Marselan

Marselan was created in 1961 by the French ampelographer Paul Truel, working with the research institute INRA, and named after Marseillan, a coastal town near the Domaine de Vassal research vineyard. In France it remained a minor variety.

Its Chinese story began with a cooperation agreement between the Chinese and French governments, signed in 1999, which created the Sino-French Demonstration Vineyard in Huailai, Hebei, today's Domaine Franco-Chinois. On 13 April 2001, 80,525 vine cuttings arrived from France, including 10,525 of Marselan; they were planted that May on 2.75 hectares. The vineyard's chief winemaker was Li Demei, often called the father of Marselan in China. The first harvest came in 2003, and China's first 100% Marselan followed in 2004.

In 2004 COFCO, owner of the GreatWall brand, also introduced Marselan in Penglai, Shandong. From there the grape spread across the country. Today China has around 4,000 hectares, about 3.8% of its vineyard. In 2023 Ningxia hosted the world's first competition dedicated to the grape, The Marselan Selection; the 2024 edition received more than 330 entries from 12 countries.

Marselan adapts well to China's very different climates, from the semi-arid hills of Huailai to the deserts of Xinjiang and the foothills of Ningxia. Its small berries give deeply coloured wines, and the variety ripens reliably. As Professor Li Demei has observed, no country has yet claimed it as its signature grape, which is an opportunity for China.