The timely piece that Dong Li wrote for the July 2015 issue of Wines & Vines asked a question that could be of significant commercial relevance for California vintners: Which wines will China be drinking in 10 years?

While China may not have a wine culture we westerners recognize, how many Americans are aware that this Asian powerhouse is already the globe’s largest market for red wines and second only to Spain in vineyard surface area with nearly 2 million acres?

China seems very familiar to U.S. consumers, but that is largely because “Product of China” appears on innumerable items. In truth, we outsiders—especially in the West—are woefully ignorant of this ancient land. This is understandable given the historical isolation of the Middle Kingdom, and considering the political barriers that have made access quite difficult. By some calculations, China is already—or soon will be—the largest economy in the world. We depend upon China’s manufacturing prowess for cell phones, refrigerators, computers, air conditioners and so much else. Now consider a possibility that seems far-fetched at the moment: In 10 years, wine drinkers in the United States just might be consuming Chinese wines as well.