Wine in the hottest place in China
Puchang Vineyard is in Turpan, the desert basin of Xinjiang famous for its grapes, its heat and its ancient Silk Road history. In Turpan's extreme dry climate, pests and diseases are rare, which makes the region well suited to low-intervention farming.
A Georgian accent
Puchang's signature is its choice of grapes. Italian winemaker Loris Tartaglia, who joined in 2013, found that Rkatsiteli, a Georgian white grape grown locally for centuries, thrives in a vineyard at about 1,300 metres, where it keeps a fresh acidity. Puchang also grows Saperavi, Georgia's great red grape, and the Chinese hybrid Beichun, alongside international varieties.
Medals
Puchang's Rkatsiteli 2017, blended with Riesling, won one of China's seven Gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019, and its Viaseres Reserve Saperavi 2017 won Gold with 96 points in 2023.
Why it matters
Puchang shows that Chinese wine does not have to follow Bordeaux: in Turpan, grapes from the other end of the Silk Road feel at home.