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Ian Dai began out as a sommelier and finally turned a wine purchaser, however knew he all the time craved one thing extra. So, in 2017 he bought a plot of land on an already present Ningxia vineyard and experiment with a few of his personal concepts of what wine can and must be. We sat down with Dai to debate China’s altering wine business, and the way he believes it would proceed to develop and alter.
Picture courtesy of Ian Dai
What’s your background, and the way did you get into winemaking?
I began my profession doing gross sales in a wine store, however later determined to develop into a sommelier. Ultimately, I used to be employed to work on the Fairmont Peace Resort, and I used to be concerned with organizing the WINE100 wine problem – nonetheless probably the most influential wine competitors in China to today. Concurrently, I began to show for the WSET wine examination and varied wine associations, like Wine Australia.
In 2016, I labored with Penguin Information as a wine purchaser and bought wine for Amazon China. But, I felt unfulfilled and determined I wanted to make wine, which is how I made a decision to open Xiaopu, my vineyard. Again in 2017, the wine scene in China was undeveloped and considerably boring – the identical varieties, similar recipes, but no philosophy. I knew I may make one thing completely different and higher.
Picture by Sophie Steiner/That is
How has the wine-making scene modified in China within the final 5 years, particularly in Ningxia?
There are smaller wineries popping up in Ningxia, resulting in extra cheap costs and extra number of kinds. There may be additionally a lot higher variety in wine model and grape selection.
Picture courtesy of Ian Dai
How and why did you begin your personal vineyard?
Technically, I don’t have a vineyard but – Xiaopu continues to be a wine-making challenge, a ‘digital vineyard.’ Which means that I lease house at an even bigger vineyard and do my very own factor there, rising my grapes and processing the wines the way in which I need to.
In my view, it is unnecessary for me to construct a whole vineyard from day one. First, I’m build up Xiaopu’s model and gross sales channels, which takes much less of a money inflow upfront. Via the assistance of angel traders, I used to be capable of efficiently launch Xiaopu as is and can develop it additional in time.
Picture courtesy of Ian Dai
What do you discover most fascinating or distinctive about winemaking in Ningxia?
To be absolutely trustworthy, I don’t know but. I’m at the moment solely on my fourth classic, with the fifth coming later this 12 months. The area is so younger, and all of us have a lot to study from this predominantly crimson wine area. I nonetheless haven’t determined in my very own thoughts what’s the most fitted selection or precisely the place is the very best terroir. Yearly, I study a lot and it’s unimaginable how rather more there’s nonetheless to study.
Picture courtesy of Ian Dai
How has ‘wine tourism’ modified Ningxia? Do you imagine it’s for the higher or worse?
Wine tourism didn’t actually exist earlier than 2020. Earlier than this, wineries didn’t have many walk-in vacationers; there have been few wine area guides. Now, tourism is beginning to develop as wineries develop into extra open to the general public. We’re additionally beginning to see vacationer guides displaying friends round.
That is nice for the business, and I hope it lasts because the area matures, as a result of wine tourism creates a particular connection between the buyer and vineyard. Ningxia is considerably removed from massive cities in comparison with different widespread areas, like Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Mendoza or Marlborough, for instance. In idea, wine tourism solely works for areas close to metropolis facilities.
Picture courtesy of Ian Dai
You might be acknowledged as one of many first pure winemakers in China. What makes a wine a ‘pure wine,’ and why are you curious about pure wines?
I’m positively influenced by the pure wine motion, however I don’t and might’t name my wine pure wine. Pure wine is how wine was made earlier than the Fifties, with out the assistance of electrical energy, giant quantity tanks, cultured yeast, many components, and so forth. So to make wine naturally is definitely not tough in any respect – simply don’t use any fashionable facilities created after the Fifties!
The true query right here is that if the identical batch of grapes is made in a pure manner or a extra standard, fashionable manner, why is one higher? I don’t have a particular reply myself, however I imagine that minimal intervention, so following a extra pure technique, is how we as small producers ought to make wine.
Whereas this does go away extra as much as probability, nothing can go critically mistaken, and since the size is far smaller, we will spend extra time caring for and tailoring every batch the way in which we want it to be.
Picture by Sophie Steiner/That is
What does the long run appear like for wineries in China?
China can have all types of wineries, from luxurious to mid-tier to funds pleasant. However, general, all the vineyard development, it doesn’t matter what form, will assist increase the wine business, making it extra recognizable and accessible to most people, garnering curiosity on this rising business.
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[Cover image courtesy of Ian Dai]
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