“Collaboration seems to be the main ingredient in growing China’s grape-growing and wine-making efforts, and I dip my lid to Penfolds for embracing the local, ” writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER. 

LET’S recap: in 2021, Australia lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization against China. It was the second complaint lodged, the first being about Australian barley import restrictions. 

The second complaint was because of the imposition of anti-dumping and proposed countervailing duties on Australian wine. The final determination was duties from 116.2 per cent to 218.4 per cent on wine from Australia as of March 28, 2021 imported into China. These measures killed off Australian wine exports to China, which remain stultified: those exports fell by 92 per cent to $A21 million in the year ended September 30, 2022. 

In mid-July, it was reported that Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong raised the trade issues, the detention of Australian citizens, Hong Kong arrest warrants and Pacific security during a meeting with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Jakarta. 

The hoped-for thawing of China’s attitude to Australian barley has arrived, but wine is not yet manifest and, in my view, will not be on the table in the immediate future given the attitude Australia has taken on issues involving human rights. 

So, against this background, I recently read a media release by Penfolds that said it will soon be releasing a Chinese-made wine: if you can’t beat them, join them! This month Penfolds released wines from four countries around the world, including a Chinese Penfolds Winemaking Trial 521 cabernet sauvignon marselan 2021. It will sell for $150 a bottle. 

In background reading about the release of this premium wine, I found that it is the second made-in-China wine released by Penfolds. The first was last year and released only into the Chinese market: One by Penfolds 2020, a red blend grown in the Ningxia region that costs locally for RMB 228 ($A47.10). However, the so-called “trial” wine will be available in other countries. 

Chief Penfolds winemaker Peter Gago explained the notion of “trial” wines at the launch of the wine in China, disclosing that the now famous Grange was once such a wine:

“For almost two centuries, experimentation and trial continue to be a key driver of the creation of many Penfolds ‘trial’ wines including Grange (experimental 1951), Yattarna Bin 144, Red Winemaking Trial 798 (RWT) Barossa Valley Shiraz, and now the CWT 521,” he said.

The Chinese trial wine combines cabernet sauvignon Shangri-la and marselan from Ningxia, China. This is a blend I’ve never tried as the marselan grape, to my knowledge, is not grown in Australia. 

A 2021 “Decanter” article tells me that the grape variety was created 60 years ago by a French wine academic who made a cross between cabernet sauvignon and grenache. The original aim was to reed a variety for languedoc that has the same delicacy as cabernet and is as heat-resistant as grenache.

It was first introduced to Chinese vineyards in 2001, along with 15 other French grape varieties to Domaine Franco Chinois, a winemaking collaboration initiated by the two governments, in the Huailai region in Hebei. Collaboration seems to be the main ingredient in growing China’s grape-growing and wine-making efforts, and I dip my lid to Penfolds for embracing the local. 

“Puck” magazine, 1901:

A Winning Precept. – “What, in your judgment, Colonel,” asked the Ambitious Beginner, “would be a good motto for a young politician. How would, ‘I would rather be right than [be President] do?’” 

“That will, and does, exceedingly well for publication,” replied the Successful Veteran, “but for private consumption, ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ will always prove a great deal more lucrative.”