47TH WORLD CONGRESS OF VINE AND WINE

YINCHUAN, OCTOBER 13 /SRNA/ - The World Congress of Vine and Wine and the General Assembly of the International Organization of Vine and Wine /OIV/ opened in Yinchuan, in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The theme of the 47th Congress is "Building a New Global Framework for Viticulture and Winemaking." Participants are focusing on industry transformation, innovation and sustainable development. The congress also featured a symposium on the high-quality development of China's viticulture and wine industry, as well as other thematic events. The International Organization of Vine and Wine is an intergovernmental scientific and technical organization active in the fields of viticulture and winemaking worldwide. OIV President Yvette van der Merwe said at the opening that Ningxia had become a recognized wine-producing region on the global wine map in a relatively short period of time. She said the international wine community was not only following the growth in production, but was increasingly interested in wines that reflect China's distinctive characteristics and identity. Ningxia has valuable experience in this respect and can contribute to the global dialogue on wine, China Media Group quoted her as saying. The area of vineyards dedicated to wine production in Ningxia has exceeded 40,000 hectares. The region is home to 130 wineries, with annual bottled wine production reaching 140 million bottles. Ningxia wines are exported to more than 40 countries and regions.