Moet Hennessy is all set to open a $5.5m winery in the northern Chinese region of Ningxia in June 2013.
The project, which is a joint venture between Moet Hennessy and Nignxia-based SOE Nongken, includes construction of a winery, fermentation cellars, tasting room and luxury visitor center in around 6,300m² space.
Hong Kong-based architectural firm MAP is developing the winery.
Located between the He Lan Mountains and Yellow River, the winery will use Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes grown in the region to produce Champenoise sparkling white wine that is expected to hit shelves in 2014.
MAP director Edward Billson said usually wines are stored in underground cellars, but Ningxia's harsh climatic conditions have forced them to rule out the option of underground cellars.
"Instead we took some tips from the local wine growers who, each winter, bury the vines completely to protect them from the cold. Using the same technique, we moved hundreds of tonnes of local earth to 'bury' the fermentation cellars above ground," he added.
Moet Hennessy is further planning to grow its business in China by developing 30ha of vineyard in south-west China for the production of red wine.
