Ningxia, China’s premier wine region in northwestern China, seems to have uncorked more overseas markets in the pandemic year, with a record year of wines exported, according to data released by the province’s customs department.
The wine region saw an increase of 46.4% in wine exports in 2020, compared with a year ago despite the pandemic, according to data released by Yinchuan customs department.
Total export value arrived at RMB 2.65 million (US$408,500), with main destinations being the US, Europe, Australia and Japan.
The increase is in line with Ningxia’s growing reputation as a fine wine producing region. The area around the eastern hillsides of Helan Mountains, which runs north from south separating Inner Mongolia’s encroaching desert to the valley area near Yinchuan, is prized as the most promising wine growing area in Ningxia.
Top wines from the region such as Jade Vineyard, Xige, and Silver Heights were highly rated by wine critics from Wine Advocate and James Suckling.com in their latest Chinese wine report.
However, the export value is meagre and is dwarfed by the region’s overall production. The region is home to about 100 operating wineries and produces around 130 million bottles of wines a year, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region’s secretary general Zhao Yongqing told state news agency Xinhua.
Overall output value from Ningxia’s wine industry amounted to RMB 261 million (US$40.2 million), Zhao added.
