The flavor of thai basil in wine of Ningxia
Discover the of Ningxia wines revealing the of thai basil flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
Ningxia is a significant wine-producing region in the central-North of China. The wide, heavily irrigated valley between the Yellow River and the base of Helan Mountain has proved to be one of China's most promising Vineyard areas. A range of wines are made here from Grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Gernischt and Chardonnay.
While Ningxia covers 66,400 square kilometers (25,600 sq miles), most viticulture takes place in a 150km-long (100 mile) river valley in the very north of the region.
Here, the Yellow River provides sufficient water for irrigation and the arid landscape has been transformed into arable land well suited to the production of wine.
A sub-region of Ningxia, Helan Mountain, is particularly well regarded and in 2003 became China's first official appellation, recognized by the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. A 2009 Helan Qing Xue Jia Bei Lan Cabernet blend surprised many in the international wine trade when it won a major trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2010.
Ningxia has a thoroughly continental Climate, its eastern border lying some 950 kilometers (600 miles) from the nearest ocean.
The summers are hot, although the high altitude of the vineyards (some more than 1200m/4000ft above sea level) helps to create a suitable climate for wine-growing. At this altitude, intense sunlight during the day is followed by much cooler nights. This diurnal temperature shift – which is exacerbated by the lack of moisture in the air – helps to slow ripening in the grapes, leading to a Balance of phenols and Acidity.
The Short growing season in Ningxia is followed by a long, cold winter, and vines must be protected from freezing temperatures with an insulating mound of dirt piled around the base of the plant.
It’s no easy task to establish a super-premium wine in an entirely new region, particularly when inviting potential retail partners or distributors to the vineyard involves journeying to a distant corner of the Himalayas in the outer reaches of the Yunnan province, southwestern China. For my journey, after four flights from Bordeaux to Shanghai, Chengdu then Shangri-La, it was a four-hour drive up through stunning mountain passes to the foothills (here, that means 2,200m above sea level) of the ...
Despite the lowest number of barrels going under the hammer in 15 years, the 2021 Hospices de Beaune charity auction broke per-barrel price records, reaching an impressive total sales figure of €12.5m (£10.48m/$14.09m), excluding buyer premiums. The total was not too far behind last year’s high tally – close to €13.44 million – where almost double the number of barrels were sold. This year’s sale, with 362 lots, including seven barrels of spirits, reached an average price per lot of €34,980 (£29 ...
The prestige attached to winning at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) means that being awarded a Bronze medal for some wineries will mean huge celebrations in China, Japan, India, or Thailand. Since the competition began in 2004, I have often reminded judges on my panel about this – whether they are journalists, sommeliers, educators, Masters of Wine or Master Sommeliers. Scroll down for new tasting notes and scores on Jia Bei Lan vintages: from the Chinese wine label that won big at DWWA 20 ...