Credit: Xinhua/Wang Peng

The fifth China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, has reported a “subtle transformation” in its wine industry.

With China's evolving consumer landscape, wine is no longer restricted to “formal banquets and professional tasting events”, the expo found, and as a result is becoming more accessible.

At the expo, located in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, canned wines from the Ningxia State Farm Winery have seen popularity, with the company also offering products such as creamy jasmine wine, lemon oolong tea wine, black coffee wine and alcohol-free options. These products drove 20% of the company's sales growth in 2024, said Li Shuang, the winery's sales manager.

Ningxia is China’s largest wine-producing region, with prolonged sunshine hours and a cool, dry climate aiding the cultivation of grapes, and its eastern foot of Helan Mountain regarded as a "golden zone" for grape cultivation and high-end wine production.

By the end of 2024, the region had more than 600,000 mu (about 40,000 hectares) of wine grape plantations and an annual wine output of 140 million bottles, with wines exported to over 40 countries and regions.

Last month, Yinchuan also hosted a marathon that saw 43 local wineries offer 28,000 runners free vineyard tours, tastings and exclusive discounts for wine purchases.

"We're transforming the entire city into a living wine museum," said Li Bingjie, director of Yinchuan's wine industry development service center. "Visitors can fully immerse themselves in the journey from grape to glass."

Speaking at the expo's opening ceremony, Yvette van der Merwe, president of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, said that the organisation has for many years observed and supported the rise of China's grape and wine industry, with the country being an important wine consumer and table grape producer.

"I see the energy that the growth of Ningxia Helan Mountain's east foothill region has contributed to the Chinese wine industry, and I am confident that it will bring new inspiration and opportunities to the global wine community," van der Merwe added.