It’s tough to not be impressed whenever you meet Track Yan, proprietor of Longting Winery in Yantai – Penglai, which sits within the northernmost a part of Shandong peninsula in China. Enthusiastic about wine, she has created a household vineyard from scratch, one which she intends to move down by future generations, emulating the good châteaux of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Track Yan’s love of wine burgeoned when she moved to Australia to review, but it surely was on returning to the agriculturally-rich Shandong province that the dream of getting her personal vineyard was born. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Track Yan set off all over the world, travelling to France, Italy and the US to analysis winemaking in a number of areas and collect inspiration for the form of vineyard she needed to create again at house.
Track Yan, proprietor of Longting Winery ran a masterclass on the London Wine Honest to lift consciousness about Chinese language wines inside the UK market.
Discovering a path
Longting Winery sits on the identical latitude as Sicily, Stellenbosch and Mendoza, simply 3km from the Yellow Sea in a microclimate, formed by mountains and sea breezes. Its strategy to winemaking adopts the jap ideas of Daoism – pursuing a concord between heaven, earth and people – but in addition the western teachings of biodynamic viticulture.
Grapes are hand picked, winemaking includes minimal intervention and biodiverse philosophy forbids tilling: ‘That is how historical knowledge meets fashionable winemaking at Longting’, says Track Yan.
Longting produces wines from French varieties Petit Manseng and Marselan.
Selecting varieties
Taking recommendation from worldwide viticultural consultants and her native winemaker, Track Yan selected 4 key varieties that suited the terroir in Yantai-Penglai – Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Marselan.
Petit Manseng, a thick-skinned late-ripening grape historically used to make candy wines in southwest France, thrives in Yantai-Penglai with its dry autumns. Longting produces each a late-harvest off-dry fashion of Petit Manseng, in addition to a dry white, displaying aromas of lemon and honeysuckle and a robust acidic spine.
Marselan, a crossing of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon and one in all 4 crimson grape varieties lately chosen to assist Bordeaux producers adapt to local weather change, is elegant right here, exhibiting crimson in addition to black fruits and good potential to age.
Cabernet Franc from this area gives refined construction and vibrant fruit character typical of this coastal terroir. In future improvements, Longting is trying to mix its Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon from Xinjiang – the place the range is well-suited – as this new world area has no restrictions on interregional mixing.
To advertise Chinese language wine within the UK, Longting held a masterclass on the London Wine Honest that includes 5 key wines.
Taking over the UK
Now, Track Yan’s travels have introduced her to the UK and the London Wine Honest, the place she’s begun spreading the phrase about fashionable Chinese language wine. She believes her wines match the present client pattern for lighter, brisker kinds. Longting’s technique, Track Yan explains, has all the time been to drive gross sales on-trade by meals pairing at excellent eating places and the UK will likely be no completely different.
An ideal companion for the Lu delicacies of the Shandong area, historically difficult to pair with wine, Track Yan says her wines take worldwide delicacies of their stride. Proud to be an envoy for Chinese language wines, which have come a great distance, quick, she credit a hardworking and passionate wine group and means that that is only the start, and that buyers ought to look out for Longting wines coming to eating places close to them quickly. Alternatively, if you happen to’re visiting China, search out the winery for immersive wine tasting experiences.
Longting Winery gained three awards at this yr’s Decanter World Wine Awards, together with gold for its Reserve Sea Breeze Chardonnay. Constructed from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Petit Manseng, it was mentioned to have beguiling white blossom, melon and peach fragrance, which prevails over the invigorating citrus peel acidity and mineral undertow, with an intriguing bitter almond twist on the finish.
Uncover extra about Longting Winery
