Is Ningxia the Next Champagne?

With Chinese reds and whites well-established and even winning awards, the next notch to make on the winery post will be bubbly. Chances are slim, but in three years you could be asking for a bottle of Ningxia, not Champagne.

Moët, the famous bubbly brand that produces Dom Perignon and Krug, has reached a deal with a state-owned agricultural group for 163 acres in Ningxia where grapes will be grown for producing a Chinese sparkling wine.

Planting is expected to start next spring and the Ningxia sparkling wine could be ready in three years, and will offer a cheaper celebratory option to Champagne which is subject to high import duties.

Ningxia is the region that boasts the internationally awarded Jia Bei Lan’s 2009 vintage, from the Helan Qingxue winery.

Photo: The Telegraph/GETTY