Dan Murphy’s has announced a new horse-inspired Chinese wine is available just in time for the Chinese New Year’s celebration.
The Aussie liquor store said winemaker ‘Crazy Fang’s’ award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon blends Kanaan Pretty Pony and Kanaan Black Beauty are sold at the Australian market exclusively through Dan Murphy’s.
“I think Chinese wines are the emerging dark horse of the industry, and we have worked really hard to create these complex and beautiful wines. I can’t wait for Australian wine lovers to try them,” said Fang, whose real name is Wang Fang.
The wine range has won several accolades and trophies at both Decanter’s Asia Wine Awards and China’s Wine 100 Competition. Acclaimed US wine critic Robert Parker has named one of her wines among “the best Chinese wine I have tasted thus far”.
China is Australia’s most valuable wine export market, but according to master of Wine Andrew Caillaird, China is one to watch when it comes to fine winemaking.
“China is starting to establish itself as a world-class winemaking country. As a frequent visitor to Chinese wine regions over the last ten years, I have seen enormous progress in quality, especially from ambitious boutique wine producers like Kanaan,” said Caillard.
Fang, nicknamed ‘Crazy Fang’ for her brave and innovative winemaking, is one of China’s modern winemaking pioneers. After 10 years of living in Germany, she returned to her roots and founded Kanaan Winery in 2011.
Asides from being the first winemaker in China to plant Riesling, she has developed a strong affinity with the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which are ideally suited to the dry continental conditions of Ningxia, one of the most exciting wine regions in China.
“These wines represent a new era of Chinese winemaking. Fang’s wines have received all-round praise for their impressive quality, complexity and depth of flavour, so we are excited to have
them available for Australian consumers in time for Chinese New Year on February 16,” said Dan Murphy’s Fine Wine expert Peter Nixon.
Fang hails from a family of winemakers. Her father Wangfengyu planted the first vines in Ningxia’s famously beautiful Helan Mountains sub-region, where Kanaan is also located. He strongly believes the region is the most promising land to produce Chinese fine wines that live up to international standards. The estate stretches over 20 hectares, and produces 80,000 bottles every year, with its distinctive names and livery inspired by horses.
“The Helan Mountains has a deep connection with horses, and ‘Helan’ actually means fine horses. I love and admire these beautiful creatures because they are powerful and elegant –
qualities I aspire to capture in the wines I create,” Fang explained.
China is one of the world’s first winemaking countries, with a history of wine grape production going back over 9,000 years. It is today the sixth largest wine producer in the world, with most
of its production consumed domestically, with experts predicting it will become the world’s largest winemaking country.
Kanaan wines are renowned for being highly expressive and fresh with superb fruit definition, balance and complexity. The wines are made in limited production, and available exclusively
through Dan Murphy’s.
