Ningxia is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Since ancient times, it has been famed as a frontier area that is fertile, abundant and picturesque like the south of the Yangtze River. Now added to the enchanting land is Chateau Changyu Moser XV, which is jointly built by Chinese leading wine company Changyu and Moser Family of Europe. On May 18, 2014 when it was officially opened for business, we came to this wonderland out of our passion for fine wine and travel. The Chateau is built on a land of over 200 hectares with a construction area of 13,000 square meters, and its main building is in Byzantine style. It integrates tourism, wine tasting, wine storage, wine culture promotion, convention and reception as a whole. The Tasting Center of 5,000-plus square meters is mainly for wine-themed catering and high-end business functions. As Ningxia’s first tourism destination of wine industry, the Chateau is also the only demonstration area of wine industry chain and vine & wine theme park in Ningxia. Even before setting foot inside the chateau, we were already awe-struck by its majestic air. The high imposing obelisks on both sides of the main entrance indicate ample sunshine for the grapevine growth. From far away, facing the main entrance, the main building looks graceful and mysterious in the soft sunlight.

    Water Castle- A Romantic Dreamland

A string of fountains connect the main building with the entrance. Statues of angels playing with water are so full of life on both sides of the fountains, and a water spray mist curls up lazily, creating a fairyland aura., With scenic spots interlinked by water, the chateau is designed like a water castle, borrowing inspiration from the“72 connecting lakes”in Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia, which boasts a great number of lakes and wetlands.        

In the chateau we saw several couples. They selected this romantic venue for either a western castle wedding, or wedding dress photo taking. Dotted with the French-style castle in water, the vast vineyard and the white wedding dress, this place smells love.

    Wine’s Secrets in Time Tunnel and Dome Cinema

To get to know Changyu, a 200-meter skywalk is a must, which showcases the history of Changyu, the chateau’s layout, and star wine products. Walking in this world’s longest wine-themed gallery, you may feel like wandering in a time tunnel of wine history, culture and art.

At the end of the gallery stands the Dome Cinema. According to our guide, it is the first dome cinema in northwest China. The movie on show is the first original wine-themed movie, with music composed by a famous musician and played by the Asian Philharmonia Orchestra. When the movie starts, the huge screen stretches from front to far behind viewers’ back, pulling them right into wine barrel, where a virtual tour starts. Together with grapes in the fictitious wine world, the viewers have an amazing experience through grape-picking, fermentation, and aging, up to variation into excellent wines.

Leaving the Cinema, we entered into the primitive but gorgeous lobby through a mysterious door of the main building. Wine themed murals on the arched ceiling give an inexplicable feeling of mystery and admiration.

     The way from the lobby to the visitors’aisle of production feels like a space leap. To our astonishment, there is a modern wine production line inside. Through the huge glass window, we could see the whole bottling line, complete with bottle washing, filling, corking, up to capping and labeling. The underground cellar seems like another world, with a wave of chill and strong aroma welcoming our arrival. We couldn’t help lowering our voice in this surrounding for fear of disturbing the fine wines in their deep sleep.

    The cellar is a place to witness miracle, where we were supposed to find the secrets of the finest wine in China. From the introduction of our guide, we detected some clues. The temperature of the biggest underground cellar in Ningxia is kept constantly at 14-16 ℃ throughout the year, while the humility is kept at 70%-80%, as required by the world class management here. There are more than 1,000 oak barrels, which are imported from famous oak barrel producing countries such as France and America, etc.

     The wine storage area must be the dream place for wine lovers to store their beloved wines, where wines enjoy the best environment to ensure their quality and wait to be picked up when the time is suitable.

     Wine Museum- A Showcase of Changyu Culture

     In Wine Museum on the second floor of the Castle, we learned how the Chateau got its name. The Chateau is named after its chief wine maker Laurenz Moser, the 15th generation of Lenz Moser family, a famous wine family in Europe with a history of over 400 years. The family’s famous member is Dr. Lorenz Moser XIII—the legendary "Grandpa Grüner," whose “high training system” revolutionized vineyard cultivation right across Europe.

     On show there were many old photos and cultural relics of Changyu since its establishment in 1892, from which we got to know the glorious history of Changyu and its recent achievements in international arena. We were impressed by how well Changyu managed to build a kingdom of wine, a necessity of life with foreign origin. 

     European Castle- A Paradise for Games, Sightseeing, DIY Wine and Gourmet Food

     Wine themed interactive game hall is for the children. Many small interaction games, designed with new technology, will introduce wine knowledge through playing and take you into the embrace of nature.

Good wine is mostly determined by its base ingredient, so the secret must lie in the vineyard. The grapevines are spaciously and evenly rowed to ensure enough sunlight and nutrition for each grapevine. In fruit bearing season, only 10 bunches of grapes are allowed on each vine, and shall be 60cm-80cm above the earth. Even each grape is required to be in the same size.

     You can also become a wine maker and DIY your own wine. Destem the grapes you picked from the vine; squeeze them in a wood basin; put the juice and skin into the fermentation bottle, and cork the bottle- so starts the life course of your own wine. It is full of fun in the winemaking process, while label making can be more creative. You can give a free rein to your imagination and produce you own memorable wine label.

     The best part is saved for the last. You will have such a wonderful experience to taste various delicate and complicated aromas and ripeness of tannin under the guidance of professionals. or you can just enjoy the pleasure of tasting the wine, forgetting about all those difficult vocabularies.

     The Chateau Changyu Moser XV Grand Vin has gained quite a reputation since its launching. It is called “the best wine in China” by Jancis Robinson, also highly praised by world famous Master of Wine like Michel Bettane and Jeannie Cho Lee. It has also been given a permanent place on its shelves in BBR, the most famous and oldest royal wine dealer in the UK. The Chateau’s second wine is called Changyu Moser Family, and is expected to be put in European mainstream market soon, which alone speaks for its quality.

     With the company of fine wine, there must be fine cuisine. In this European styled chateau, its dining hall has an air of aristocracy. The decoration, the color, the lamps, the artworks, all smell classic European aristocracy. The menu is elaborately prepared by chefs of state banquet together with professional Master of Wine. For whichever dish, you can always find the one for it in the wine list. The most classic pairing is the club beef steak roasted by grape vine charcoal and the dry red wine from Chateau Changyu Moser XV.

     The century old Changyu really surprises us with this fantastic wine tour. Either you are in love with wine culture, or European style, or photography,N Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia always has something to scratch your itch.