Cool rewards for ice wine pioneers

The center is a public service institution co-founded by the local government, China Agricultural University and local companies.

Sun said Ji'an produces highquality ice wine, with its output accounting for one-sixth of the world's total.

Kong Qingsen, who operates a local winery, said that to guarantee a sweet taste, local farmers have to pick the grapes in mid-December, when the temperature is neither too high nor too low.

"The grapes will melt if it's too hot and will be frostbitten if it's too cold," Kong said, adding that the picking has to be done before the sun rises, as sunshine will also melt the frozen grapes.

Since 2016, Kong has seen all of the 50,000 to 60,000 bottles of ice wine produced by his winery every year sell out.

Over the past five years, Ji'an wineries have won more than 36 prizes around the world, including at the international wine contest in Brussels, Belgium. Their midrange products are now sold for around 1,000 yuan ($143) a bottle.

Farmer Sun Lianbo from Qingshi township grew grapes for 30 years before learning how to make ice wine from the R & D center. Now, he sells his homemade ice wine online.

"Compared with growing grapes, the ice wine business is far more profitable," he said. "I can earn an additional income of more than 100,000 yuan annually simply by selling ice wine online."

Ji'an is now home to 20 wineries and more than 2,500 households are engaged in the growing of Amur grapes, with an annual yield of 20,000 tons. The grapes are provided to local wineries, as well as famous domestic wine brands such as Zhang Yu and Great Wall.

Since 2016, the city has held an annual ice wine festival, attracting tourists and wine connoisseurs alike.

"We plan to develop chateau tourism so that more consumers can enjoy the taste of sweet ice wine and the beauty of the Yalu River," Kong said.

XINHUA