(East-West Question) Hao Linhai: How does China make wine imported from the West "stun the world"?
China News Agency, Yinchuan, February 20th: How does China make wine imported from the West "stun the world"?
——Interview with Hao Linhai, Chairman of Ningxia Helan Mountain Grape and Wine Federation
China News Agency reporter Yang Di
As a Western imported product, wine has now entered the table of more and more Chinese people.
How did wine enter China?
What significance does it have in the communication between Eastern and Western civilizations?
How should China make wine "stun the world"?
Hao Linhai, Chairman of Ningxia Helan Mountain Grape and Wine Federation and member of the Expert Committee of the Ningxia National Grape and Wine Industry Open Development Comprehensive Pilot Zone, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "East and West Questions" and answered this.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China news agency reporter: How wine into China?
Hao Linhai:
There are many theories about the origin of wine in China.
At present, it is widely recognized that wine was introduced into China from the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty.
"Historical Records - Biography of Dayuan" records: "Dawan used Pu grapes as wine. The rich people kept wine to more than 10,000 stones, and those who were tens of years old were undefeated... The Han envoy took it and came, so he left the palace to watch, and planted Pu grapes as much as possible. ."
In the Western Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions as an envoy, and the Silk Road was formed. Eastern and Western merchants exchanged and shared special products in business exchanges. Wine was also introduced to China during this period.
In fact, although China has a history of brewing and drinking wine for thousands of years, the modern wine brewing process started very late, with a history of only more than 100 years.
In modern times, with the exchanges between the East and the West, China has gradually mastered related technologies.
For example, Zhang Bishi, a famous patriotic overseas Chinese and national industrialist in modern times, came up with the idea of establishing a wine company during his exchange in France.
In 1892, Changyu Brewing Company was founded.
In 1896, Changyu Winery introduced a large number of high-quality grape seedlings from Europe, planted vineyards, and made wine grapes from Eurasian species, brewing the first batch of dry wines in China.
The former residence of Zhang Bishi, the father of Chinese wine and founder of Changyu Brewing Company, is located in Chelong Village, Xihe Town, Dapu County, Guangdong Province.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Chuhong
China News Agency reporter: After being imported into China as a Western product, what localization transformations have the wine received?
Hao Linhai: Grape
vines have very strong vitality and can survive in various environmental conditions such as wind, frost, rain and snow.
Academics have specialized in how grapevines grow under various stress conditions.
After the wine was introduced into China, on the one hand, it tenaciously inherited many Western cultural customs and characteristics, and on the other hand, it was integrated into the rich and colorful Chinese culture.
This phenomenon can certainly be called "localization transformation", but it is more appropriate to call it "mutual integration".
This cultural fusion makes wine, an alcoholic beverage, more culturally meaningful.
As far as the name translation of wine grapes is concerned, the Chinese have translated the names of Eurasian wine grape varieties so beautifully and tastefully. If you haven't drunk, you will get drunk just by looking at the names!
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Ugni Blanc, Noble Fragrance, Gewurztraminer, Dragon Ball, Sauvignon Blanc... Only know wine, only Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Ugni Blanc... Those who don't understand Chinese language and culture are It is difficult to appreciate and appreciate the wonderful taste of it.
This is the charm of Chinese culture and a vivid example of the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures through wine.
There are also many aspects of mutual integration in the way of drinking wine and the understanding of tasting.
Westerners sip wine slowly, appreciate and compare, and the culture of natural terroir is gradually accepted by the Chinese.
Grapes grown in Cizhong Village, Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Ranyang
China News Agency reporter: What is the significance of wine in the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations?
Hao Linhai:
Wine is a language that can be understood by both the East and the West, and wine has civilized information that both the East and the West can understand.
In the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations, through a glass of wine, the two sides share and integrate with each other, experience different nature and traditions, and taste different terroirs and customs.
After Chinese tea came to Europe, it integrated many local cultures and formed tea cultures in different regions. The oriental civilization carried by "tea" has also been understood by more Westerners. Similarly, after wine was introduced to China from the West, While blending with Chinese traditional culture, more people have an additional channel to understand Western culture.
In contemporary times, we hope that wines from Chinese production areas will have more exchanges and collisions with the West. By tasting a bottle of wine, we can learn about the terroir and characteristics of different producing areas, and thus get a glimpse of different civilizations and cultures.
This is where the wine industry makes the most sense.
In June 2019, the China (Beijing) International Wine Exhibition was held here.
Photo by China News Agency issued by Ma Xingang
China News Service reporter: What position does wine occupy in Chinese wine culture? Why can Chinese people gradually accept wine?
Hao Linhai:
Chinese wine culture is extensive and profound.
As an imported product from the West, wine is still a niche drink in China, and it will take a long process to integrate with the local culture.
At present, China's wine market consumption is about 3 billion bottles, which are roughly divided into three categories, namely domestic factory wine, imported wine and domestic winery wine.
In terms of quantity, the largest amount of wine is factory wine, that is, wine that is produced by wineries from domestic and foreign grape juice and used as raw materials for large-scale production; followed by imported wine, which is completely produced from overseas such as France, Australia and Chile. The wines imported from the region; the smallest proportion is Chinese winery wines, that is, the winery’s own vineyards, from grape planting, brewing and bottling, cellar storage and other processes are completed in their own production areas and wineries, and the wines they brew are completed. The quality is guaranteed and the taste is more terroir, but the output is limited.
The Chinese people's appreciation of wine has a duality, not only advocating authoritative big brands, but also loving regional brands that they are familiar with or used to.
Today, as Chinese society becomes more open, Eastern and Western cultural exchanges and intercommunication, people's ideas and concepts are more diverse, and the "multiple differences" advocated by wine culture are accepted by more people. As a carrier of multicultural communication, wine is gradually being More people like it.
The 2019 Penglai Wine International Marathon was held in Penglai City, Shandong Province.
Many wineries in Penglai have come up with special wines, which are available for contestants to drink at the supply stations along the way.
Photo by China News Agency by Tang Ke
China News Service: Compared with France and other countries, the international influence of Chinese wine brands is still insufficient. How should Chinese production areas make Chinese wine "stun the world"?
Hao Linhai:
China has unique advantages in wine grape cultivation.
In the industry, the latitude of 38 degrees north is known as the "golden latitude" for growing wine grapes. The wine-producing areas in Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia and parts of the northeast are all located near it. The climate, precipitation, light intensity, temperature difference between day and night, etc. along the line Conditions are suitable for growing high-quality wine grapes.
We should grasp this natural endowment well, start with the solid planting of wine grapes, build high-quality wine producing areas, and vigorously develop the wine industry.
China's wine industry is still a relatively young industry. Whether it is in the wine consumption market, or in the fields of production areas, wineries, and brands, it is still a latecomer.
Achieving the goal of "stunning the world" for Chinese wine is not a simple matter of scale, quantity, and price, but should insist on making wines with the characteristics of Chinese production areas, reflecting the cultural background, cultural characteristics, and characteristics of Chinese wine producing areas. The cultural connotation reflects the terroir characteristics of Chinese wine producing areas.
Different producing areas, different wineries, different winemakers, just like different composers, use twelve notes to create different music that different people like.
In September 2021, the first China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo will be held in Yinchuan.
Photo by Yuan Hongyan issued by China News Agency
What is the "wine terroir", the terroir is the "heaven, earth and people".
There are many wine-producing regions in the world, and each production region has different natural environment, climatic conditions, land resources, and the concept and culture of planting and brewing, and the flavor of the brewed wine is also different.
Diversity is the most attractive quality of wine.
Therefore, China's wine-producing areas, such as the Helan Mountain Mountain East in Ningxia, the Ili River Valley in Xinjiang, and the Yalu River Valley in Northeast China, should not blindly imitate the West, but should inject local natural endowments and cultural characteristics. Produce wines with local terroir characteristics and exchange and learn from Western production areas.
"Blossoming a hundred flowers" and "multiple differences" are the charm of wine culture and the core of Chinese wine's "stunning world".
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Hao Linhai, winner of the OIV MERIT Outstanding Contribution Award of the World Organization for Vine and Wine, and Chairman of the Ningxia Helan Mountains Grape and Wine Federation.