Ningxia shares the fruits of its labor

New TV series highlights winemakers in Northwest China who are savoring a taste of success, Xu Fan reports.

A scene shows an agricultural expert informing the villagers in the early 1980s that the land at the foot of Helan Mountains could serve as an ideal location for planting wine grapes.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In the sprawling vineyards of the country's premier wine region, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in Northwest China, the agricultural work of harvesting grapes can be a high-stakes race against the clock.

If the temperature suddenly plummets below 0 C, the tender shoots will face peril, causing the vines to wither, guaranteeing the loss of a significant grape yield.

For Yi Sirong, the producer behind the TV series, Hometown of Stars, one such night stands out vividly. Amid the filming of a pivotal scene depicting a vineyard's frantic grape harvest, an unforeseen frost descended, transforming the verdant vines into a sickly yellow overnight.

Through her eyes, witnessing the challenges facing local vineyard operators and winemakers, Yi, a native of Central China's Hunan province, shares with China Daily her reverence for those committed to advancing the wine industry.

The TV series, the first of its kind sponsored by the regional government, with its publicity department as one of its producers, is crafted to shed light on the decades-long development and enduring entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses.