A national-level expo focused on wine was held in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Wine pavilions dedicated to globally renowned regions such as France and Italy were set up, and a competition was also held on-site where dishes pairing well with wine were prepared and evaluated.
On the 9th, the 4th Ningxia International Wine Culture Tourism Expo, hosted by the People's Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Yinchuan, was held at the Ningxia Yinchuan International Convention Center. This expo has been held since 2021 to promote the development of China's wine industry, strengthen international exchanges, boost economic and trade cooperation, and advance the global wine industry.
On the 9th, the 4th Ningxia International Wine Culture Tourism Expo was held at the International Convention Center located in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)
On the 9th, the 4th Ningxia International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo was held at the International Convention Center located in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. (Photo by Kim Hyunjung)
The Helan Mountain area in Yinchuan, through which the Yellow River flows, was a barren land where sand and gravel were mined until the 1970s. However, the ecological environment?characterized by ample sunlight, significant temperature differences between day and night, low rainfall, and mineral-rich gravelly soil?proved suitable for grape cultivation, leading to the emergence of wineries around 1980. Yinchuan is located at an altitude of 1000 meters on the 38th parallel north, known as a golden zone for wineries worldwide, similar to Bordeaux in France.
At this International Wine Culture Tourism Expo, for the first time since its opening, a competition was held on-site to select dishes that pair well with wine. Famous chefs from across China prepared the eight major Chinese cuisines at the event venue, which were then tasted together with wine and scored to determine rankings. The local Ningxia representative brand, Helan Hong wine, was selected as the wine for this cooking competition.
Jiang Pai, CEO of Sha Mu Winery in China and an expert judge, stated, "China is a great culinary nation," adding, "Historically, the pairing of alcohol and food has been important, and wine will become a part of Chinese culinary culture in the future."
As of the end of 2023, the grape cultivation area here accounts for 40% of the total grape cultivation area in China. More than 130 wineries operate within Ningxia alone, producing 140 million bottles of wine annually, which is about 50% of the total production across China.
The brand value of wines from the Helan Mountain area alone is 33.07 billion yuan (approximately 6.2809 trillion KRW), and they are exported to more than 40 countries and regions. Wineries with distinct characteristics are rapidly emerging as tourist destinations; last year alone, winery tour visitors totaled 3 million people, and the related tourism market size reached 40.16 billion yuan.
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