Ningxia's wines making the transition to the top table

Overseas orders rising

According to Zeng Xiaojun, owner of Chateau Lansai, in recent years the overwhelming volume of orders has seen her 1,000-square-meter-plus wine cellar struggle to store bottles of wine waiting to be delivered.

At present, she is busy preparing to expand the cellar space to accommodate the growing number of orders from overseas.

Zeng said the winery is in discussions with Costco, a supermarket chain in the United States, so wine lovers in the US may soon enjoy high-quality wines produced in Ningxia.

Like Chateau Lansai, wines from the Copower Jade Winery have been among the early pioneers of opening-up to the international market.

Last month, Copower's wine was presented at an expo in the British Museum in London, where it was exposed to first-line buyers and distributors from around the world.

Zhang Yanli, Copower's owner, expressed confidence that the show would promote the development of Ningxia wines in the British market.

Located in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains, which run along the 38th parallel north, the Earth's golden ratio line, Ningxia has many conditions that are conducive to the development of the local wine industry.

For example, the abundant light and heat, soil filled with rare elements, and daily temperature fluctuations have created a unique natural environment that is ideal for growing quality grapes and producing high-end wines.

Those factors mean that many experts regard the area as one of the best wine-growing regions in the world, alongside Burgundy in France and the Napa Valley in the US state of California.

He Hong, owner of the Ningxia Yangyang International Winery, has devoted over two decades of study and research to winemaking in the region. The area's unique natural conditions, paired with a continental climate, make the region highly suitable for producing great wines, he said.