Grape variety

Amur grape

山葡萄shānpútáo

China's wild mountain grape, the toughest vine in the world against cold

Type: Grape variety
Colour: red
Family: Native to the north-east
Origin: Native to north-east China, eastern Inner Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Korea
In China since: Native
Main regions: Heilongjiang, Liaoning
Synonyms: Vitis amurensis, Amur grape
Literal meaning: 'Mountain grape'

Taste profile

Body
LightFull
Body: 2 out of 5
Tannin
LowHigh
Tannin: 3 out of 5
Acidity
LowHigh
Acidity: 5 out of 5
Fruit
SubtleIntense
Fruit: 4 out of 5

Aromas

wild berries
blackcurrant
cherry
earth
Wild dark berries and sour cherry
with an earthy edge and very high acidity.

Sweetness · often sweet

The Amur grape, Vitis amurensis, is a wild vine native to the forests of north-east China. It is probably the most cold-hardy grape species in the world, surviving winters around –30 °C and lower. Its small, sour berries have been made into sweet 'mountain grape wine' for generations, and Chinese scientists have used it to breed new grapes such as Beibinghong.

A wild vine

山葡萄, 'mountain grape', grows wild in the forests of China's north-east, eastern Inner Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Korea. It is a separate species from the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera. Its berries are small, dark and very acidic, with little sugar.

Built for the cold

It is considered the most cold-hardy species of the whole grape family. It survives winters that would kill any European vine, and it resists many fungal diseases. In a region where European grapes must be buried every winter, that matters.

The mother of new grapes

Since the 1950s, Chinese breeders have crossed the Amur grape with itself and with European varieties. Shuangqing, Shuangyou and Shuanghong came from early crosses in 1959; later came Zuoyouhong and Beibinghong, the grape bred for red ice wine.

What to expect

Traditional mountain grape wines are usually sweet, deep red and sharply acidic, with wild berry aromas. Newer wines from Amur hybrids include dry reds and red ice wines.

History in China

The Amur grape has always grown wild in north-east China, and local people have long gathered it to make wine. Organised breeding began in the second half of the 20th century, led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, with the aim of combining its cold hardiness with the quality of European grapes. The Beijing Botanical Garden also bred hybrids such as Beichun with Muscat.

Growing

It tolerates extreme cold, around –30 °C and below, and resists powdery mildew, white rot and anthracnose. Amur grape varieties are now planted on thousands of hectares in north-east China, even as far north as 46°N, often without needing to be buried in winter.