Home>2nd China Ningxia International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo

Wine industry offers taste of Ningxia to the world

By Hao Nan | China Daily | Updated: September 01, 2022

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Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region has attached great importance to the international development of its wine industry in recent years, and to promoting the spread of local wine culture by holding a series of related international activities.

So far, the autonomous region has organized nine sessions of the International Wine Expo at Helan Mountain's Eastern Foot, two sessions of the China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, four sessions of the China International Grape Planting and Brewing Equipment Technology Expo, and eight sessions of the Grape Spring Planting and Vine Stretching Festival.

It has also held nearly 100 wine promotion activities annually in both Chinese and foreign cities, which greatly improve the region's international influence in high-quality wine production.

The first China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, for example, was held from Sept 25-27, 2021 in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia. It included diverse activities such as forums, tourism promotion conferences, music galas and cultural festivals.

During the expo, the Global Wine Tourism Organization announced the addition of Ningxia to be listed as a global wine tourism destination. Carlos Vogeler, senior advisor of GWTO, said in his video speech that in recent years, the organization has paid great attention to the wine industry and cultural tourism in Ningxia, and believes that Ningxia has the conditions to build a global wine tourism destination, with great potential and broad prospects.

This honorary title will further help the region develop into a "wine capital of the world", according to the Ningxia Department of Culture and Tourism.

Through the expo, Ningxia’s wine industry can have better access internationally and enter a stage of high-quality development.

Chen Run'er, former Party secretary of Ningxia, said wine serves as an outstanding calling card of the autonomous region, with which Ningxia can communicate with the world and invite the international community to know it better.

In addition to holding activities, Ningxia has also established a wine museum and set up the Helan Mountain Eastern Foothill Wine Education Institute to tell the winemaking story of the Ningxia to the outside world. 

Moreover, the autonomous region has participated in international wine competitions to enhance the brand value of local wines.

According to official statistics, more than 50 wineries in Ningxia have won more than 1,100 prizes in international competitions, including top contests like Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Decanter World Wine Awards and Berliner Wein Trophy.

Ningxia has also developed its own international wine competition, the Helan Mountain East Foot International Wine Contest, which collects samples worldwide. The award-winning wineries and wine will be publicized both at China and abroad.

This year's Helan Mountain wine contest has received 797 samples from 43 production areas in 16 countries and regions, including 12 domestic production areas in Ningxia, Xinjiang, Hebei and Gansu. 

The contest covers nearly all types of wine, and, for the first time, includes port, sherry and alcohol-free wine in this year's competition.

In 2020, wine produced at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain was protected by the China-European Union Agreement on Geographical Indications. Currently, Ningxia wine has been exported to more than 30 countries and regions including Germany, the United States, Belgium, Canada, France, Singapore, Denmark, Australia and Spain.

Over the years, Ningxia has carried out exchanges and cooperation in grape varieties, technologies, education, culture and human resources with major wine-producing countries and international wine organizations such as the International Organization of Vine and Wine, International Sommelier Guild and Society of Wine Educators.

It has imported more than 60 wine grape varieties, introduced 60 international winemakers from 23 countries, and hired champion sommeliers from 25 countries as "promotional ambassadors" of wine at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountain.

According to the local government plan, the total area of wine grape bases in Ningxia will reach 66,667 hectares by 2025, almost double the current figure. The annual output will be increased from 130 million bottles to at least 300 million in three years, generating an industrial value of 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion).