A Greek winery has joined forces with a Chinese winemaker to grow grapes in the northwest Chinese province of Gansu. Decanter magazine earlier this month reported that Greece's Kir-Yianni, a nearly four-decade-old family-run winery in Northwestern Greece, and China's Mogao wineries have joined forces to plant the first Xinomavro vines in China.

Gansu has an alpine desert climate similar to that of northern Greece. Beijing-based consultant Edward Ragg, of China's Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, said it was one of China's drier and poorer provinces, and would be 'a better region for grape growing than Shandong', where joint ventures such as the Lafite/CITIC project are based. The place of such combination of conditions could produce 'above-average to phenomenal' wines.

Xinomavro, or Xynomavro, is according to Greekwinemakers.com one of the two most highly regarded of the cultivated Greek red varietals, and has been said to most resemble Pinot Noir. Winegeeks.com calls it the ‘great red grape of Greece,’ and claims that it can be found nearly everywhere in the country, where it’s ‘known for producing a wide variety of wines that range from big and tannic reds to pleasant rosés and sometimes even as the base for sparkling wines (blanc de noirs).’

This is the only Xinomavro for commercial purposes anywhere other than Greece. Sounds pretty exciting!

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