I was recently in Cina to visit the local wine-producing areas considered among the most suitable for quality, in particular the Ningxia area. Well, I must say that I was surprised by the technology used and the investments underway. I also noticed a great influence of French thought that, as often happens, has preceded all the others. The climate is decidedly continental with very hot summers and very harsh winters, where, moreover, the plants are covered with earth and uncovered at the beginning of spring.
The soil is sandy and loamy, therefore it must be irrigated during the summer, otherwise the scarcity of rain would compromise production. Cabernet Sauvignon is mainly cultivated and reaches good maturity in a relatively short time, shortening the production cycle. However, this could be a limit for phenolic maturity. There are also Merlot, Shyrah and among the whites, Chardonnay. As I was saying, there is no limit to technological investments, which are mostly of Italian origin with economic resources that seem decidedly high. At the tastings, the wines were interesting, with high gradations, but maybe with some limits in the general balance, due, as I said, to the shortening of the vegetative cycle for climatic reasons.