Though he arrived looking for property development opportunities, grapes turned out to be the most promising business for Chen Deqi, owner of Ningxia Daylong Winery Co.

A subsidiary of his Daysun Group based in Bangkok, Thailand, he has put five years and 800 million yuan ($130 million) in the winery.

In China, he also runs food and real estate businesses. But he's concentrating on Ningxia's grapes after he found their extraordinary qualities.

The 57-year-old was in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region for a development deal in 2007. But he came across land at the foot of Helan Mountains that changed his mind and business course.

"I see it's so unique and full of potential in sunlight, temperature, altitude, aridity, quality of spring water and air. The place beats everywhere else I've been to," Chen said.

It's an opportunity no shrewd businessman would pass by, he said.

So Chen started to work on his plot of land, building protective forests and water conservation sites while experimenting with seedlings imported from France and Italy.

He plans to produce wines from the best grapes and develop a site for tourism with an international flavor.

Chen's blueprint calls for Italian, French and South-African style chateaus. "The wines will still bear the signature of Ningxia but the sites will reflect the world's landscape.

"The preparation is long and hard, but I'll wait until all things are settled in place," he said.

He hopes the whole Helan Mountains area will become another tourism spot after the Mausoleum of the Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227) and the Helan Mountains Petroglyph, which are not too far away.

Despite the challenges, he's confident of what the wines will bring.

"The quality of wine depends on the grapes. The grapes here are fragrant, beautiful in color, and have the right amount of everything," he said. "Besides, I have a technique that rivals anyone else and I can double my production every year."

His wine will go on the market next year. Chen calculates the site can produce 4,000 tons of wine in three years and can easily return his investment by then.

"I already sell puffed food to every corner of the world," the Thai with Fujian ancestry said. "There is no reason why I cannot sell Ningxia wine all over the world."

sunye@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/23/2013 page9)