Canaan Winery was built to answer a question: could China make world-class wine just outside its capital? Before a single vine was planted, a team of international experts, led by viticulturists from Purdue University in the United States, travelled 17,000 km across 11 Chinese provinces and analysed more than 400 soil samples. They chose Huailai County in Hebei, about 80 km from Beijing. The company was established in 2006, the first vines went in in 2008 and the winery was completed in 2012.
The estate is owned by the Taiwanese entrepreneur Cher Wang, co-founder of the electronics company HTC. In 2010 she also bought the neighbouring Domaine Franco-Chinois when it was privatised. The two estates keep separate identities and separate vineyards, but their wines are made in the same modern winery by the same winemaker, Zhao Desheng.
One hundred poems
The name Canaan refers to the biblical 'Promised Land'. To avoid confusion with Kanaan, a winery in Ningxia, Canaan released its wines under a new Chinese brand: 诗百篇, Shī Bǎi Piān, 'One Hundred Poems', sold in English as Chapter and Verse. The phrase comes from a famous line by the Tang poet Du Fu about his friend Li Bai: 李白斗酒诗百篇, 'with a measure of wine, Li Bai writes a hundred poems'.
The vineyards
Huailai's altitude, wind, surrounding mountains and the nearby Guanting Reservoir give a cool, long growing season. Canaan's vineyards range from about 500 m to more than 1,000 m above sea level. The Nanshan No. 17 vineyard even contains a section of the Ming dynasty Great Wall. The cooler conditions show in the wines: fresh, balanced reds and whites with bright acidity, including a Riesling with mineral and petrol notes.
Wine tourism
Canaan is one of the few Chinese wineries recognised internationally for wine tourism. It entered the World's Best Vineyards list in 2023, at number 80, and was the only Chinese winery on the 2024 list. Visits include vineyard walks, the cellar, tastings, food and accommodation, with tours in English, German and Japanese.