Around 7000 virus-infected young vines were destroyed by Ningxia wine bureau and the local forestry authority last week (6th April), in an effort to protect the bio-safety of China’s young wine region.
In a joint operation between Ningxia Wine Bureau and Ningxia Forestry Pests Control Quarantine Station last month, samples were taken from 6.12 million young grape vines of 22 varietals from 5 nurseries in the Helan Mountain East region for quarantine inspection.
As a result, the local authorities identified leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) and 3 (GLRaV-3) in 7000 young vines from two local nurseries, announced Ningxia Wine Bureau.
When affected by the fast-spreading leafroll virus, vines are likely to show significant drop in both quantity and quality in the grapes produced, according to the forestry officials.
These virus-carrying young vines were then burnt to prevent further spreading (see picture).
Many vines introduced to the region in the 1990s were ‘carriers of viral disease’ due to the lack to awareness, according to Chinese wine authority and DecanterChina.com columnist Li Demei.
To ‘effectively safeguard the quality of wines made in Ningxia’, the Ningxia Wine Bureau has launched rigorous inspections on young vitis vinifera vines in Ningxia nurseries in 2014.
547,000 virus-affected vines have since been destroyed to, according to the local trade body.
Related story:
Half a million virus-carrying young vines destroyed in Ningxia
Earlier this year, the Ningxia Wine Bureau reached agreement with the local departments of environmental protection, agriculture, forestry, as well as the local authorities of commerce and quality inspection to ‘comprehensively manage and supervise’ the local wine industry.
Local wine growers are set to face stricter supervision and protection over winegrowing environment, vine quarantine, usage of trademark and label, as well as the quality and safety of wines.
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