The Chinese premium wine industry has established itself as a leading contender for Asia's best producer with astonishing pace.

What started as a brave venture by pioneers like Emma Gao has morphed into a vibrant, growing industry, with the likes of LVMH and Pernod Ricard investing serious sums into China's viticultural heartland of Ningxia, in addition to the frontier lands of Shaanxi, Gansu and Hunnan (Yunnan). A far cry from the general consensus 20 years ago, when all Chinese wine was derided as adulterated plonk.