(Xinhua) -- There are still three months before the thousands of hectares of grapes ripen, but anticipation is high for what the purple fruit can bring winemakers in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Although it is a newcomer in the industry, Ningxia is rapidly transforming itself into a major winemaking region in China that may one day rival major wine regions across the globe.

"China will become the world's leading winemaker and exporter. It is not a wild wish or a far-off strategy. It is what is about to happen in front of your eyes," said Gao Dong, general manager of Chateau Changyu Moser XV estate tourism company in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia.