"Wine management technology in each winery of Ningxia varies widely: some of them are highly advanced, while others are relatively outdated. I think if this wine region wants to keep making good wines, this issue should be taken seriously," he added.

Eleni Papdakis, a winemaker from the United States, said the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain has huge potential, while Ningxia needs to broaden its horizons, try more varieties and put more effort into branding and marketing.

Li Demei, leading Chinese wine expert and professor at Beijing Agriculture University, said: "The arrival of foreign winemakers has catapulted the Ningxia wine-producing region and its winemaking technical teams closer to the international arena."

On the other hand, he said, foreign winemakers will need to have good understanding of local conditions, including the climate and soil, to be able to put their winemaking concepts and skills to good use.

As to the progress of Ningxia wines in the international market, Li said there was no need to rush.

"The Chinese wine market is the fastest-growing in the world," he said.

"The whole world is vying for the market, so of course it should also be the priority of Chinese local wines."

Cao said that the local authorities have been cooperating with international wine traders and professional institutions to promote Ningxia's brands.

The administration has also signed an agreement with Liv-ex, a global marketplace for professional buyers and sellers of fine wine in London, hoping to launch a futures index for Ningxia's wines soon, according to Cao.

Meanwhile, the region continues to attract investment from international winemakers and distributors. French companies LVMH and Pernod Ricard, as well as Spanish wine producer Torres, have made notable investments to build wineries in Ningxia.

Su Long, estate director of Chandon China, the sparkling wine brand owned by LVMH, said that the company has invested 170 million yuan in Ningxia and planned to boost its production to 1.8 million bottles a year by 2019.

Contact the writer at lixiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/29/2017 page12)