Global sommelier contest set to lift Ningxia's credentials

An international sommelier championship, drawing the interest of competitors from around the world, is set to significantly boost the already strong credentials of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region as a global player in the wine producing sector, according to organizers.

Increased international exposure should grow the region's wine producing business, expanding its customer base abroad, they added.

Details about the 2018 Belt and Road International Sommelier Championship were unveiled on Monday in the region.

Competition organizers said the growers in Helan Mountain's eastern foothills in Ningxia, where China's top-quality wine grapes are to be found, are paving way to fully enter the multi-billion-dollar global market.

Organizers said that in recent years, the Ningxia wine industry has pursued the path of international development, benchmarking the international market and increasing exchanges and cooperation with the international wine industry.

The championship, which aims to boost Ningxia's international profile as a wine growing region, has reached the final draw for its competitors.

To date, 32 sommelier teams from Asia, America and Europe have announced they are participating in the event. Most of them have previously won prizes in international sommelier competitions held in the other regions, and represent the highest level achievements among sommeliers in their own countries.

The 32 teams will take part in the group competition and promotional activities in September across China, in cities including Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing and Shenzhen.

During the competition, they will exercise their skills at "experience centers" and help to popularize the wine produced in Helan Mountain range, voting for wines with the participation of local consumers.

Organizers said that for the last phase of the championship, eight finalist teams would return to Yinchuan to battle it out for the first, second prize and third prizes.

Helan Mountain is a rising star among the wine-producing regions. Located in northwestern China, it cultivates some 38,000 hectares of vines, some 25 percent of the country's total wine planting area.