Regions
China grows wine across deserts, coastlines, loess plateaus and Himalayan valleys. Start anywhere.
Seven regions make most of China's fine wine. Each one has found its own way to beat the two great enemies of the Chinese vine: the freezing winter and the summer monsoon. Pick a seal on the map, or compare them below.
Ningxia
Helan Mountain East · 贺兰山东麓 · Hèlánshān dōnglù
Xinjiang
Desert vineyards of the Tianshan Mountains · 天山 · Tiānshān
Shandong
Yantai and Penglai · 烟台 · 蓬莱 · Yāntái · Pénglái
Hebei
Huailai and Changli · 怀来 · 昌黎 · Huáilái · Chānglí
Yunnan
Shangri-La and the Himalayan foothills · 香格里拉 · Xiānggélǐlā
Gansu
The Hexi Corridor · 河西走廊 · Héxī zǒuláng
Shanxi
The Taiyuan Basin and the Loess Plateau · 太原盆地 · Tàiyuán péndì
Heilongjiang
Harbin, the birthplace of beer in China
Liaoning
Northeast China, the country's ice wine capital
Beijing
The capital of Chinese craft beer
Shaanxi
Fengxiang, land of the phoenix and of phoenix aroma baijiu
Compare the regions
Click a column heading to sort.
| Ningxia | 宁夏 | Over 600,000 mu (about 40,000 ha) | 1,000–1,200 m | About 200 mm per year | Yes | Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Merlot, Chardonnay | Boutique estates, balanced reds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xinjiang | 新疆 | About 14,000–20,000 ha of wine grapes (estimates vary), within roughly 100,000 ha of vineyards, mostly table grapes and raisins | From below sea level in the Turpan Basin to about 1,260 m in the Yili Valley | From about 80 mm a year in the Yanqi Basin to about 400 mm in the Yili Valley | Yes | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Marselan | Desert purity, sweet wines of Turpan |
| Shandong | 山东 | About 19,500–21,000 ha of wine grapes (2026 estimate) | Coastal plains and low hills, with terraced vineyards in the Penglai valleys | Concentrated in the summer monsoon, much wetter than China's western regions | No | Cabernet Gernischt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Chardonnay | History, fresher style, whites |
| Gansu | 甘肃 | About 10,000 ha of wine grapes | Oasis plains at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains | Less than 200 mm a year; irrigation from Qilian Mountains snowmelt | Yes | Pinot Noir, Welschriesling, Cabernet Sauvignon | Cool-climate wines of the Silk Road |
| Hebei | 河北 | About 8,000–9,000 ha of wine grapes (2026 estimate) | Valleys and foothills around Beijing; Huailai lies in a basin between the Yan and Taihang mountains | About 390 mm a year in Huailai; about 700 mm in Changli, near the Bohai Sea | Yes | Dragon Eyes, Marselan, Cabernet Sauvignon | Birthplace of Chinese Marselan |
| Shanxi | 山西 | About 800–900 m at Grace Vineyard in Taigu | Variable from year to year; rainy vintages are a recurring challenge | Yes | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay | Pioneering family estates | |
| Yunnan | 云南 | About 2,200–2,600 m in the Ao Yun vineyards of Deqin; lower in the Mile area of central Yunnan | Low in the deep river valleys of the northwest, which lie in a rain shadow; vineyards are irrigated with snowmelt | No | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah | Some of the highest vineyards on Earth |
- Ningxia 宁夏
- Wine vineyard area:
- Over 600,000 mu (about 40,000 ha)
- Altitude:
- 1,000–1,200 m
- Rainfall:
- About 200 mm per year
- Vines buried in winter?:
- Yes
- Key grapes:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Merlot, Chardonnay
- Known for:
- Boutique estates, balanced reds
- Xinjiang 新疆
- Wine vineyard area:
- About 14,000–20,000 ha of wine grapes (estimates vary), within roughly 100,000 ha of vineyards, mostly table grapes and raisins
- Altitude:
- From below sea level in the Turpan Basin to about 1,260 m in the Yili Valley
- Rainfall:
- From about 80 mm a year in the Yanqi Basin to about 400 mm in the Yili Valley
- Vines buried in winter?:
- Yes
- Key grapes:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Marselan
- Known for:
- Desert purity, sweet wines of Turpan
- Shandong 山东
- Wine vineyard area:
- About 19,500–21,000 ha of wine grapes (2026 estimate)
- Altitude:
- Coastal plains and low hills, with terraced vineyards in the Penglai valleys
- Rainfall:
- Concentrated in the summer monsoon, much wetter than China's western regions
- Vines buried in winter?:
- No
- Key grapes:
- Cabernet Gernischt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marselan, Chardonnay
- Known for:
- History, fresher style, whites
- Gansu 甘肃
- Wine vineyard area:
- About 10,000 ha of wine grapes
- Altitude:
- Oasis plains at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains
- Rainfall:
- Less than 200 mm a year; irrigation from Qilian Mountains snowmelt
- Vines buried in winter?:
- Yes
- Key grapes:
- Pinot Noir, Welschriesling, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Known for:
- Cool-climate wines of the Silk Road
- Hebei 河北
- Wine vineyard area:
- About 8,000–9,000 ha of wine grapes (2026 estimate)
- Altitude:
- Valleys and foothills around Beijing; Huailai lies in a basin between the Yan and Taihang mountains
- Rainfall:
- About 390 mm a year in Huailai; about 700 mm in Changli, near the Bohai Sea
- Vines buried in winter?:
- Yes
- Key grapes:
- Dragon Eyes, Marselan, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Known for:
- Birthplace of Chinese Marselan
- Shanxi 山西
- Wine vineyard area:
- —
- Altitude:
- About 800–900 m at Grace Vineyard in Taigu
- Rainfall:
- Variable from year to year; rainy vintages are a recurring challenge
- Vines buried in winter?:
- Yes
- Key grapes:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay
- Known for:
- Pioneering family estates
- Yunnan 云南
- Wine vineyard area:
- —
- Altitude:
- About 2,200–2,600 m in the Ao Yun vineyards of Deqin; lower in the Mile area of central Yunnan
- Rainfall:
- Low in the deep river valleys of the northwest, which lie in a rain shadow; vineyards are irrigated with snowmelt
- Vines buried in winter?:
- No
- Key grapes:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah
- Known for:
- Some of the highest vineyards on Earth
Vineyard areas are approximate and refer to wine grapes. Source: regional wine bodies via Decanter, 2024.
Other regions
- 辽宁、吉林
Liaoning & Jilin
Ice wine and the native Amur grape.
- 北京、天津
Beijing & Tianjin
- 陕西
Shaanxi
The cradle of Chinese winemakers.
- 西藏
Tibet
The world's highest vineyards.
Asia beyond China — coming soon
- 日本Japan
- 印度India
- 泰国Thailand
- 韩国Korea