A major name in northern Xinjiang
Niya is the wine brand of CITIC Guoan Wine, the company formerly known as Suntime, one of the main wine producers of Xinjiang. Professor Li Demei lists it among the region's main wineries, and Decanter names CITIC Niya among the producers to know in the Tianshan North Foothills, Xinjiang's largest wine area, at about 44° north.
Vineyards in Manas and Fukang
The company sources most of the grapes grown in Manas County, and the vineyards around the city of Fukang are mainly its own. Both lie on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, where regular winter snow cover helps protect the buried vines.
Why it matters
CITIC Niya is one of the large companies that built Xinjiang into China's biggest grape-growing region, and a key name for understanding the wines of the far west.