As Chinese wine accelerates its push overseas, the Ningxia Helan Mountain East foothills region is stepping up efforts to expand into global markets through international trade fairs.
The region recently organised a group of wineries to exhibit at ProWein Düsseldorf in Germany, promoting its wines to international buyers through a dedicated pavilion and a series of masterclasses.
At the same time, official data show that in the first two months of 2026, Ningxia’s wine exports rose sharply, with export volumes and value increasing by 234.7% and 136.1% year-on-year, respectively. After years of sustained international promotion, wines from the region are gradually appearing on wine lists in overseas restaurants and hotels.
To further boost its global profile and expand export business, the Ningxia Helan Mountain East Foothill Grape Industry Park Management Committee organized a delegation and participated in ProWein Düsseldorf from March 15 to 17.
The delegation included eight wineries: Ren Yi Yuan Winery, Kanaan Winery, Helan Qingxue Vineyard, Xiban Winery, Mulando Winery, He Lan Hong Winery, Huangkou Winery and Chateau Huahao.
During the exhibition, the region also hosted two themed masterclasses under the title “Good Wine Originates from Unique Terroir.” The sessions were led by Li Demei, professor and head of the wine engineering department at Beijing University of Agriculture, and WSET Diploma holder Mrs. Dorian Tang, who presented eight representative wines from the region.
The Helan Mountain East foothills is China’s largest premium wine-producing region. Benefiting from the natural barrier of the Helan Mountains and irrigation from the Yellow River, the area enjoys abundant sunlight, significant diurnal temperature variation and mineral-rich soils — conditions that support the production of distinctive wines with a recognisable regional character.
The region currently has 606,000 mu (about 40,400 hectares) of wine grape vineyards, accounting for nearly 40% of China’s estate vineyard area. It is home to 131 wineries, of which 85 — or 64.9% — are registered with customs for export food production, providing a strong industrial base for overseas expansion.
This latest appearance in Germany is not the region’s first participation at ProWein. Public records show that Helan Mountain East foothills wineries have attended the fair multiple times, including a large delegation of 36 wineries in 2022, when the region received awards such as “Emerging Sustainable Wine Region.”
The region has also been active at other international trade fairs. As early as 2016, it began participating in events such as Vinexpo to promote its wines abroad, and in 2025 it organised a delegation to Foodex Japan to expand into the Japanese market.
At the same time, wines from the region have gained increasing recognition in international competitions. In a recent reassessment by the Peñín Guide in Spain, 29 wines from the Helan Mountain East foothills all scored above 93 points, with three wines receiving top scores of 96.
According to publicly available information, Ningxia wines have won nearly 1,000 awards in major competitions such as the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the Decanter World Wine Awards in recent years, boosting their international visibility and reputation.
Years of overseas promotion have significantly raised the region’s profile, helping its wines gradually enter wine lists at international restaurants and hotels, and supporting export growth.
Data released by Yinchuan Customs show that from January to February 2026, Ningxia exported 26,000 litres of wine worth RMB 2.078 million (about $290,000), placing it among the leading wine-exporting regions in China.
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