As promised, here’s more on the Chinese-produced Great Wall wine that Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao had served to them at the visiting American’s state dinner. It turns out that the wine is produced by the China Great Wall Wine Company Ltd., which is literally located at the foot of the Great Wall of China, with vineyards housing more than ten varieties of wine grapes. The company was established in 1983 and is one of the most recognized wine brands in China. Apparently, Great Wall Wines are currently being exported to 20 countries and regions around the world including Europe and Japan.
But it’s been difficult to track down reviews, aside from a mention last month by Redwine.co.uk, which said of Great Wall: ‘(It) has produced some decent bottles such as the 1994 Chateau Great Wall Dry Red.. A mellow yet robust wine, this might pleasantly surprise wine enthusiasts who have scoffed at the concept of Chinese red wine.’
But with its recent presence at the high-profile dinner, Great Wall could start to get a little more attention outside the Middle Kingdom. And according to Redwine.co.uk, with the company being China’s top wine exporter, you could very well soon be seeing a bottle in a supermarket or wine store near you.
As for the Chinese wine industry as a whole, though, I keep hearing the same thing over and over — just wait. Redwine says the same, predicting big things to come from the industry: ‘The sheer speed at which the Chinese wine production market is growing means it’s surely only a matter of time before Chinese red wine becomes as acceptable as those from the New World.’