In the past, the poor mountain ditch turned into a beautiful "grape ditch".

Visitors experience the joy of picking grapes.

Since autumn, Spring and Autumn Farm, located in Fushan Village, Tangtou Township, Dehua County, has strings of bright red grapes hanging all over the branches, within reach. Looking up, hundreds of acres of thorn grapes were scattered all over the mountains, a piece of vitality.

Grape estates built on red soil

"In recent years, a large number of people have entered the city, and the rural ecological environment of Dehua has become superior after a long period of recuperation." Xu Changyi said he had the idea of doing agriculture when he returned to his hometown to start a business in 2008, and established the Spring and Autumn Family Farm in 2013.

"The land for growing grapes cannot be too fertile. The grapes planted in the field grow fast, but the quality is not good, not suitable for wine, and the red soil of Fushan Village is very suitable for the growth of grapes." After several years of exploration, Xu Changyi summed up a set of "grape scriptures" based on Dehua.

At first, Xu Changyi found that the fresh grape market was depressed. When he was in trouble, a word from his friend inspired him. "I like wine. A friend from Huaihua, Hunan, told me that since you drink wine every day, you might as well grow your own wine." This gave him an idea and he couldn't help but act.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety used for wine production in China, but the rainy season in the south is too long and can only be planted in greenhouses. The problem is that the grapes planted in greenhouses are used for wine making, and the quality is difficult to meet the requirements.

Later, he learned that Huaihua has a thorn grape ditch, especially Zhijiang most spectacular. He went for a walk with his friends, visited several planting bases, and found that the mountains were full of thorn grapes, and they grew naturally without shelter.

Later, he found a variety called Purple Autumn Grape there. It has more moisture, has the aroma of wild fruit, and its skin thickness can naturally form enzymes. It does not need external yeast enzymes. Its color is more beautiful than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is deep ruby red. Other important elements such as tannin and anthocyanin are better than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a superior variety for brewing wine.

When he returned from Huaihua, Xu Changyi's confidence was greatly boosted. After demonstrating the feasibility of planting Ziqiu grape in Dehua, he contracted idle mountain ridge farmland and mountainous area from Fushan Village of Tangtou Township, transferred 2380 mu of land, and built grape estate on the red land of Dehua.

Xu Changyi began planting thorn grapes in the spring of 2014, nearly 200 mu, but it didn't go well at first. Originally, grapes are afraid of downy mildew, Dehua ecological environment is good, as long as timely prevention, there is no problem. Another reason is fertilization. Xu Changyi wants to make green food, so he refuses to use urea, but the new soil fertility is insufficient, resulting in poor grape growth. Later, he decided to use farm manure based on sheep dung, which saved costs and ensured the growth needs of grapes.

After solving the problem, the grapes on the estate are growing very well this year. Because the saplings are too small, Xu Changyi asked people to cut off some of the branches hanging fruit. He said, saplings small root system is not developed, nutrients can not keep up, too much fruit will affect the quality, but also hurt the vitality of grape trees. So this year each grape tree only bears dozens of catties of fruit. The grapes harvested this year have been sent to the wineries of friends in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, Yantai, Shandong and other places for trial production, and relevant data have been tested.

"The altitude here is more than 850 meters, and the temperature difference between day and night is large. The quality of the grapes produced is very good, not worse than Hunan." Xu Changyi said.

"We need to make green food."

" The newly grown leaves of the grapes are red. Three years later, in spring, the whole mountain will be red. It's very ornamental." Xu Changyi is full of confidence in the future development of the farm.

"The quality of the grapes produced this year is good, which means that from the point of view of planting and growth, it is no longer a problem. The key now is brewing wine." Xu Changyi said that he is very demanding about the wine he wants to brew, because he wants to make green food in Dehua.

He told us that the quality of the wine depends on the quality of the grape itself, the first is the variety, the second is the year, to see whether the rain, sunshine, temperature and so on are suitable for grape growth. At the same time, improper storage of wine can also lead to over-acid taste, winemaker's process adjustment also plays a role. Therefore, good wine, like art, needs careful carving and patient maintenance.

He studied for three years out of his love of wine, and obtained the qualification of winemaker and sommelier. It is also his emphasis on the pursuit of wine quality. Recently, the vineyard of Spring and Autumn Farm has welcomed the inspection and evaluation of provincial and municipal green food experts.

"Sandy soil is the best for growing grapes, and red soil is the second best. Dehua has a unique ecological environment. There is no industrial pollution within a radius of more than ten kilometers of our base. There are four to five thousand acres of virgin forest around Fushun Village. In addition to our high standards and strict requirements, we are determined to win the title of green product." Xu Changyi said.

Recently, the grape park is stepping up infrastructure construction, creating a new agricultural leisure model, and striving to become a beautiful landscape of Quanzhou's "North Gate".

Fushan Village, this former poor ravine, is incarnate as the most beautiful "grape ditch" in Dehua.