Best of the bunch

In contrast to the isolation of Grace in Shanxi, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region has a concentration of many good wineries, particularly in the foothills of the Helan Mountain range. Ningxia is now widely deemed the nation's top wine region and attracts a steady flow of critics, consultants and winemakers from around the world.

Among the best wineries is Kanaan, run by Wang Fang, who likes to call herself "Crazy Fang". Wang returned to Ningxia in 2011 after spending a decade in Germany, where she fell in love with riesling, which led her to focus on this grape variety in China. While her riesling (150 yuan) and semisweet white wines (both 150 yuan) are worthy tipples, the real winner is the Pretty Pony cabernet merlot (295 yuan). This red blend gives your taste buds a ripe, juicy, fruity ride and is agreeable to both newcomers and wine aficionados alike. Kanaan is partnered with Summergate/Pudao Wines.