Workers pick grapes at a vineyard on Mount Helan in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.Photos By Peng Zhaozhi / Xinhua |
In his vineyard along the foothills of the Helan Mountains, Frenchman Thierry Courtade is moving equipment with a forklift.
In about one month, the grapes in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region will be made into wine. Thierry is busy taking care of the plants, preventing pesticides and diseases.
"It's his daily routine," said Gao Yuan, Courtade's wife. "Although he is the boss, he lives in the vineyard throughout the year and oversees everything from the soil to planting and the harvesting."
The Silver Heights vineyard is one of many wineries enjoying success thanks to the fertile soils around Mount Helan, often referred to as China's Bordeaux.
By the end of last year, about 40,000 hectares of grapes were being grown in Ningxia, with the majority of the crops to be made into wine, according to statistics released at the China-US Tourism Leadership Summit held recently in Yinchuan, the regional capital.
This makes the area the largest grape-growing region in China. There are about 85 wineries in Ningxia, which produce about 100 million bottles of wine annually, and there are 99 wineries under construction.
Thanks to the couple's hard work, Silver Heights-branded wines have won several awards. From 2011 to 2013, one of their wines was named the "Best Wine in China" by the China Wine Competition. In 2012, two of their brands won the gold and silver prizes in the French wine and Chinese wine categories.
However, the couple's story is not one of overnight success. In 2000, Ningxia's wine industry was starting to take off, with the government setting plans in motion to send young professionals to study overseas and help the local wine industry.
Gao Yuan's father saw an opportunity and sent his daughter to a French vocational school for 10 months to learn about winemaking.
"My father said that after I returned, we would make the best wine in Ningxia," Gao said.
