Changyu's Ningxia Estate To Become 100% Biodynamic
Date£º
2019-06-10 10:47 Source£º
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com Author:
Lucy Shaw Translator:
China¡¯s oldest and largest wine producer, Changyu, is in the process of converting its 250-hectate Chateau Changyu Moser XV estate in Ningxia to biodynamic viticulture.
Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia is converting to biodynamic viticulture
Speaking to db in London this week, Changyu¡¯s chief winemaker, Lenz Moser, said the company hopes to be certified biodynamic in three years.
¡°My big aim for Changyu is to convert the estate to being 100% biodynamic. We¡¯re in the early stages of conversion at the moment and want to be fully certified by a European body in three years. If we achieve this, we¡¯ll be the first certified biodynamic wine estate in China.
¡°I practiced biodynamics in Austria. It brings Mother Nature in sync with the vineyard and keeps the ecosystem in tact. There¡¯s the voodoo and cow shit element, which if you believe in it then it works.
¡°Biodynamics is all about living with the vineyard on a daily basis and taking care of the land in a much more intense way.¡±
Cabernet grapes at Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia
As for the motivation behind the move, Moser said he¡¯s doing it for ethical reasons. ¡°People say that being biodynamic makes the wines takes better, but I doubt it.
¡°I¡¯m doing it for ethical reasons the same way you might drive an electric car. If a side effect is that the wine tastes better then brilliant, but that¡¯s not my motivation.
¡°When it comes to the wine world, I think being organic or biodynamic will be a no brainer in a decade, and practically a requirement of the industry,¡± he said.
While being biodynamic in wet regions like Champagne can be challenging, Moser revealed that Ningxia¡¯s desert climate works to his advantage.
¡°It¡¯s easier being biodynamic in a desert climate because there is no rain. Yields are low anyway, so that¡¯s not an issue, and you don¡¯t have to stress the vines too much. Making wine in a desert climate requires a totally different mindset. Even at 1,100m altitude you get raisins in the vineyard in October if you leave the grapes on the vine for too long.
¡°If you miss your optimum picking date then you end up with Port. Three days makes a huge difference when it comes to ripening here,¡± he said.
While biodynamics may be easier in Ningxia¡¯s desert climate than in rainy regions, making wine in northwest China isn¡¯t without its challenges.
¡°It gets as cold as -25¡ã in the winter, so we have to bury the vines for four-and-a-half months so they don¡¯t shut down and get frost damage.
¡°We own 250 hectares of vines in Ningxia and I¡¯m finding a lot of terroir differences within the area in terms of microclimates and soil types. The main soil type is sandy loam,¡± said Moser, who welcomes the recent influx of winemakers to the region.
¡°There are new wineries opening in Ningxia every other month and I welcome the competition as we need to build the Chinese wine category and I can¡¯t do it alone. There were 15 Chinese wineries exhibiting at ProWein this year and I think there will be over 30 next year,¡± he said.
(https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/06/changyus-ningxia-estate-to-become-100-biodynamic/)