A burgeoning wine-growing region comes up with a novel way of turning itself into a world contender

From the four corners of the Earth they came, armed with the knowledge, wisdom and patience that would help them and their hosts rise to the challenge placed before them.

For the 48 winemakers from 16 countries, this remote area of China would become not only their second home, but also a test lab over the past two years as they aimed to find the perfect drop.

They came from premier wine growing regions such as Clare Valley in South Australia, Colchagua Valley in Chile, Bordeaux in France and Marlborough in New Zealand - and from less well known wine-making countries such as Bulgaria, India and Moldova - eager to see what they could do with a terroir that is fast turning the region into a winner with the world's wine connoisseurs.

The aim: to produce a wine that could match the region with the world's best. The reward, apart from medals of gold or silver and the opportunity to create a new wine sensation: a share in a 700,000 yuan ($106,000; 89,980 euros; ￡82,580) bounty put into the hat by the government of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

To win a prize, each of the entrants was given tutelage over a 3-hectare block of land and was paired with a local winery to produce a cabernet.

Those efforts came to full fruition on Aug 29 when five international winemakers including Justin Corrans of South Africa from Chateau Lanxuan and Tony Kalleske of Australia from Legacy Peak Estate claimed the gold prize. The silver prize went to 10 winemakers including Nova Cadamatre of the United States from Chateau Lansai, Matthew Van Der Spuy of the United Kingdom from Domaine Luoshan and Mariana Paze of Argentina from Chateau Bacchus.

However, the biggest winner of all was the wine industry of Ningxia Hui, centered on the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains, whose winemakers have been the beneficiaries of barrel loads of indispensable expertise and tips over the past two years.

Yet as crucial as these may be in shaping the industry in the area over the coming years, it is not as though the region is exactly new to winemaking. Wines from the eastern foothills have won more than 200 international prizes over the past few years, and Jancis Robinson, a respected British wine critic, has said the region is on the cusp of being able to produce world-class wines.

That evaluation has been validated by the interest of so many international winemakers in the competition, which was its second vintage, the first being the Ningxia International Winemakers Challenge in 2012. Compared with the latest competition, that one was small, with 10 winemakers from Australia, France, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and the United States.

"No would waste their time if there was nothing in this," says Cao Kailong, director of the Ningxia Bureau of Grape Industry Development, which organized the competition.

"They come because they believe this area has what it takes to create legends."

That ability, as is almost always the case in winemaking, boils down to one essential element: geography.

The region receives 1,700 to 2,000 hours of sunshine a year and little rainfall - 150 to 240 mm - and its cool nights help grapes develop acidity and flavor.

The Yellow River, which runs through the area, has helped make its soil composition a favorable mixture of sand, clay and minerals. An altitude of about 1,300 meters and extremely dry air mean no pesticides are needed to keep the vines healthy.

The region has about 40,000 hectares of vineyards, the world's second-largest after Bordeaux, and there are 83 established wineries and 113 more being built, Cao said.

"The presence of international winemakers has been helping improve the quality of the wines and enrich the local winemaking technique and winery management.

"Locals can learn from the expertise of their partners, whether it be with knowledge, ideas or techniques. Their presence has also developed our confidence in China not only being a big consumer of wines but in becoming a major producer of fine wines."

Renger Mathias, an Austrian winemaker who took part in the competition, says: "I wanted to be part of the team that helps the Chinese wine industry become a landmark on the global wine map, to reflect its globally unique terroir."

Over the two years of the competition, winemakers stayed for varying periods in the area. At least one, Thierry Courtade, who had worked for 23 years for Chateau Calon Segurin in Bordeaux, chose to settle down after he married a local woman.

Courtade became acquainted with Chinese wines and the region through his wife, Emma Gao, who was an intern at the Bordeaux winery.

"The wine industry in France has reached such a high level that it can go no higher," Courtade says. "But here in Ningxia, I am able to try new things, planting different grape varieties that suit the soil and applying different winemaking techniques."

While Bordeaux has stringent regulations specifying which varieties of grapes, materials and techniques can be used in certain regions, Ningxia is open to all kinds of trials and has yet to introduce similar rules, Courtade says.

Nevertheless, the oenologists of the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and those who come in to lend them a helping hand still have their work cut out before their wines are accepted as top of the class throughout the world.

Gaston Sepulveda, a competition entrant from Argentina, says the local government needs to put more effort into branding and keeping up with winemaking technology.

"The wines here are very good, but it's difficult to see Ningxia's wine in the international consumer market. I think this is something Ningxia should pay attention to.

"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."

Eleni Papdakis, an entrant from the US, says the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain have huge potential, and Ningxia needs to broaden its horizons, try more varieties and put more effort into branding and marketing.

Contact the writers at lixiang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 09/08/2017 page26)