Ningxia's wineries brew up vintage success

Wine grower Wang Caixia has worked in the Chateau Zhihui Yuanshi vineyard for more than 10 years.

The 55-year-old never expected to see President Xi Jinping standing in the local fields, but last month, during an inspection tour of Ningxia, Xi visited the vineyard and said the wine industry has great prospects, especially as the living standards of Chinese people continue to rise.

"I was too excited to speak when I saw the president. He was standing in the field, chatting with a dozen vine growers," Wang said.

She earns 2,000 yuan a month doing work such as using a seed drill and picking grapes with other workers in the 66.7-hectare vineyard. "I don't want to leave the vineyard. Staying at home doing nothing is not satisfying. I'm really happy working here," she said.

Though she grows some of the best grapes in China, Wang said she is unable to comment on the taste of the wine. "I can't tell if it's good or not, but I know our grapes are great and tourists like our wine," she said.

For Wang, the winemaking process is a mystery, but taking care of the grapes, the most important raw material, has given her an interesting and moderately prosperous life.