“The place where the sun shines earliest is Jiantang in the East, and the most extraordinary place on earth is Shangri-La on the banks of the Milk
River.”
The Shangri-La wine region is situatedon the southern edge of the Tibetan Plat-eau, nestled among the Hengduan Mount-ains, with an elevation ranging from 1,700 to 2,800 meters, making it one of the world's premier high-altitude grape-growing areas. It is blessed with low latitude and high altitue, strong UV radiation, moderate rainfall and a climate that eliminates the need to bury the soil in winter to protect against the cold. The rich, deep, sandy soils, moderate temperature differences between day and night, abundant sunlight and strong UV radiation are all unique ecological factors that combine to give the Shangri-La appellation great potential for producing high-quality raw materials for wine grapes.
Jade Dragon
Snow Mountain and
Shangri La
Shangri
La Vineyard
The region locates in low latitude and high altitude, coupled with continental climatic characteristics and rich forest cover, the barrier effect of mountain ranges, as well as sufficient water resources and cloudy weather together, resulting in a small annual temperature differene, while the daytime solar radiation is strong, the ground absorbs heat and warms up quickly, with high temperatures; and at night, the ground loses heat rapidly, coupled with the thin atmosphere of the plateau, the weak thermal. insulation, resulting in a rapid temperature Down. Represented by Deqin County's Foshan Township, Yunling Township, Yanmen Township, and Benzilan Town, the average annual temperature ranges from 15.2 to 16.5°C, with the hottest month averaging 24.0°C. The peak temperature can reach around 36.0°C, the accumulated temperature above 10.0°C is between 5300 and 4600°C, the frost-free period is 230 to 240 days, and the annual rainfall is 300 mm. The aridity is greater than 2.0, and the annual evaporation ranges from 2481 to 2811 mm, which is equivalent to 10 to 12 times the annual rainfall.
Due to the fact that the here temperatures are generally low, the cold air sinking in winter leads to a sudden drop in nighttime temperatures, which makes it easy to form frost, so the region has a shorter frost-free period, which helps to minimize the The region has a short frost-free period, which helps to minimize the occurrence and spread of pests and diseases, and is very suitable for the growth of wine grapes.
Rain shadow effect
and burning wind
Here, more than 20 snow-capped mountain-s with an altitude of over 5,000 meters, incl-uding the Meili Snow Mountain and the Bai-ma Snow Mountain, form a natural barrier that blocks the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean, allowing the region to enjoy ample sunshine and suitable rainfall, providing ideal natural conditions for the growth of wine grapes. Annual rainfall in Shangri-La is unevenly distributed, with rainfall in the vineyards mostly concentrated in the period before the color change of grapes (May to June), with rainfall in the range of 200-600 mm, while the average annual evaporation of 1,240 mm is far greater than the rainfall. But sufficient alpine snow water meets the needs of the grapes during the growing period.
In the case of Meili wine, for example, the unique geographical conditions, favorable climatic conditions and excellent soil conditions have formed the world's typical low-latitude, high-altitude dry and hot river valley terroir characteristics. Due to the existence of the rain shadow effect, the Himalayan Mountains block the humid airflow, resulting in abundant precipitation on the south side of the mountain range and less precipitation on the north side of the Shangri-La region, creating a dry climate characteristic.
The elevation here ranges from 1,700 to 3,000 meters, and the terrain is varied, with valley slopes and hillsides, planted according to the mountainous terrain, presenting different altitudes and thus different growth performances, which in turn produces diverse styles of wines. The winds of the Shangri-La valley significantly affect the growth of grapes, with its large temperature difference between day and night favoring the accumulation of glucose, which makes the grapes sweeter; while the humid air brought by the valley winds helps to irrigate the vineyards, providing good moisture conditions for the growth of grapes, which in turn improves the quality of the grapes.
Shangri La
Sunshine Scenery
Light is one of the survival factors (limiting) in viticulture. Grape is a light-loving plant with a high demand for light. Under the condition of sufficient light, the color of grape leaves is thick, plant growth is robust, flower bud differentiation is good, yield is high, fruit coloring is good, sugar content is high, which improves the quality of brewed wine. On the contrary, under the condition of insufficient light, the grape leaves will become thin and yellow, the new shoots will be thin and long, the tissues are not full, the flower buds are not well differentiated, the fruit color is poor, the sugar content is low, and the yield will be reduced significantly.
Grape sprouting and
scenery of Shangri La
The geographical range of the Shangri-La plateau wine-producing region in Yunnan is E98°3'56"~99°03'22",N27°03'44"~29°15'12". The overall climate type is a cold-temperate mountain monsoon climate. Located at an altitude of 1700~2800m in the river valley basin, it features a unique dry and hot valley microclimate. As the altitude rises, above 2600m, it exhibits a cool valley microclimate characterized by sufficient effective accumulated temperature to ensure the full maturation of the vast majority of high-quality wine grapes. Precipitation is relatively scarce, with an annual rainfall of 300~600mm, concentrated mainly from May to July. The summers are not excessively hot, and the winters are not severely cold, with no need for burying the vines to protect against the cold in winter.
The region is windy, especially in winter, when dry northwesterly winds are more common. The valley winds in the Shangri-La region influence the local microclimate with their significant daily variation characteristics, with warm winds blowing from the mountains to the valleys during the day, and flowing in the opposite direction at night. This unique variation in the winds provides superior conditions for winegrowing, helping to regulate the temperature and humidity, and facilitating the accumulation of sugar in the grape berries and the development of flavors, which in turn gives Shangri-La wines their distinctive taste and quality.
Soil trace
element map
In the Shangri-La plateau wine-producing region, the soil pH is alkaline, and the organic matter content is relatively low. The levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil are low and show a significant downward trend with increasing soil depth. The soil in the vineyards is rich in calcium and magnesium, with copper elements at a moderate level, while other elements are present in lower quantities.The soil development process here is mainly dominated by the accumulation of organic matter in the cold alpine environment.
The cations and trace elements released by magmatic rocks, such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, enhance the phenolic content of grape berries, giving wines a unique mineral flavor and a good sense of structure, and at the same time, their drainage and heat preservation are conducive to the health of the grapevine's root system; Weathering products of sedimentary rocks contain 2%-10% organic matter, 0.02%-0.5% nitrogen, 0.01%-1% phosphorus, varying amounts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, 0.5%-5% iron, 0.01%-1% manganese, as well as trace elements like copper and zinc. The weathering products of sedimentary rocks are rich in organic matter and nutrients, which improve soil fertility and microbial activity, and promote the accumulation of sugar and flavor development, especially limestone's regulation of soil pH, which directly affects the taste and quality of wines; whereas the weathering of metamorphic rocks brings about a complex mineral composition of the soil, which affects the physiological characteristics of the grapes and the chemical composition of the fruits, its lamellar structure also affects the soil permeability and water retention capacity, which in turn affects the ability of the grapes to retain water.
Map of
Shangri-La wineries
The Shangri-La wine region is notable for its high plateau location and diverse soil ty-pes, boasting a wide range of temperatures between day and night and plenty of sunshi-ne, characteristics that provide excellent conditions for viticulture. Its strength lies in its ecological diversity and unique terroir, which enables it to produce wines with min-eral flavors and excellent structure, with gre-at potential for high quality.
Note:
This tweet pertains to an assignment in Grapevine Ecology.
Authors：
Xiuhui Zhu, Qianru Dai, Bowen Li, Shiguo Yan, Jiahang Li, Zhe Xu.
葡萄酒学院新闻中心
图文来源：葡萄酒学院
图文编辑：葡萄生态学（全英文）小组
审 核：王雪飞 葛 青
