Young vintners reap rewards in China's 'Bordeaux' as brand awareness grows

YINCHUAN - In the early 2000s, the eastern foothill of Helan Mountain in Northwest China was nothing but a vast expanse of Gobi Desert. Today, young people here are busy tasting a variety of wines in vineyards dotted throughout the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

"I insisted on studying for a Master's degree in winemaking in 2007, though my parents worried it would be hard for me to find a job. But they were wrong," said Liang Hong, 33, a winner of several international wine medals.

Ningxia's abundant sunshine, irrigation from the Yellow River, the right temperatures and good air circulation, reminded Liang of what he learned in college about the ideal climate for growing wine grapes.