Big ambitions from old vines
Xige Estate was founded in 2017 by Zhang Yanzhi, a wine importer trained as an oenologist, who bought about 1,000 hectares of vineyards in the Qingtongxia sub-region, south of Yinchuan. The vines had been planted around two decades earlier and are considered old by Ningxia standards. The estate lies in the Gezi Mountain area, whose name means 'Dove Mountain', on an alluvial fan between the Helan Mountains and the Yellow River.
Fast growth
Xige has grown at remarkable speed. Today it farms about 2,000 hectares, and its winery, covering 28,000 square metres, was built with 200,000 stones taken from its own vineyards. Decanter has described it as one of the largest and fastest-growing fine-wine estates in China. In 2026 its founder announced plans to take the company public within five years and to expand into other Chinese wine regions.
Cabernet Gernischt as a signature
While most Ningxia estates focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, Xige has made Cabernet Gernischt, China's historic grape now identified as Carmenère, its variety of choice. Its Jade Dove Single Vineyard Cabernet Gernischt, whose label features a dove painted by the Song dynasty emperor Huizong, won a Silver medal with 92 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023. The Grand Vin blends Cabernet Gernischt with Cabernet Sauvignon, and the N series covers a range of varieties, including Chardonnay and Malbec.
Why it matters
Xige represents a new model in Chinese wine: quality wine at large scale, with a strong identity built around a grape China can call its own.