Taste bud tales

Wines & Vines, June, 2003 by Tim Patterson

RELATED ARTICLE: Wine Consumption Grows In China

Rapid economic development, improved living standards and awareness of health issues are contributing to increased wine consumption in China, according to the China Vintage Industry Association (CVIA).

Currently, China has about 450 wineries, of which 10 are capable of producing more than 10,000 tons each annually. China produced 300,000 tons in 2001, 19% more than in 2000, and CVIA estimated wine production will reach 500,000 tons by 2005. China also imports about 50,000 tons of wine yearly.

CVIA statistics show that Chinese people consumed 390 million liters of wine in 2001, a per capita consumption of 0.27 liters.

(Tim Patterson writes for a cuvee of publications about adult beverages (and makes his own) in Berkeley, Calif. where the wine country meets what's left of the '60s. He may be contacted through edit@winesandvines.com.)