name a wine region in the south of China.

A

Yunnan

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17
Q

What is the climate of Beijing and Hebei?

A

Humid continental

(warm, humid summers and cold winters)

Both regions are coastal.

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18
Q

Even though Beijing and Hebei have overall low rainfall (200-300 mm/year), they often experience torrential rains during which months?

A

August and September

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19
Q

What helps reduce the humidity level and moderate the warm, humid summers in Beijing and Hebei?

A

Cool Pacific breezes

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20
Q

Older vineyards in Beijing and Hebei were planted on flat land with poor drainage and fertile soils.

What does this result in?

A

Excessive yields and poor fruit quality.

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21
Q

What 3 challenges face the vineyards which are planted closest to the ocean?

A
  1. Excessive short-term rain
  2. Humidity
  3. Over-rich soils
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22
Q

In China, where is the Shandong wine region?

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A

On the east coast

23
Q

What is the climate of Shandong?

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A

Warm maritime

24
Q

Shandong’s high level of precipitation makes ____ a persistent problem.

25
* What are the 2 inland, central wine regions of China? * What is their climate and annual rainfall?
* Shanxi and Shaanxi * Dry continental climate; < 500 mm annual rainfall
26
What is the climate of Ningxia?
Arid continental ## Footnote Ningxia has very windy conditions, exacerbating the dryness.
27
What is the annual rainfall of Ningxia?
~200 mm/year with monsoon rains
28
Water from which river provides essential irrigation for Ningxia?
Yellow River
29
# Fill in the blank: The best area of Ningxia is considered to be in the \_\_\_\_\_ region where mountains protect from the worst of the northwest desert winds.
Helan Shan | (Helan Mountains)
30
Name 2 regions in the far northwest of China.
1. Xinjiang 1. Gansu
31
Xinjiang is extremely dry with only \_\_\_ mm of rain in many areas.
80 mm
32
Why does Xinjiang have a relatively short growing season?
Winter snows can arrive as early as the beginning of October.
33
Name 2 weather hazards Xinjiang suffers from.
1. **Very windy** conditions 1. **Frost in spring and early autumn** (in southern Xinjiang vines at high elevation {1,100 m asl} are especially prone)
34
What 3 factors contribute to Xinjiang producing high volumes of wine?
1. Dry conditions 1. Good water availability from snowmelt in the Tian Shan mountain range 1. Warm climate
35
# Fill in the blank: Much of the wine made in Xinjiang is sold to wineries in China's \_\_\_\_\_ regions.
Eastern regions
36
Gansu is slightly **cooler or warmer** than Xinjiang?
Slightly cooler
37
What is the climate of Yunnan?
Humid, sub-tropical
38
At what elevation are vineyards planted in Yunnan?
1600-2900 m asl ## Footnote Some vineyards are even planted in the foothills of the Himalayas.
39
How does the high elevation at which Yunnan's vineyards are planted help allow grapes to grow in this humid, sub-tropical climate?
* Moderates temperatures * Reduces humidity
40
What is the main reason why Yunnan's vines do not have to be buried over winter?
It has a long, frost-free season
41
How do large, traditionally run vineyards in China typically train their vines?
**Either Multi Cordon Fan system** (multiple cordons grown from a very low trunk, popular in the table grape industry) **or the Single Dragon system** (single trunk at a slight angle as a spur-pruned cordon). ## Footnote Both lack a single fruiting zone.
42
Both the Multi Cordon Fan system and the Single Dragon system are designed to carry **low or high** yields? What does this lead to?
**High** yields, which lead to **uneven ripening**.
43
Many wineries in China have converted from the Multi Cordon Fan system and the Single Dragon system to this spur-pruned system. Describe this system.
* Chang system * The trunk is trained in a bent form allowing for easier burial while at the same time ensuring a unified fruiting zone.
44
Name 5 reasons why viticulture for wine has been so challenging for China.
1. Poor vineyard management: dense canopies, extensive use of irrigation and excessive use of fertilisation which contribute to poor fruit quality. 1. Leaf roll virus is prevalent, leading to underripe fruit. 1. Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère are prone to green flavors if not fully ripe. 1. Lack of viticultural training. 1. Lack of good quality planting material.
45
Who or what determines all agricultural practices in China?
The Chinese government
46
Approximately how much does the advanced manual labor of burying vines over winter (and digging them back up again in the spring) add to the cost of wine?
20-30%
47
Describe how cost and availability of labor are big issues for China's vineyards.
* The older generation of vineyard workers familiar with vine burial practices is not being replaced by a younger generation willing to work vineyards (many young workers move to urban areas instead). * The older generation is asking for higher pay for their specialised skills.
48
* What is China's own indigenous vine species? * What is it resistant to?
* V. amurensis (named after the Amur Valley of Liaoning Province) * Resistant to cold
49
China uses which French wine region as their model for making wine?
Bordeaux
50
What are the 3 companies that dominate China's domestic wine industry?
1. Changyu 1. Great Wall (owned by government agricultural arm COFCO) 1. Dynasty
51
What do many of the Chinese wines bottled by the top 3 companies rely on to satisfy increased consumer demand?
Blending with imported wine
52
Name 3 smaller Chinese wineries and their region.
1. Grace Vineyard (Shanxi) 1. Silver Heights (Ningxia) 1. Ao Yun (Yunnan)
53
Name the retail locations where wine can be sold in China.
* Convenience shops * Supermarkets * Hospitality sector (restaurants, clubs, KTV venues, i.e. Karaoke bars, tobacco stores)
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