CHINESE WINE REGION
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region
Wine Country
Nestled between the Taihang Mountains, the Yan Mountains and Huailai in Hebei Province, the Sanggan and Yanghe tributaries of the Yongding River meet and rush away, forming a lush open river valley just a half-hour's drive from downtown Beijing. Travelers to Huailai are greeted along the highway by a huge wine bottle sculpture and a striking billboard emblazoned with "Wine Country", a vibrant reminder that this is a land closely connected to wine.
History of more than 1,200 years
Huailai is one of China's oldest grape-growing regions, with a history of more than 1,200 years dating back to the Tang Dynasty, according to historical records. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Huailai's special white milk and longyan grape varieties were selected as tributes to the Emperor's Court.
"Wine firsts" for China
In 1978, the Five Ministries and Commissions of China jointly organized an expert group to compare the sunlight, soil, moisture and other factors in the golden 40°N latitude winemaking belt. The group selected Huailai as the site for two national projects: the country's first experimental wine field and first wine research base. These projects in turn quickly achieved three more "wine firsts" – China's first bottle of dry white wine, first bottle of traditional sparkling wine, and first bottle of brandy produced in line with international standards.
Originating in France
Huailai is also the site where Marselan grapes were first introduced to China in 2001. Originating in France, this special variety of grapes was cultivated as a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. After settling in, the variety quickly spread to several of the major dry red wine producing regions and has been on the rise ever since. Nowadays Marselan grapes are a common presence in the vineyards of Huailai's boutique wineries and across the whole country, earning countless praise for Hebei, their "second hometown."
Originating in France
The hometown of Chinese dry red wine
The Changli region along the eastern coast is another major winemaking area in Hebei. Bordering the Bohai Sea, Changli has relatively flat terrain, pleasantly warm and humid weather, well-marked seasons and lengthy frost-free periods. During northern China's long autumn, Changli's weather is sunny and dry, with large temperature differences between day and night. This ideal climate for growing wine grapes is the reason the region produces so many premium wines.
China's Dry Red Wine City
Changli has also played a significant role in the history of Chinese winemaking. In May 1983, Changli Winery successfully used a new winemaking technique known as warm maceration to create the first bottled dry red wine in China, the iconic Beidaihe Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Red Wine. To this day, dry red wine is one of Changli's specialties, and the region's wine industry has developed rapidly since that first bottle. In August 2000, Changli was named "the Hometown of Chinese Dry Red Wine," "the Hometown of Chinese Wine Grapes" and "China's Dry Red Wine City."
Largest winemaking subregion for emerging wineries
The Jieshi Mountain Subregion of Changli is certified as a small-scale winemaking region, making it China's third certified subregion after Manas in Xinjiang and Penglai in Shandong. The next subregion to be certified will be Fangshan in Beijing. Located to the southwest of Beijing, Fangshan accounts for one-third of the area's plains, hills, and mountains, and is the largest winemaking subregion for emerging wineries in the region. The subregion is situated exactly at 39°N latitude, the golden belt for wine grape cultivation, with up to 2,600 hours of sunshine throughout the year. Fangshan has an average frost-free period each year of 185 days, and its soil is rich in organic matter and minerals, making it perfect for planting wine grapes.
Largest winemaking subregion for emerging wineries
Backyard garden of Beijing
Whether Huailai, Changli, Yanqing or Fangshan, every production area in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is situated within 100 kilometers of Beijing, just a half-hour away from the capital. For this reason, the region is renowned as a "backyard garden of Beijing" that integrates winemaking and tourism.
