Ningxia, China
Xiaopu
From Ningxia to Yunnan, from Hebei to Inner Mongolia, and soon even to Xinjiang and Chengdu, it seems like wherever there are grapes in China, you'll find Xiao Pu wines.
Intrepid and inspiring, nomadic winemaker Ian Dai is representative of the new generation of Chinese winemakers. A former sommelier and MW student, Dai spent a decade immersed in every facet of the wine industry before walking away from it all, bored by convention, disillusioned by prestige, and determined to craft something that felt real. In 2017 he launched Xiao Pu with a radical philosophy: no shortcuts, just soulful wine made from grapes sourced across China's most overlooked terroirs.
As the rebellious force behind Xiao Pu, he crafts a kaleidoscopic range of wines, each indicative of its regional terroir while showcasing an aspect of China few are familiar with, cementing himself as a defining voice in the country's new wave of natural wine.
Intrepid and inspiring, nomadic winemaker Ian Dai is representative of the new generation of Chinese winemakers. A former sommelier and MW student, Dai spent a decade immersed in every facet of the wine industry before walking away from it all, bored by convention, disillusioned by prestige, and determined to craft something that felt real. In 2017 he launched Xiao Pu with a radical philosophy: no shortcuts, just soulful wine made from grapes sourced across China's most overlooked terroirs.
As the rebellious force behind Xiao Pu, he crafts a kaleidoscopic range of wines, each indicative of its regional terroir while showcasing an aspect of China few are familiar with, cementing himself as a defining voice in the country's new wave of natural wine.