Viticulture and wine-making industry boosts economy of Ningxia

The Helan Mountain along the border of Inner Mongolia's Alxa League and Ningxia, is reputed as "one of the most suitable places to grow grapes and brew wine worldwide". Thanks to its high altitude, minimal rainfall, and abundant sunshine, a strong viticulture and wine-making industry has developed over the past thirty years in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The Silver Heights Vineyard is a renowned vineyard and winery in the Helan Mountain region in Ningxia.

Gao Yuan has been running a 55 hectares winery with her French husband, Thierry Courtade. She is one of few people in China who has a diploma in viticulture and enology, which is the science of wine making.

But life could have turned out very differently for Gao Yuan if it wasn't for her father's insistence that she go to France to study.

Grapes in the Silver Heights Vineyard in Ningxia [File photo: VCG]

"I wanted to learn management. My father heard about my plan and did not support me at all. He called me one day and said he would not pay for my tuition if I refused to learn viticulture and enology in France. After I knew something about this field, and tasted various wines in that romantic country, I gradually started becoming interested in it."

After graduation, Gao Yuan had the opportunity to intern at several historic wineries, including the world-famous Chateau Calon-Segur. That's where she met her husband, Thierry, who was a professional winemaker there. Whenever Gao Yuan had any questions, Thierry helped her and gave her advice. In return, Gao Yuan invited him to dinner. They got to know each other, and over time they fell in love.

Gao Yuan and Thierry are now married and have a daughter. In Gao Yuan's hometown, Thierry is better known as Ji Li, which means "lucky" in Chinese. Thierry says he chose this name for himself because it matches his cheerful personality. He explains why he gave up his stable job in France to settle in China.

"I worked in France for roughly 20 years. I could only plant one type of grape to brew wine every year, instead of trying different varieties. In my hometown, I didn't have the opportunity to rearrange the vineyard or make any big change, but in China, I have more opportunities. It seems that everything is possible here. I can try different breeds of grapes and see which one has the potential to ferment good wine."

In the vineyard, Gao Yuan is carefully examining each bunch of grapes that are ready to be picked. She uses a professional clipper to cut off some of the bunches of grapes that have been bitten by wasps. She explains that this will make a difference to the taste of the wine.

"It is inevitable that wasps bite our grapes, and these grapes will quickly become dry, and other microorganisms will continue consuming them. We get rid of these stems, because they will ruin the favor of the wine if they are brewed with good grapes."

Meanwhile, Thierry is working in another part of the vineyard sampling grapes. The technique he uses to taste the fruit is quite different from the general practice.

"You have to choose several stems from different parts of one bunch of grapes, in order to know the fruity and sour tastes. It is hard to know the whole picture if you only taste one stem."

Gao Yuan says that their ripe grapes easily release their pinkish juice when you squeeze them between your fingers. This means that at the primary stage of fermentation, it isn't necessary to add yeast to help the fruit skin give its color to the wine.

"The crimson grape juice indicates that the grapes are mature now. You can simply use your fingers to crush and squeeze the grapes, and it is very easy to get grape juice. So, we don't need to add yeast during the brewing process at this stage, because it will destroy the natural fruit flavor."

At the end of July, the grapes will start to ripen. After the harvest, they will be delivered to approximately one hundred wineries in Ningxia and prepared for fermentation.

Chen Deqi is a head of a local winery, and has witnessed the development of the local industry. In 2007, he came to Ningxia to carry out a thorough investigation. After confirming that the Helan Mountain area is a feasible place to grow grapes, he invested 200 million yuan, around 30 million U.S. dollars, obtain the rights to cultivate nearly 7,000 hectares of land. So far, 3,500 hectares of land has been cultivated, including 2,000 hectares that are used for growing grapes. Chen's winery sold over 30 million yuan of wine in 2017, and he says that sales will likely surpass 200 million yuan this year.

"In the next five to six years, we plan to finish cultivating all of the land, and use it all for growing grapes."

To further develop the industry, the local government has released regulations covering topics like sapling importation, vineyard operations, and facility standards. Cao Kailong is a leader from the local government.

"One billion yuan will be invested into the wine-making industry by 2022. By then, ten small towns and a center for wine-making will be established."

There are now around 380,000 hectares of land in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region being used for growing grapes, accounting of one fourth of agricultural land nationwide, and 120 million bottles of wine are produced annually, making the wine industry an important driver of rapid economic growth in the region.