WildChina shares insights from conversation with Master of Wine Fongyee Walker and announces 2026 expert-led Chinese wine trip

BEIJING, CHINA — On December 5, 2025, WildChina hosted an online session with Master of Wine Fongyee Walker as part of its WildChina On-Air series of conversations with leading voices, offering an engaging overview of the rapidly evolving Chinese wine scene. The one-hour conversation introduced attendees to the climatic, agricultural, and cultural dynamics shaping wine production in Ningxia, Shandong, and the Beijing countryside.

In discussing how Chinese wine producers approach vineyard challenges, Fongyee provided context on why technique and interpretation matter as much as climate. She emphasized this point during the session, “I firmly believe that climate doesn’t determine how good your wine is — it determines the style of wine that you make. For me, wine is climate and it is soil, but it is passed through the medium of people. And it is the people who act as the bridge between heaven and earth to express the wine.”

Following the discussion, WildChina introduced its upcoming 2026 expert-led wine trip, developed in collaboration with Walker. The program gives travelers the chance to visit three of China’s key wine regions, meet the winemakers shaping them, and understand the agricultural and cultural factors behind their development.

2026 Wine Trip Overview

The itinerary highlights three distinct wine regions:

• Beijing Region: Visits to vineyards focused on cool-climate varietals and evolving winemaking techniques.
• Shandong Coast: Tastings featuring wines shaped by the region’s maritime climate, with discussion on how coastal conditions influence grape characteristics.
• Ningxia Plateau: Time with leading producers to explore high-altitude wine production, including vine management, climate adaptation, and the development of red varietals.
  

Key Insights from the Session

• A Concentrated Historical Arc: The session outlined how wine grapes reached China during the Han period, how French missionaries expanded plantings around 150 years ago, and how economic opening in the 1980s and 1990s led to the establishment of modern wineries. Over the past 10–20 years, regions from Shangri-La in Yunnan to Shandong, Ningxia, and Hebei have shaped China’s emergence as a dynamic wine destination.
• Climate Shapes Style, People Shape Wine: Drawing on examples from Champagne and Argentina, Fongyee underscored that climate determines a region’s stylistic direction rather than the quality of its wine. She emphasized that producers must match grape varieties and styles to their local conditions, with winemakers acting as the “bridge between heaven and earth” to express each site.
• Terroir Diversity and Grape Range: China now produces wines from a broad array of grapes — from ice wine varieties in the north to Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Marselan. Producers such as Silver Heights in Ningxia and Grace Vineyards in Shanxi, along with wineries in Shandong and around Beijing, demonstrate how different terroirs are finding distinct expressions.
• Premium, Experience Driven Wine Culture: Climate challenges — particularly winter vine burial in regions like Ningxia — increase production costs and encourage a focus on premium wines. Fongyee also highlighted onsite experiences, from tasting rosé on a Shandong terrace overlooking the sea to pairing Ningxia wines with local lamb, as essential to understanding Chinese wine through travel and cuisine.

To complement the session, WildChina has published an article pairing Chinese wine with regional Chinese dishes, bringing Fongyee’s insights into everyday dining.

About Fongyee Walker MW

Fongyee Walker, co-founder of Dragon Phoenix, is the first Master of Wine based in mainland China. Over the past 20 years, she has played a significant role in shaping wine education in the country through tours, education programs, masterclasses, and appearances on TV and film. With her deep understanding of Chinese gastronomic cultures and history, Fongyee brings a wealth of experience to wine travel.

About WildChina

WildChina offers luxury, off-the-beaten-path adventures tailored to the desires of our clients. Our teams plan each journey with the knowledge that our travelers expect the highest level of attention and care. We create experiences that cross the borders of geography and knowledge, challenging preconceptions, and inspiring new stories. It’s this dedication, expertise, and passion for travel in China that makes us an award-winning leader in sustainable and experiential travel.

Media Contact:
Yimin Deng
yimin.deng@wildchina.com