One of the fastest-rising Chinese wineries that has gained a cult following among consumers in China is The Starting Point, a small artisanal winery in Ningxia producing less than 10,000 bottles a year. At its helm is Reisa Jiang, a woman whose journey from the world of luxury caviar to the craft of fine wine is as compelling as the vintages she now produces.
Reisa’s story begins with her family’s vineyards, planted in the 1990s and home to some of the oldest vines in the region. For years the winery was making large quality of commercial wines under the label Helan Mountain. Subsequently, the label and production facilities were sold to drinks giant Pernod Ricard except a small portion of the vineyards, where Reisa envisioned something more—a premium, boutique winery that would showcase the quality and character of Ningxia’s terroir.
“Because first of all, we have the grapes, like some of the best quality grapes in China and I love wine, so I want to make something I would drink myself, something that expresses the varieties and the place,” she explains.
The planning to set up a wine operation started in 2015 and in 2016, The Starting Point Winery released its first vintage. “Back in 2016, we didn’t even have the winery. We were just using a very makeshift facility. It was like garage winemaking,” she recalls with a grin.
While Reisa was hatching her wine project, her luxury caviar business took off. Running a caviar company in Los Angeles, she sourced her product from a small producer in Yunnan, China. Despite the global market often masking the origins of Chinese caviar under French labels, Reisa embraced her product’s heritage. “China produces over 80% of the world’s caviar,” she told me while in Hong Kong, the statistic rolling off her tongue with ease. “Many chefs avoid mentioning this, but for us, the Chinese origin is our selling point.” Her caviar graces the menus of Michelin-star restaurants across the States.
This success in the caviar industry gave Reisa valuable insights in branding and marketing for her wine project. “I’ve always been a wine lover,” she shares. The minimalist label design of The Starting Point, 源点, draws inspiration from the Yellow River and Helan Mountain, echoing Ningxia’s two iconic landmarks.
From the start, Riesling has become the calling card for The Starting Point when most wineries in the region are focusing on Bordeaux varietals and red wines. One of Reisa’s most distinctive creations is her amphorae-aged Riesling orange wine. Produced in limited quantities of only 1,000 bottles a year when vintage allows, the wine quickly finds its way to some of the top restaurants in China, including Grand Majestic in Hong Kong, and sells out immediately through its China and Hong Kong importer, EMW Fine Wines.
Asked about the choice of Riesling for an orange wine, she replied, “We have the raw material, and the fermentation and maturation in amphora neutralize the acidity. So, it’s better to start with something sharper, something with more character, making Riesling a perfect choice,” Reisa explains. “It has the acidity and phenolic grip that work very well together.”
The winery has 60 hectares of vineyards but only makes wines from 13 hectares, with the rest sold to other wineries. The earliest clones of Riesling at the winery were brought from France in the early 1990s, according to Jiang. In addition to Riesling, the winery plants Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. Production hovers around 10,000 bottles a year.
When asked about her aspirations for the winery, Reisa’s vision is clear. “Ningxia is a unique place, so it’s difficult to make a direct comparison with other regions. Within Ningxia, I aim to make the best Riesling,” she says. Her goal is to produce wines that are pure expressions of their varieties and terroir, wines she would enjoy herself.
Untamed Ningxia
Investing in a winery in China is not for the faint of heart. Climatic challenges in Ningxia, including merciless winters, spring frosts, and flooding, pose significant threats to a small winery with a production of only 10,000 bottles a year.
Vine burying, a necessity in Ningxia for vines to survive winter, alone accounts for one-third of the production costs. “It damages the vines and you force the vines down. It’s quite aggressive. With old vines, it’s even harder because of the thick trunks,” she admits. “I’d love to find a solution to avoid doing that, but for now, there are not many good ways,” she laments.
Aside from natural challenges, there are economic hurdles too. Reisa acknowledges that returns are not immediate, and profitability may not even be seen in the next generation. “Maybe the next generation, if you’re lucky,” she says with a chuckle. “You have to have a real passion for the project. That’s why people say in Napa, ‘You go in as a billionaire and you come out as a millionaire’.”
“We were lucky because we already had the vineyard and kept the winery simple and functional,” she pauses, speaking in a reflective tone before resuming. “Sustainability, in every sense, is key.”
Reisa’s approach to winemaking is grounded in low intervention. “From the vineyards to the winery, we try to do as little as we can, but we ensure we’re making technically correct, clean wines,” she says. In 2019, she produced the orange wine and a white wine without adding any sulfur. “We’re not making natural wine just for the sake of it. It’s about making clean, high-quality wine first.”
In Ningxia, Reisa finds support and camaraderie among fellow female winemakers. Some of the best wines in Ningxia are made by a group of empowering female winemakers, including Emma Gao of Silver Heights and Wang Fang of Kanaan Winery. Reisa often consults with Wang Fang, a pioneer in the region who shares a passion for Riesling. “We talk on WeChat, and she’s always happy to help,” Reisa shares.
Hope for the Future
Despite the challenges, Reisa remains hopeful about the future of Chinese wine, particularly in Ningxia. “I’m hopeful,” she says with a confident smile. “In China, especially in Ningxia, everyone is making the best wines they have ever made.”
The technical advancements and the sheer dedication of winemakers in Ningxia are driving this upward trend. “From a technical standpoint, everyone is producing really good quality wine,” she explains.
Reisa’s hope is also anchored in the belief that the younger generation will eventually embrace wine culture. “As the economy improves and the younger generation starts to drink more wine, the market will grow,” she predicts. However, she acknowledges the global trend of young people drinking less alcohol overall. To address this, Reisa believes that the wine industry must adapt its communication strategies, emphasizing wine’s rich cultural heritage and the unique story behind each bottle.
“Wine is a cultural product,” she says passionately. “It’s about history, geography—it covers everything. It’s the only product where the producer makes it from scratch: planting the vine, harvesting the grape, and making the wine.” This comprehensive process is a story worth telling, and perhaps it starts with The Starting Point.
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