Louise Hurren sheds light on the rapid evolution of the Chinese wine market through profiles of five over-achievers in wine-minded Ningxia.
Of China's six key grape-growing regions, autonomous Ningxia has the distinction of being heavily backed specifically as a wine producer by the local government.
Situated 550 miles (885 km) south west of Beijing, it already has around 100 wineries (French heavyweights LVMH and Pernod Ricard have both invested here), and a vineyard area of roughly 40,000 ha (98,850 acres) which runs along the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain. The arid, sandy soils are planted with ungrafted vines (predominantly...