China: Extreme Viticulture

Wine Growing in China
With Fongyee Walker MW
Friday May 21 2021

Summary: 

From the climate to legislation, from equipment to personnel, growing and making wine in China has unique challenges to overcome.  This webinar will delve into the  trials and rewards of producing great wine in China, looking at 5 of the major growing regions, while outlining the history of viticulture in China and throwing light on the position that grape wine holds in Chinese culture both now and in the past.

Presenter: Fongyee Walker MW

Fongyee Walker MW (Master of Wine) is the co-founder, with Edward Ragg, of Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting, Beijing’s first and fully independent wine consulting and education service (est. 2007). Fongyee has delivered both WSET course and special trade-targeted wine courses in Mandarin for such bodies as Wine Australia, the Hawke’s Bay Wine Association, the Napa Valley Vintners and numerous other groups, as well as creating a number of unique wine courses specifically tailored to mainland Chinese students. She became the first Master of Wine (MW) resident in mainland China in 2016 with her dissertation on winter vine burial practices in Hebei and Ningxia.

As a wine judge, Fongyee has judged at numerous wine competitions including the International Wine Challenge (UK), the Hong Kong International Wines and Spirits Competition and has been guest international judge for the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, Old Mutual Trophy (South Africa) Wine Show, the Qantas Western Australia Wine Show, AWOCA (Wines of Chile), the Hunter Valley Wine Show as well as many other regional wine shows. Fongyee has also written articles for Decanter Magazine, Wine Review, RVF China and Wine in China, among other Chinese wine magazines. She has also been a columnist for Decanter China, writing about educational issues.

Fongyee is also the star of Wok ’n Wine 品尝中国, a popular internet-broadcast show about food and wine matching with Chinese cuisines with more than 4 million viewers, as well as a new show (2021) Carpe Vinum 意大利美酒之游, featuring the wine and food of Italy.



The Challenges of Wine Growing in China: Extreme Viticulture with Fongyee Walker, Master of Wine