Cheers! Tibet鈥檚 Naxi grow red wine fame
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Tibetans generally serve guests highland barley wine. But in a township 1,000 kilometers from Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where people of the ethnic Naxi minority live, locals welcome guests with red wine instead.
The township gets its name from the ethnicity of its inhabitants 鈥 although most Naxi live in the province of Yunnan to the south.
Under the jurisdiction of Mangkam County, Chamdo, Naxi Township is the only area for the Naxi minority in Tibet. It has an average altitude of 2,600 meters and a total population of 4,557.
The Naxi are just one of the more than 40 ethnic groups in Tibet, and the largest of these nationalities are the Tibetans. Tibet has a population of more than 3.3 million.
According to the annals of Mangkam County, a French missionary traveled to the township in the 19th century, bringing grape seeds and teaching locals to make wine. Vineyards and wine-making soon took root with the Naxi.
The unique geography, plateau climate and rich river resources provide a good environment for grapes around the township, where pesticides are rarely used.
Red wine has therefore become a local specialty. Almost every family in the township knows how to make red wine through traditional natural fermentation. Apart from drinking wine, locals also sell it. Without fancy and expensive packaging, red wine produced by Tibet鈥檚 Naxi people has gained popularity 鈥 and awards 鈥攁nd has been playing an important role in helping locals shake off poverty in recent years.
The East Tibet Treasure Winery Co, believed to be Tibet鈥檚 first wine company, was established in Naxi in 2009.
It now produces more than 300 tons of wine per year, worth more than 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million) last year.
鈥淲e plan to produce more than 400 tons of wine this year, and the sales revenue is expected to exceed 30 million yuan,鈥 said Qogco, the company鈥檚 sales manager.
The company鈥檚 hot seller is a brand named after a local snow mountain, which also won a gold medal at the Asian Wine Competition in 2017.
Sonan Chudzong, head of the township government, said wine is now the key industry in his township, with more than 200 hectares of vineyards.
In Mangkam County, there is a total of more than 666 hectares under vine.
鈥淭he wine industry has stimulated the enthusiasm of the local people to grow grapes and has become an important source of income,鈥 said Sonan, adding the government gives grape growers more than 1 million yuan in subsidies every year.
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