STORY: World-class wine-producing zone emerges in northwest China's Gobi Desert
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Aug. 10, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:12
LOCATION: YINCHUAN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Ningxia
2. various of the Fourth China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo
3. various of Nicolas Billot-Grima's winery
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NICOLAS BILLOT-GRIMA, Co-founder of Stone & Moon Winery in Ningxia
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NICOLAS BILLOT-GRIMA, Co-founder of Stone & Moon Winery in Ningxia
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BAUDOUIN HAVAUX, Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

STORYLINE:

The Fourth China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo kicked off on Friday in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, drawing wine experts, enthusiasts and enterprises from both home and abroad.

Nicolas Billot-Grima is a regular participant in the expo. 

His winery is nestled at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain in Ningxia.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NICOLAS BILLOT-GRIMA, Co-founder of Stone & Moon Winery in Ningxia
"And after 35 years in China, I find here in Qingtongxia, the best area to me to develop the type of wine I want, which we bring the true feeling and I put a lot of passion and spirits to make the best wine from this area so to show to the world that Chinese wine and Ningxia wine will be among the best wines in the world. This is very important."

Ningxia is known for its unique grape-growing conditions. Since it produced its first bottle in 1984, it has become China's largest wine-producing region and gained prominence on the global stage.

Situated near the 38th parallel north, similar to renowned wine regions like Bordeaux in France, Ningxia's wine-producing areas enjoy an ideal terroir with a dry climate and abundant sunshine, making the region a golden zone for wine grape cultivation.

In recent years, the Ningxia government has introduced financial support policies and promoted the adoption of smart irrigation systems to advance the local wine industry.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): NICOLAS BILLOT-GRIMA, Co-founder of Stone & Moon Winery in Ningxia
"I choose to develop the vineyard here, because the condition, climatic condition is very interesting. The soil is very important, and also the climate and also the political incentive. The government helps us to bring us the irrigation, the water supply. This is very important. This is a key point to make a great vineyard. Then when you have a great vineyard, you have great fruits. And when you have great fruits, you can make great wine."

With its favorable terroir and strong policy backing, Ningxia has emerged as a burgeoning wine hub, now housing 261 wineries and grape-growing enterprises. 

The region has collaborated with more than 60 international winemakers from 23 countries.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): BAUDOUIN HAVAUX, Chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
"I started to visit Ningxia 15 years ago. I remember 15 years ago, I visited a desert. Somebody took the decision to plant grapes in these regions. And it's difficult because you never know if you will produce good wine or not. And in few years, the wines of Ningxia are in the international level. Wines are very, very good. You can compare wine from Ningxia with wines from Bordeaux or from Tuscany or from California."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yinchuan, China.
(XHTV)