The most important wine-growing area in the centre of China was officially declared a pilot zone in mid-2021 in order to increase the quality and reputation of the wines. It is a high plateau at 1,100 metres above sea level with soils of clay, loess and sand with a high humus content. The climate is characterised by 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and a growing season without precipitation. Therefore, the vineyards are artificially irrigated with the waters of the Yellow River. Here, under the advice of the Austrian Laurenz Maria Moser, a farm of the multinational Yantai Changyu was established. In 2019, the vineyards covered 33,000 hectares (490,000 mu) of vines. A doubling is planned by 2025 and around 100,000 hectares by 2030, which corresponds to the size of Germany. There are 27 different grape varieties cultivated, but there is no official list. There are 211 registered wineries, which amounts to one third of all registered wineries in China. In total, there are over 20 Chinese and over 60 international winemakers in Ningxia. The production volume of Chinese winery bottlings (estate/château bottled) is around 60%.
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Dominik Trick
Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg