Grape variety
Dragon Eyes
龙眼lóngyǎn
An 800-year-old Chinese grape
- Type
- Grape variety
- Colour
- pink
- Family
- Ancient and heritage
- Origin
- China, believed to have been grown for around 800 years
- Literal meaning
- dragon eyes
Taste profile
Body
LightFullBody: 2 out of 5Tannin
LowHighTannin: 0 out of 5Acidity
LowHighAcidity: 3 out of 5Fruit
SubtleIntenseFruit: 3 out of 5
Aromas
- fresh fruit
- flowers
- delicate citrus
Sweetness · from dry to sweet
Usually made as a light, fresh white wine, from dry to sweet, with delicate fruit and floral notes.
A living piece of history
Dragon Eyes, 龙眼 (lóngyǎn), is a pink-skinned European wine grape that is believed to have been grown in China for around 800 years, long before the modern wine industry. It is the main traditional grape of Huailai, in Hebei, north-west of Beijing.
From popular to rare
For decades, wines made from Dragon Eyes were very popular in China. As the market turned to Cabernet and international grapes, it became a rarity. Today it is a curiosity for wine lovers looking for a genuinely Chinese taste.
Food pairings
- Dumplings
- Steamed fish
- Light Cantonese dishes
Sources
- Dragon eyes — Decanter China (Li Demei)
- Longyan — Wein.plus Lexicon (after Wine Grapes, Robinson, Harding & Vouillamoz)
- Grape production in China — FAO (Li Shao-Hua, China Agricultural University)
- Shacheng Winery, 1976 Century-Old Vine Longyan, Huailai, Hebei, China 2022 (DWWA 2023 Silver) — Decanter China, 2023
- From Xinjiang to Liaoning: Five years of Decanter awards for Chinese wines — Grape Wall of China, 2011