Shenyuan Grape held its inaugural international Open Field Days last week, hosting 30 grape growers and dealers from 12 countries.

Xu Weidong, founder and chairman of Shenyuan, led the activities, including vineyard tours, grape tastings, business talks and a briefing on the company’s two decades of grape breeding experience.

Representatives from Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Greece, India, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States gathered on August 25 in Zhangjiagang City, near Shanghai, where Shenyuan has 80 hectares of demonstration vineyards and 500,000 square meters of greenhouses.

“Chinese grapes are making their way to the global market,” said Xu.

Future Global Cooperation

“The event was very rewarding. Not only did we hear stories about grape breeding, but we also learned about the characteristics of different varieties through tastings, thus laying the groundwork for future international cooperation,” said Dimitrios Spanos, director of grape breeder Grape Evolution in Greece, as quoted by Zhangjiagang Today.

Also quoted was Christina Marcos, the director of business development for California-based Grapery, who said she looks forward to technical exchanges and cooperation.

“There are many highlights of this Open Day,” she said. “Just now we visited the breeding site. I was very impressed to see so many grape varieties.”

“These international open day activities allowed some of Shenyuan’s good grape varieties and technologies to go to the world, giving China a stronger voice in the grape cultivation and wine industry,” said Wang Haibo, chief scientist of the National Grape Industry Technology System.

Boosting Chinese Grapes

The Open Field Days is one in a series of Shenyuan events aimed at raising the profile of Chinese grape varieties both at home and abroad.

While China is the world’s top fresh grape producer, most varieties in its vineyards are imported. Shenyuan has invested in more than two decades of grape breeding research and practice to change that situation.

“Holding this international open field day event is a new page in the story of Shenyuan grapes,” Xu told Zhangjiagang Today.” We aim to grow grapes that consumers, growers and the market all recognize.”

From Local to Global

The story of Shenyuan began in 1981 with a 2.2-acre vineyard and has since expanded to projects across China, intensive research into new grape varieties and now ambitions to go global.

Shenyuan has positioned itself with a comprehensive cultivar collection and an intense grape breeding program, with 36 of its own grapes now registered, certified or awarded plant variety rights protection.

Beyond that, Shenyuan is involved in the entire chain grape industry chain, from nursery and technical services to grower training via the Shenyuan Grape Business Academy to assistance with marketing, thus giving a company deep insights into the entire sector.