Lige Yuanshan

For someone who tried his hand at winemaking to combat insomnia, Lige Yuanshan's Pi Chun has come a long way to establish himself as an innovative and leading winemaker in China. In 2016 he sold his home to dedicate himself full-time to the Helan Mountain East Foothill region in Ningxia, founding the brand 'Li Ge Yuan Shan' (meaning 'A Song for Helan Mountain'). His winemaking operations have now expanded to the high-altitude region of Xiaojin, Sichuan.
Pi Chun's passion and creativity have led him to craft an award-winning 'Blanc de Noirs' dry white wine from the red grape variety Marselan, as well as independently developing specialised purple clay vessels to address winemaking challenges like temperature control and pomace removal. This latter innovation has since been adopted by producers across multiple wine regions.
Pi Chun emphasises the importance of listening to advice and valuing consumer feedback; he has adjusted products, such as modifying labels and flavour profiles, and developed offerings like Marselan Blanc de Noirs and apricot sparkling wine to meet market demand.