North-West China
A journey to Ningxia and its wines
There are countless mysteries in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a province in north-west China. Remnantsfrom the Western Zhou Dynasty (1027-771 BC) mingle with the Western Xia Dynasty (2205- 1767 BC), and it is steeped inthe Buddhist culture and ancient Chinese civilisation. Its iconic landscape formed by the Loess Plateau, the Ordos Plateauand the Helan Mountains sets it apart from other provinces.
Ningxia is one of the smallest provinces (autonomous regions) in China, with a footprint of just 66,400 km2, approximately 250km wide from East to West and 456 km long from North to South, with two tapered ends and a broad central expanse.
Located inland, in north-western China, Ningxia is bordered by the province of Shaanxi in the West, the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia to the West, and in the West and the North, and in the South by the province of Gansu. Established in 1958, the autonomous region of Ningxia has a population of 7,202,700, 35.95% of them are from ethnic minorities. This is the largest region inhabited by the Hui in China, with five prefectoral-level towns and 22 districts and towns under its jurisdiction.
Water is scarce in North-West China and Ningxia is no exception to the rule. Annual rainfall is no higher than 289 mm. With the Tengger desert to the West, the Oulan-bu desert in the North and the Mawusu desert in the East, Ningxia is like a huge sand dune. It therefore became inevitable that water would be pumped from the Yellow River for irrigation purposes.
What sometimes escapes people’s notice is its location along the 38th parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. This latitude, which experts consider to be ideal for growing vineyards, is also the location for prestigious vineyards and chateaux in Bordeaux and, across the Atlantic, the famed vineyards of California in Western Eurasia.
Ningxia enjoys nature’s gift of over 3,000 hours of sunshine annually. The terroir in these desert regions is at the root of intensely-coloured, brilliant wines with powerful yet delicate tannins and profound, rounded flavours. The industry is very proudly supported by the local population which comprises many independent communities whose history dates back over 2,000 years and is still being written today. The growth of vineyards in Ningxia is closely linked to China’s folklore, legends and heritage. The chateaux dotted across the landscape are seen as new stars emerging from an ancient land.
The eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia alluvial slope plain si located in the latitude 37.43’~39.23’of the northern hemisphere and is recognized as the “golden” area for grape growing. it is also one of the few excellent production areas that can produce high quality wines in the world. World famous wine taster Jancis Robinson fully affirmed Ningxia’s wine, saying that Ningxia is one of the most potential wine porducting areas in China. In 2003, the region was awarded the “China National Wine Geographical Indication Product” protection zone certification. In 2013, it was included in the Word Wine Map. In 2014, Ningxia was recognized by OIV as the first “provincial observer” in China. Since Jiabeilan received the Gold Award in the 2011 “Decanter” World Wine Competition, more than 400 awards at home and abord. Wine from Ningxia have become a brand name and has been fully promoted at home and abroad, making the wine business a unique “purple name tag” in Ningxia. The region attracted a number of wlle-known wine companies such as Pernod Ricard, Hennessy, Zhangyu China, and the Great Wall to build wineries in Yinchuan, wineries such as Jiabelan and Silver Highlands, among others were established and quikckly attracted the attention worldwide. in 2003, Ningxia was selected by the New York Times as one of the world’s 46 best places to visit. The reason for selection was “You can make China’s best wines in Ningxia”. China’s president Xi Jinping pointed out during the inspection tour to Ningxia from July 18 to July 20, 2016: “The eastern foot of Helan Mountain wine is of good quality. To develop the wine industry, the road is correct and we must stick to it.”
By the end of 2022, the region’s vineyard area has reached 583,000mu, accounting for 35% of the country’s total, and has become the largest encompassing production area for wine grapes in the country.116 wineries have been established in Ningxia, making the region the most concentrated area for wine enterprises. In region Ningxia, an annual production of 138 million bottles, accounting for 40% of the china wine production, the growth rate of wine exports is stable at around 30%.
Four major regions and their sub-regions
Based on different terroir conditions, the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia can be divided into fourmain zones: Shizuishan, Yinchuan, Qingtongxia and Hongsibao from north to south. Among them, Yinchuan boasts the most varied terroir conditions, which have been classed under four sub-appellations: Helan District, Jinfeng District, Xixia District and Yongning District.