On the northern China wine and food trail

MENTION Chinese wine and any wine aficionado weaned on more familiar old and new-world varietals may well turn up his or her nose.

China’s winemaking traditions go back thousands of years, but it has only been in recent years that the country has made a mark on the global wine map. Chalk that up to a growing number of award-winning wineries that have sprung up in regions such as Shanxi and Ningxia, where terroir, climate and passionate vintners combine to produce sterling wines well worth discovering.

For curious bon vivants looking for a China experience beyond the likes of Beijing or Chengdu, venture off the beaten track to the rustic countryside where you’ll find not just a different world of wine, but distinct culinary experiences and sights to behold.