Grecian Grapes Find Their Way Into Chinese Vineyards

Creating a stir lately in the wine industry world has been the recent announcement of a grape-bound cooperative between Greece’s privately-owned Kir Yianni winery in Naousa and China’s state-owned Mogao winery in Wuwei, in central China’s Gansu province.

Decanter.com reports that the two wineries have launched a joint venture called Moen Estate, and have so far backed it up with $74 million to plant Kir-Yianni’s Xinomavro vines in the healthy, arid fields of Wuwei. The Xinomavro supposedly age well, have a ‘rich tannic character,’ and are one of the most popular types of grape in the Macedonian area. Soon enough, the Xinomavro will take up around 150 hectares of land in central China– the first such planting outside Greece.

Wuwei currently has vineyards, which produce about six millions bottles of wine per year, but the partnership between the two brands will hopefully boost sales and bring more respect to Wuwei as a wine-growing region. The Gansu province is one of China’s poorer areas, but with the new influx of business and a wine-growing climate similar to what is found in Greece — the venture is hoped to be fruitful (no pun intended).

Besides the Xinomavro, there are plans to plant six other types of grape, some of which will be Greek as well. For the wine traveler, the potential investor, and even the Greek economy, this is certainly well-received news.