Fermenting the future
Updated: 2007-10-26 15:40
Winemaking is such a complex process, which part do you enjoy the most?
Honestly, every part of the process brings me some enjoyment but I do love the fermenting part the most. When the juice is fermenting we taste the would-be wines several times a day so that we can decide what technique to apply and when. It’s always exciting to see the wine flow out of the fermenting tanks.
Viticulture is still in its infancy in China, does winemaking have a future here?
The industry has seen an annual growth rate of 15 per cent and it’s estimated total wine production will reach some 800,000 tonnes by 2010. There’s definitely a future here. However, China still has a long way to go in terms of producing high quality wines. We lack the techniques but more importantly we need better and greater understanding of the intricacies of wine.
And what about your future – is wine in your blood now?
Most definitely. It's my dream to have my own vineyard and distillery and produce wine locally. The experience I'm gaining at the vineyard will benefit me when it comes to producing wine of my own style.
China is slowly developing a taste for wine. Nowadays many of my friends are enjoying it – I’d like to think it’s because of me.
Translation by Lin Guan.
