A grand opening ceremony for the Fourth China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo is held in Yinchuan on Aug 9. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]
The Fourth China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, titled "A Marvel to the World: Good Wine Originates from Unique Terroir," commenced in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Aug 9.
Baudouin Havaux, chairman of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, attended the expo as a distinguished guest and shared his perspectives on Ningxia wine.
Baudouin Havaux, chairman of Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, delivers a speech at the expo. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]
Good morning! It is my great honor to be here once again as the Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, visiting the Ningxia Helan Mountains East Foothill wine-producing region and speaking at the opening ceremony of this exposition.
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers of this event. You invite the best tasters from both China and around the world to Ningxia and hold The Fourth Ningxia Helan Mountain's East Foothill International Wine Competition in this premium wine-producing region.
In the past few days, the most important thing that we exchanged with the judges of the competition is the amelioration of Chinese wines. We all feel that they are getting better and better year after year. The average score and wine quality of this year's competition have improved significantly, with many exceptional wines emerging. It is widely noted that among many fine wines, the style of Ningxia wines is becoming discernible, indicating that the regional characteristics of Ningxia wines are taking shape, and the unique traits of the products are becoming increasingly evident, leading to a clearer understanding of them.
This year, we have tasted over 1,200 different wines. Compared to the number of wines entered in the previous competition, this figure represents an increase of 14.5%, and it is almost double the number of entries in the First Ningxia Helan Mountain’s East Foothill International Wine Competition.Having achieved such a transformation in just three years is definitely significant progress that we should all be proud of.
In addition, we were honored to host the Second Marselan Selection by CMB. Marselan is a unique Vitis vinifera originating from the town of Marselan, France. It was born in 1961 by scientist Paul Truel through crossbreeding experiments between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir. Despite searching and trying worldwide, Marselan has never been able to find its ideal growing environment. However, unexpectedly, in China, Marselan has shown its best-growing conditions and unique terroir charm.
This competition attracted 332 Marselan wines from 21 different regions across 12 countries, an increase of 28.2% compared to the first competition. It is worth mentioning that among the entries, Chinese Marselan wines took a significant advantage, with a total of 219 entries, which undoubtedly serves as strong evidence of the vibrant development of Chinese Marselan wines.
In this competition, only 26.5% of the participants were fortunate enough to win a medal. This fully highlights the difficulty and severity of the selection process. Among them, only 1.5% of the wines stood out to win the highest honor of "Grand Gold Medal", which can be said to be one out of a hundred in terms of the intensity of the competition. As for the 73.5% of participants who did not win, they also shone brightly. We should deeply recognize their efforts and dedication and sincerely encourage them to continue pursuing excellence in their respective fields.
In 2025, the highly anticipated Concours Mondial de Bruxelles's 32nd edition will be held in Yinchuan. At that time, top judges and the finest wines from around the world will gather in Ningxia to witness this grand event. We are confident that Ningxia, as the "World Wine Capital", will bring an unprecedented unique flair to the global wine industry, and deeply impress the world with the extraordinary charm of "Chinese wines".
Finally, I wish all the guests good health and all the best!
Thank you.