COLOUR
Orange
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2023
GRAPE
Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, Viognier, Gewürztraminer
PRODUCER
Xiao Pu
REGION
Ningxia
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Xiao Pu, meaning 'Little Grape', was founded in 2017 by Ian Dai, a pioneer of natural and skin-contact winemaking in China. Operating as a nomadic winery, Xiao Pu does not own fixed estates. Instead, Dai travels across diverse Chinese wine regions, collaborating with local farmers to source high-quality fruit. This orange wine, named 'Tangerine', is sourced from high-altitude vineyards in the Doves Mountain area of Ningxia's Eastern Foothills of Helan Mountain. The Chinese name 'Da Ju Da Li' is a playful linguistic pun on a traditional greeting for great fortune, swapping the character for fortune with the character for tangerine, paying homage to both Chinese cultural heritage and the wine's distinctive amber hue.
ALCOHOL
13.0%
AVG. PRICE
€33
STYLE
Natural
SULPHITES
YES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
8-10°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
The Chinese name 'Da Ju Da Li' is a clever pun swapping 'good fortune' with 'tangerine' to celebrate the wine's vibrant orange color.
Fact 02
Xiao Pu is a nomadic winery; founder Ian Dai travels across China collaborating with local farmers rather than owning a fixed estate.
Fact 03
Vines in Ningxia's high-altitude desert must be buried by hand every winter to survive the freezing continental temperatures.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process for this orange wine focuses on low-intervention techniques to highlight the natural character of the Ningxia terroir. Grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation using 100% indigenous wild yeasts in temperature-controlled, open-top containers. The wine receives gentle skin contact to extract its signature copper color and light phenolic structure. Malolactic fermentation is fully completed to soften the acidity. The wine is then matured in seasoned, neutral old oak barrels for approximately eight months, allowing for gentle oxygen exchange without imparting strong oak flavors. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.
