French winemaker pursues world-class wine in NW China

YINCHUAN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nicolas Billot-Grima recalls the night years ago when he stood on a hill in the barren Gobi Desert and saw huge stones everywhere.

Looking up at the sky, he couldn't help but exclaim, "I've never seen such a big moon in France."

This is how Stone and Moon Winery, which is located at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, obtained its name. Billot-Grima, the sixth generation of a wine family from Bordeaux, France, was attracted to Ningxia's favorable terroir and chose to "make world-class wine here" after exploring many famous wine-producing regions around the world.

"I will be 60 years old next year, and I've spent more than half of my life in China," said Billot-Grima, whose love affair with China began more than 30 years ago.

In 1987, Billot-Grima, then 22, ventured to China to work for a wine business. He has since helped build several wineries across the country, including in Shandong, Xinjiang and Yunnan.

The Frenchman was instrumental in introducing Marselan, an important grape variety, to China. Marselan was quite new at the time, even in France, he explained. "It tastes a little spicy, so I thought maybe it's suitable for China."

It turned out to be a success. The first harvest of wine made from Marselan received high recognition from the industry. China is the world's second-largest producer of Marselan, and it is widely available in Ningxia wineries.

"Marselan found the best growing environment in China, where it shows a unique charm," said Baudouin Havaux, chairman of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

With a dry climate and abundant sunshine, the eastern foot of Helan Mountain is widely regarded as a "golden zone" for grape growing and high-end wine production, which impressed Billot-Grima deeply when he first visited this location in 2012 to compete in a contest.

"Ningxia's wine-producing areas enjoy a unique terroir, which is an ideal place to make the wine I want," said Billot-Grima, who relocated to Ningxia and established Stone and Moon Winery in 2017.

Billot-Grima has poured his heart into the Ningxia vineyard, importing high-quality equipment and assembling an international team of winemakers from France, Chile and Argentina. The first wine they produced won an international award.

"Wine is not a standardized product, so we have to adapt ourselves to new changes every year," said Billot-Grima. "We can collect more information and knowledge through cooperation from all over the world, which helps us find the solution quickly."

In June this year, wine from the eastern foot of Helan Mountain, representing China, was showcased for the first time at the Bordeaux Wine Festival 2024. During the event, Billot-Grima served wine to customers from several countries.

"They said it's wonderful and they couldn't believe it's made in China," he said.

From Helan Mountain to Bordeaux, the relationship between China and France in grape farming and winemaking continues to deepen. China is expected to join the International Organisation of Vine and Wine this year, which Billot-Grima welcomes.

"It can show officially that China is a big wine country and China can improve by exchanging with other countries as well," he said.

In the vineyard, Billot-Grima and his team are busy preparing for the upcoming harvest. "Bordeaux is known for its wine, and so it can be for Ningxia. I hope to show the world in the near future that Ningxia's wine is among the best wines in the world," he concluded.