Wine guides
Learn Chinese wine step by step, in three paths.
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葡萄酒01
Chinese Wine in 5 Minutes: Everything You Need to Know
China has one of the largest vineyard areas on Earth, a grape almost nobody in Europe knows, and wines that beat Bordeaux in blind tastings. Here is the essential.
产区03China's Wine Map Explained: Seven Regions, Two Enemies
Deserts, coastlines, loess plateaus and Himalayan valleys. China's wine map is a map of extremes, and every region wins its battle in a different way.
葡萄04The Grapes of China: The Classics, the Adopted and the Natives
A French grape almost nobody in Europe knows, a mystery vine that fooled everyone for a century, and a wild grape that survives -40°C. Meet the grapes of China.
- 02史A Short History of Wine in China: 9,000 Years in Six ChaptersThe oldest "wine" on Earth may be Chinese. The story that followed involves envoys, emperors, poets and a trophy that shocked Bordeaux.
- 05酒标How to Read a Chinese Wine Label: A Survival GuideYou do not need to speak Chinese to read a Chinese wine label. You need about twenty characters. Here they are, with an interactive label to practise on.
- 06干杯Ganbei! Toasting Culture and Table Etiquette in ChinaIn China, you almost never drink alone, even at a table of twelve. Here are the unwritten rules of the toast, and the phrases that will save you at your first banquet.
- 07菜Chinese Wine with Chinese Food: A Pairing Guide by RegionForget the generic advice. Chinese cuisine is not one cuisine but many, and China now makes the wines to match them. Four simple rules and a dish-by-dish guide.
- 08西餐Chinese Wine with Italian and European Food: The Unexpected PairingsChinese wine is not only for Chinese restaurants. Its grapes have European roots, and they feel surprisingly at home next to pizza, pasta and a good steak.
- 09埋土Why Chinese Winemakers Bury Their Vines Every WinterVisit Ningxia in winter and you will find a vineyard without vines. Every year they are buried alive, and every spring they rise again. The strangest ritual in the wine world.
- 10酒庄Giants and Boutique Estates: Who Makes China's WineA 130-year-old giant, a Himalayan estate owned by Moët Hennessy, a Rothschild project on the Shandong coast and a Bordeaux-trained winemaker in the desert. Meet the makers.
- 11买Buying Chinese Wine in Europe: Where to Look and What to ChooseYou have read about Ningxia and Marselan. Now you want a bottle. Here is the honest truth about finding Chinese wine in Europe, and how to do it well.
- 12词The Chinese Wine Glossary: English, Italiano, 中文Every essential Chinese wine word in one place: English, Italian, Chinese characters and pinyin. Search it, filter it, copy it.
- 13问Chinese Wine: Frequently Asked QuestionsThe questions everyone asks about Chinese wine, answered in a few lines each.
- 14品How to Taste Chinese DrinksIn Chinese, to taste is 品 (pǐn): three mouths stacked together. A complete guide to tasting wine, baijiu, rice wine, beer and spirits, and what to look for in each glass.
- 15温How to Serve Chinese Drinks温 (wēn) means warm, a reminder that not every drink is served cold. Temperatures, pouring, warming rice wine and keeping open bottles: the complete guide.
- 16杯Glassware for Chinese Drinks杯 (bēi) means cup or glass. From tiny baijiu glasses to rice wine bowls: which vessel to use for each drink, and why it matters.
- 17坛Bottles and Jars: Reading a Chinese Bottle坛 (tán) is the clay jar in which much Chinese alcohol is aged. How drinks are aged and stored, how to read a Chinese label, and how to buy with confidence.
- 18配Pairing Chinese Drinks with Food配 (pèi) means to match. The principles of pairing, the classic Chinese matches and how to bring Chinese drinks to a European table.
- 19礼Chinese Drinking Etiquette礼 (lǐ) means ritual and courtesy. How toasting works at a Chinese table: the host's first toast, ganbei, keeping your glass low, pouring for others and saying no politely.