While the global wine industry has been predominantly led by men, in China a different story is emerging. Take Emma Gao. She is Chief Winemaker of Silver Heights in China’s Ningxia province. She is among the first Chinese women to get an oenology degree, having honed her craft after a stint in the French Bordeaux … Read more
In Zhongwei, a city in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, fighting poverty seems to be a never-ending battle. While the country as a whole has made tremendous gains in living standards, in July, the city’s Shapotou district announced that 28 more individuals had been added to a poverty relapse watch list. The officials who … Read more
In a desert region of northwestern China, Liu Li speaks proudly of how the once barren sands have been transformed in recent years into rolling vineyards, helping the region become one of the heartlands of the country’s domestic wine industry. “We have turned a yellow sand area into a golden one,” says Liu, workshop director … Read more
As the female winemaker who put Chinese vintages on the map for the first time, Zhang Jing of winery Helan Qingxue is a trailblazer, but no anomaly. From the dusty vineyards of China’s countryside to its chic metropolitan bars, women are at the forefront of the country’s increasingly vibrant wine scene, spurring innovation at every … Read more
What does it take to become a winemaker for one of the largest producers in the world? For Steph Dutton, a senior winemaker for Penfolds, it started with working in hospitality in Melbourne, Australia, where she was born. “I was doing my honours [degree] in genetics and, like a lot of good university students, I … Read more
Maintaining stability and guarding against independence activities are the top priorities for security personnel in Tibetan areas, China’s security chief said during a trip to the western regions last week. Chen Wenqing, head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission – the ruling Communist Party’s top security body – said security forces must “resolutely … Read more
The officials are expected to bring expertise in areas such as rocket science, nuclear power and environmental protection. Huang belongs to a group of rising political stars with backgrounds in science and engineering. Born in the eastern Zhejiang province, he is a senior engineer with a doctorate in management science and engineering from Northwestern Polytechnical … Read more
When one thinks of wine, countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile and Argentina are likely to come to mind before China. However, as the third largest country in the world by land mass, many parts of China are suitable for growing grapes and making wine. To give some perspective, Xinjiang, the region with … Read more
