China producer profile: Tiansai Vineyards – Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang

Last updated 8 November 2024 In Features

The area’s vast natural beauty inspired this photography and wine enthusiast to start a life-long project here. In 2010, she launched her winery, named after the Tessar photographic lens, along the trails of the ancient Silk Road, not far from Bositeng Lake, China’s largest inland freshwater lake.

Starting from barren desert wastelands Tiansai now farms 187ha of vineyards, its solid range of well-defined international wines crafted using state-of-the-art viticulture and winemaking techniques.

CHEN Lizhong, owner of Tiansai Vineyards, Xinjiang

An award-winning Marselan, Syrah and Chardonnay are among its varietal specialities, in addition to the Beaujolais Nouveau-style Zodiac wine range, which is released annually before Chinese New Year.

The Tiansai Town, built around the winery initially for local staff to settle, is increasingly a wine tourism hotspot thanks to its proximity to Korla Airport and the national highway. Lizhong welcomes those who love photography (she runs a photography club), hiking and wine for an immersive experience including ethnic cuisine, wildlife watching, stargazing, horse riding and, from 2025, camping.

While Lizhong splits her time between various commitments, her daughter Lily Zhu, who graduated from business school in Bordeaux, acts as the winery’s ambassador. Lily streams weekly to her two million followers on Douyin (the Chinese edition of TikTok), communicating not only about Tiansai Vineyards but also Chinese wine in general to a new generation of consumers.

Tiansai Vineyards, Skyline of Gobi Grand Reserve Marselan, Yanqi, Xinjiang 2017

2023 DWWA Gold – 95pts

DWWA: Mature, pruney nose with complex aromas of creamy oak, dark chocolate, barley sugar and leather. Polished and elegant palate with refined tannins. Grape: Marselan 100%. Alc: 14.4%

Trade contact: +86 0996 6322222; sunqing@tsjz.com

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