Grape expectations

Ningxia's wine country is developing allures beyond the vino it bottles, Liu Weiling and Li Yingxue report in Yinchuan.

The World Top 10 Most Promising Wine Tourism Destinations were revealed during the World Wine Tourism Forum in Yinchuan, capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Oct 22.

Ningxia was among the soughtafter destinations, along with such places as Chile's Maipo, New Zealand's Wairarapa, Canada's Quebec and Japan's Yamanashi.

The forum held on Oct 22 was part of the Ninth International Wine Expo of Helan Mountains' East Foothill.

Themed "In the wine capital, we embrace the purple dream", the event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Ningxia's government.

Regina Vanderlinde, president of the Paris-based International Organization of Vine and Wine, says she felt fortunate to experience Ningxia's vitality.

"With the support of the government's preferential policies and improving product quality and recognition, the Ningxia production area has achieved significant development," she said at the opening ceremony.

Ningxia's Helan Mountains are considered one of the world's "golden areas" for winemaking. It not only produces quality wine but also possesses strong wine-tourism potential.