(Wine-Searcher) - It's well known for its taste for international wines, but China's domestic scene is growing too.

In a different country, China's wine industry might be a house of cards. But China's government seems committed to it, and that makes all the difference.

China is the sixth largest wine producer in the world. China makes more wine than Chile, Portugal or South Africa. Until recently it made more wine than Argentina or Australia. Yet outside of China, the country's wines get little attention.

I have been to visit China twice this year to judge wines. There are some nice wines being made there. More importantly, the base level is competence. When I tell people I'm going to drink Chinese wine for a week they ask about flaws and bad wine, but that has not been my experience. China is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and making palatable wine is mostly a problem of technical competence.