Christian Petersen-Clausen

Something that amazes me is that just a short while ago Ningxia had no inherited wine culture. What it had instead were people like Emma Gao, who learned inheritance abroad, carried it home, and began building continuity where none had existed before.

What saved years of work from being erased were letters from then-ambassador of France, Sylvie Bermann. She had visited the winemaker and upon recognizing the touristic appeal convinced officials of the advantages of having the pioneering winemaker remain in place.

Such bureaucratic threats were less of an aberration than a reminder of the conditions under which small businesses were operating in China at the time, when the legal and regulatory framework was still taking shape and the success of an investment could hinge on a single decree.

Multiple times the story of the small winemaker was nearly cut short. One such episode evolved around an eminent domain dispute. As Yinchuan grew around the vineyard, the mayor decided the property should be transferred to a real estate developer. A pressure campaign ensued.

Recognition came in improbable ways. A bottle carried in a backpack reached the influential wine critic Robert Parker. An 86-point score for the very first harvest put Silver Heights on the map. From there, the reputation grew — vintage by vintage, year by year.

Emma Gao's story is a deeply moving one: she didn’t inherit a centuries-old wine tradition but created one herself.

After studying in Bordeaux and struggling to fit in, she returned to rugged, coal-belt Ningxia and built Silver Heights from the ground up.

Emma Gao: How to build a Chinese Wine Legacy Episode Updates and Behind the Scenes musings for the Living History series

New on the Living History Substack:
China isn’t just making wine but redefining what great wine looks like. In Ningxia, estates like Silver Heights are winning awards and outperforming expectations in blind tastings, all within a single generation. livinghistorychina.substack.com/p/emma-gao-h...

Do they actually write the PRC part?

I have taken Chinese colleagues to Europe and on the third day they had all stocked up on instant noodles because their stomachs had gotten upset. We suspected the excessive usage of salt in many dishes.

Eventually they began raiding bakeries.

This.

Unlike in 2005 and 2012 I don't see public sentiment in China agreeing with gov pressure on China and Japanese voters don't seem to care either.

But I also don't see either side having a way out of this malaise ready or being interested in finding a solution.

Not that I am complaining about my seat. I may have more legroom than the folks up front.

Another day, another flight. B-32LX, a brand-new A321, is taking us back from Okinawa to Shanghai. I am glad to see China Eastern gave it an upgraded business seat, though I don't get to enjoy that today. The flight is packed, probably because so many flights have been cancelled.

Visualizing China's leadership: I'm back with an updated infographic, this time showing newly purged party members, new roles, and updated job descriptions.

Download full version: jagevanscom.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

Ford and China’s Geely in talks about Geely using Ford factory space in Europe to produce vehicles for the region ‍

"Manufacturing some cars using Ford’s European factory space would likely help Geely avoid the European Union's tariffs on China-made EVs"

www.reuters.com/busi...

you are making my point: it's a lot if different things inside. he is looking for a unifying shorthand and found a commonly-accepted one while you didn't have a better alternative but to say "a lot of stuff."

I'd quibble with you on that one. They are not blaming any specific app, they are blaming anything that sucks our time through that glass screen, which is hardware.

It is the common denominator for all the coded things.

YouTube video by Living History: Stories from the Opening of China Emma Gao | How we put Chinese wines on the map

I had been interested in the emergence of the Chinese wine industry for a long time and was glad Emma took time to tell me of her incredible story. I hope you'll find this equally intriguing.

youtu.be/mXxhnY7t7ZU

“I had one pair of tennis shoes for three years. They were broken in the end. My classmates meanwhile (...) dressed properly, had an elegant style of talking, had more of a life of leisure. I had to work after class in a restaurant. They were a totally different class.”

That connection came about because Emma had learned winemaking in Bordeaux, surrounded by the offspring of some of France's finest winemakers. It wasn’t easy though. Besides language issues, the different economic backgrounds were evident.

The local mayor had decided the property should go to a real estate developer. A long standoff ensued. What saved the vineyard was an intervention of the then-French ambassador, who saw the touristic appeal. She wrote letters that convinced officials of the appeal of the winery.

These days, Silver Heights is one of the most celebrated and influential wineries in China, holding a reputation as a pioneer and quality benchmark for high-end natural wines. But that story was nearly cut short by an eminent domain dispute with the local government.

When Emma founded Silver Heights in Ningxia few understood that world-class wine could come from China’s Helan Mountains. The province was all-in on coal. It was poor, polluted and got as cold as -30C. And today it is where some of the most exciting wines from China come from.

YouTube video by Living History: Stories from the Opening of China Emma Gao | How we put Chinese wines on the map

New on Living History: How Emma Gao put Chinese Wines on the map and the incredible story of how the French Ambassador saved the Silver Heights vineyard.
youtu.be/mXxhnY7t7ZU

intriguing.

I am apparently sleep-deprived enough to call this my first trip of the year when not even ten days ago I've been to Xi'an.

2026 is off to an interesting start...

Same. I'm sleep-deprived enough that I called this my first flight when I did Xi'an not even ten days ago.

are you driving the bus?

Another day, another flight.

The first trip of the year is taking me to Music Lane Festival in Okinawa, where I have tons of meetings. The A320 is packed, probably because so many planes to Japan have been cancelled recently.

No disagreement here.

I do wonder what it will mean for the coming twenty years if someone doesn't choose to take more leisure time at Beidahe in 2027.

“Had Mao died in 1956, his achievements would have been immortal. Had he died in 1966, he would still have been a great man but flawed. But he died in 1976. Alas, what can one say?”

(Chen Yun 陈云)