Chinese wine-tasters have come first out of 21 teams in identifying details of six white and six red wines in an annual taste test in France, causing what organisers call "a thunderbolt in the wine world"; the French team came second, the US third, whilst the UK came 11th. The Chinese wine industry has grown rapidly in recent years as the nation has been devoting an increasing amount of its lands to vineyards; last year it had 799,000 hectares of land dedicated to growing grapes, second only to Spain globally. Earlier this year, the company behind La Revue du vin de and Moët & Chandon launched a £175-a-bottle red in China, which is being seen as a new beginning for the nation's high-end wine makers.
Chinese wine-tasters have come first out of 21 teams in identifying details of six white and six red wines in an annual taste test in France, causing what organisers call "a thunderbolt in the wine world"; the French team came second, the US third, whilst the UK came 11th. The Chinese wine industry has grown rapidly in recent years as the nation has been devoting an increasing amount of its lands to vineyards; last year it had 799,000 hectares of land dedicated to growing grapes, second only to Spain globally. Earlier this year, the company behind Dom Pérignon and Moët & Chandon launched a £175-a-bottle red in China, which is being seen as a new beginning for the nation's high-end wine makers.