Table of Contents
Foreword Oz Clarke vii
A note on spellings 1
Preface 5
Map 12
Aperitif 15
The rise of grape wine in modern China 19
A brief history of grape wine in China 21
The main winemaking and production regions 24
China's traditional wines 35
A Mixed Case: Wine in Modern China 45
The 1980s: Reform and Opening Up 47
The fanatical spenders: the noughties craze for Bordeaux 49
The post-Bordeaux wine market in China 63
Drinking Chateau Lafite with Coke 68
Wine and calligraphy: making wine communication relatable 70
Expanding the international vocabulary of wine 72
Tea culture and wine culture 73
Health-wealth-happiness: why red wine is lucky in China 74
Heaven-earth-people; the terroir for success 78
Chinese philosophy and in vino veritas 85
The growth of wine tourism 90
Matching wine with Chinese food 91
Wine etiquette and customs 98
Wine and festivals 102
The drinking cultures of Chinese ethnic minorities 113
A Vertical Tasting of History 117
The origins of jiu 120
Wine's ancient beginnings: a tribute to gods and ancestors 122
Wine in the Bronze Age: wine ware and wine rules 129
Wine, wisdom, wiles: age of The Art of War 144
The Silk Road and the growth of commerce 155
Drunkenness becomes an art: artistes and garagistes 166
The golden age of empire and wine culture 176
The height of private winemaking and a sophisticated wine market 188
An identity crisis for wine and empire 203
A new wine age beckons 210
Appendices
Where to buy Chinese wines 225
Wine tourism in China 226
High-profile vineyard acquisitions 228
Key dynasties and dates 230
Timeline of dynastic China and selected world events 237
Notable Chinese festivals 253
Glossary of terms and historical figures 255
Acknowledgements 265
Index 269
