Across China: Couple's vineyard takes root in China's Bordeaux

In his vineyard along the foothills of the Helan Mountain range, Frenchman Courtade Thierry is moving equipment with a forklift.

In about one month, the grapes in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region will be made into wine. Thierry is busy taking care of the plants, preventing pesticide and diseases.

"It's his daily routine," said Thierry's wife Gao Yuan. "Although he is the boss, he lives in the vineyard throughout the year and oversees everything from the soil to planting to harvest."

The Silver Heights vineyard is one of many wineries enjoying success thanks to the fertile soils around Helan Mountain, often referred to as China's Bordeaux.

By the end of 2015, about 40,000 hectares of grapes were being grown in Ningxia, the majority of the crops will be made into wine, according to statistics released at the ongoing China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit in the regional capital Yinchuan.

This makes the area the largest grape-growing region in China. There are about 85 wineries in Ningxia, producing about 100 million bottles of wine annually and there are 99 wineries under construction.

Thanks to the couple's hard work, Silver Heights-branded wines have won several awards. From 2011 to 2013, one of their wines was named the best wine in China by the China Wine Competition. In 2012, two of their brands won the gold and silver prizes in the French wine and Chinese wine categories.

The couple's story, however, is not one of overnight success. In 2000, Ningxia's wine industry was starting to take off, with the government setting plans in motion to send young professionals to study overseas and help the local wine industry.

Gao Yuan's father saw an opportunity and sent his daughter to a French vocational school for 10 months to learn the wine making ropes.

"My father said that after I returned, we would make the best wine in Ningxia," Gao said.

Despite the language barrier, Gao excelled during the 10 months and was accepted on to a more advanced course in Bordeaux. During this time, as an intern at Chateau Calon Segur, Gao met her future husband.

In 2007, Gao left Thierry and their daughter to return to Helan Mountain, where she and her father established Silver Heights.

The foothills of Helan Mountain are a perfect location for growing grapes. The soil is full of minerals, and the area has about 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, with annual rainfall of less than 200 milliliters. Located just 1,100 meters above sea level, it is easy to use the Yellow River for irrigation.

At 40 degrees north latitude, the vineyard is seated at the same latitude as the Bordeaux wine region.

With favorable weather, hard work and government support, Gao's winery soon became one of the most successful in the region.

In 2008, its wines were given top scores by Jancis Robinson, one of the three top wine testers in the world. In 2012, Thierry joined his wife in Helan Mountain.

"He uses processes developed by his own family," Gao said. "All our fine wine is made without chemical or physical filtration."

Thierry said he is very happy to work in Ningxia, not only because he is with his family, but because he enjoys his work.

"I have high hopes for the wine industry here," he said.

The local government is offering support for entrepreneurs like Thierry and Gao, with the Belt and Road Initiative drawing an increasing number of consumers to Ningxia.

The regional government plans to extend the region's grape-growing area to abut 47,000 hectares by 2020, producing around 200 million bottles of wine.

"I hope to stay here for a long time and make the best wine in the world," Thierry said. "I believe that with hard work, we will make this place as great as Bordeaux one day." Endi