How China's largest winery markets to the nouveau middle class in Ningxia.

China's largest winery, Changyu, uses a one-two-three punch to market their wine.

First, reel in the camera-toting Chinese nouveau middle class visitors by building Disneyland-like photogenic chateaux. 

Their collection includes four and a half European-style chateaux scattered all over China:
• Chateau Changyu AFIP Global about one hour out of Beijing;   
• Chateau Changyu Moser XV, in Yinchuan city, Ningxia Province; 
• Chateau Changyu Baron Balboa in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region;   
• Chateau Changyu Reina in Shanxi province;   
• and finally, the not-quite so Disneyesque Chateau Changyu-Castel near Yantai, Shandong province.

These photos are from my recent visit to Chateau Changyu Moser XV, which sits like an oasis among industrial complexes.

Every night a light show flashes across Chateau Changyu Moser XV in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.

Not only do tourists use the Chateau Changyu Moser XV as a Disneyland-like background for their personal happy snaps, but professional wedding  photographers, like those seen in black T-shirts in the above photograph, also flock to the site posing bride and groom between the tourists. Please remember this chateau sits like an oasis out in the Ningxia desert.

Second, trying to capitalize on the middle class thirst for wine knowledge, Changyu teaches visitors the ways of the alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes. 

After all, an educated population will more likely buy wine and then show off their knowledge to family, friends and coworkers. All of these newly educated will in turn buy more wine—hopefully Changyu's wine. 

Wine education at Chateau Changyu Moser XV begins in a 180 degree surround theater where visitors are fully immersed in an overhead multi-projector cartoon-character video of the wine making process. A bearded European character guides the audience from harvest to bottle. Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

The visitor then winds through a labyrinth of diplays and environments at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Two visitors in the background are using hand movements to control an interactive display. Under the mushroom-like overhead wine aroma wheel are tubes where visitors can smell various scents associated with wine. Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China.

Vineyard manager at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, who also doubled as my photography assistant, touches the "bitter" sensory area of the large tongue display. Sorry Changyu, although still widely taught, scientists have disproven the belief that specific areas of the tongue are sensitive to various tastes like bitter, sour, salty, sweet. Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Here we see the overhead aroma wheel, the sniff tubes, two hand motion interactive displays and the story of the bottle at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Of course, no wine education program would be complete without guards dressed in iron. Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

This scluptured display has the traditionally dressed worker pressing whole cluster, including the leaves, grapes in a wooden hand crank press at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Naturally, photo opportunities abound while learning about wine at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Even a foreign photographer (actually the only foreigner that entire day) makes for a curious  subject at Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

No wine eduaction would be complete without a Happy Nose. Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan, Ningxia province, China.

Chateau Changyu Moser XV, Yinchuan city, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is a partnership between state-owned China wine giant Changyu wine company and Austria's "Grüner Man" Laurenz (Lenz) Moser, 15th generation (XV) member of famous Austrian wine family.