TURPAN, China -- In an oasis surrounded by the desolate Gobi Desert, vines are ripening. As the tiny buds swell into succulent sweet clusters of grapes, snowmelt from the Tian Shan Mountains flows through underground irrigation channels to supply precious water.
Grape varieties suitable for wine have been flourishing in Turpan for more than 1,000 years, but wine has struggled to build a following in modern China, eclipsed for centuries by a local preference for white spirit drinks such as baijiu. Now, though, wine is rapidly becoming a premium tipple for Chinese consumers.
