EE Sommelier Pictorial Original published in 2022-09-23
Heaven is like a dome, covering all fields; the square of the earth can help all living beings. While we are still lamenting the vastness of the universe, Xige Winery , however, in the spring of 2017, on the eastern foot of Helan Mountain, , which was reborn in Ningxia, built another radius of poetry and pigeons praise, plowing the soil and raising wine and brewing people.
At the beginning of this year, the Sommelier Pictorial reported that this new Chinese boutique winery rooted in the production area of the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains and the leading imported wine merchant in Greater China from West to East Wine Company (EMW) (click to review), but due to the impact of the domestic epidemic in the first half of the year, the cooperation signing ceremony was repeatedly postponed. Recently, with the full recovery of the alcohol market, Xige products have recently officially entered the EMW sales channel, and the signing ceremony has finally been held!
1
Xige flew into the home of ordinary people
A few days ago, the Xige Winery × EMW strategic partners signing ceremony press conference ended successfully in Shanghai. At the press conference, the two parties officially signed an agreement. In the future, EMW will serve as the exclusive agent and distributor of Xige Winery in the hotel and catering channels in mainland China. will allow Xige to "fly" to the dining tables of more consumers.
At the press conference, Mr. Zhang Yanzhi, Chairman of Xige Winery, , expressed his high recognition of EMW in his speech. "Xige Winery and EMW have been in harmony for a long time, and Xige admires EMW very much in China The solid achievements made in the wine field and the long-term layout of the Chinese market. "
Xige Winery hopes that through cooperation with EMW, can allow carefully brewed wine products to enter more diversified consumption channels, sink from high-end boutique channels to more catering and hotels, thereby reaching more domestic consumers. Mr. Olivier Six, CEO of
EMW also said that since its establishment, Xitongdong Wine Company has been very interested in Chinese fine wines. In order to find domestic wines that meet the standards of excellence in our hearts, in the past decade, he and the EMW team have visited wineries from north to south of DJI, China, and have never stopped exploring. We are very glad to have met the fine products in the industry field of Xige Winery.
For more than ten years, EMW has witnessed the growth trajectory of domestic wines and is fortunate to reach a strategic cooperation with this representative winery in the eastern foothills of Ningxia Helan Mountain .
In the future, EMW will fully utilize the advantages currently gained in various channels such as catering, hotels, and new retail, and show consumers the unique advantages of the Xige Winery series wines in an ideal form. uses quality wines to give back to customers in China's long-term strong support.
2
"Be wholeheartedly doing good Chinese wine"
In the eyes of many outsiders, Zhang Yanzhi always gives people the impression of elegance and calmness. But others who know him seem to be a "crazy man" who makes some amazing decisions from time to time. The sources of these impressions may be related to his legendary personal experience.
Zhang Yanzhi was a true academic master when he was a student. He studied in the ace major of double first-class universities in China - Northwest A&F University Wine School . As early as that time, he had already shown extraordinary courage, because when everyone talked about future career plans and was hesitant to join which big wine company he joined, he said that he would open a winery in the future and make his own wine.
You should know that it was around 2003, and the domestic wine market had just started. Many people had no idea about wine, let alone wineries. The classmates all thought that Zhang Yanzhi was just joking. But unexpectedly, shortly after graduation, he really gave up his stable job in a large state-owned enterprise and resolutely went to the top French wine school " Bordeaux Second University " to further his studies.
Studying in a foreign country is always looking forward to returning home to reunite with your family during the holidays. However, Zhang Yanzhi insisted on staying in the French production area for internship during the winter and summer vacations. Since he had only been exposed to French for a few years, he could only start from the most difficult apprentice at the bottom of the winery. He took the initiative to communicate with winemakers and was patient step by step. After more than a year, he finally started making wine. In 2005, he obtained the diploma of " French National Winemaker " and the master's degree " Wine Economic Law ".
However, Zhang Yanzhi was not satisfied with the double first-class university ace major and top study abroad experience, in order to seek a stable life, but after returning to China, he founded the "Jiuyimingzhuang" imported wine trading company, which achieved a sales amount of 20 million yuan within 15 days of the listing of the Penfold Max series in 2016. has shaped the " Penfold Miracle" story in the wine industry , and built a 600-acre winery in Ningxia during the same period of , and gained a lot of valuable experience.
All the way, Zhang Yanzhi took every step steadily. With his unique insights accumulated through years of practice, he completed the accumulation of original capital in ten years, gradually getting closer to the career ambitions he set at the beginning, and finally ushered in the official opening of Xige Winery in 2019.
3
"Make a bottle of good wine for Ningxia terroir"
As the saying goes, doing business is destined by three parts, and seven parts rely on hard work. But to make wine well, the opposite is true.
In the world of wine, a bottle of fine wine is inseparable from the nourishment of terroir. In the past, Burgundy, France, which was "willful and arrogant" in the old world, was used as an example, and later, Kunavara, Australia, who "relying and rewarding for food" in the new world, testified. Zhang Yanzhi, chairman of Xige, who once served as the chief representative of the "Wine King" of Bordeaux, is well aware of the art of it and understands the importance of terroir.
Xige Winery has always been based on Zhang Yanzhi's "Respect the customs and advocate nature" concept, and is located in , Qingtongxia plot , located in the southern section of the eastern foothills of Helan Mountain in Ningxia.
The terrain here is a mountain and river corridor, which is a plain formed by the water alluvialization of the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The soil surface is mostly gravel sandy soil, porous and breathable, and adjustable moisture. The red clay hidden deep in it is rich in mineral components. The overall geology of is very close to the soil conditions of Bordeaux Pomerhou.
in this golden area of Gezi Mountain small-producing area , Xige Winery has more than 30,000 acres of vineyards, of which about half of the grape vines are over 20 years old . This is only considered a threshold for many countries that are hundreds of years old, but for the just-starting Chinese wine industry, it is a precious and scarce resource.
Not only that, the production area has sufficient light in all seasons, drought and rain. In the world, it is also one of the few excellent production areas where can ensure the full maturity of grapes. The local day and night temperature span is quite large, and sometimes the temperature difference can reach more than 30 degrees Celsius. Further, promotes the accumulation of rich flavor substances in the grapes. In addition, the local windy and sandy weather makes Xige Winery have unique geographical advantages in preventing pests.
top picture: Relying on the smart agricultural platform to monitor accurate environmental information
Next picture: Xige Lao Teng Chardonnay
Good wine, seven minutes by planting, three minutes by brewing. Xige Winery integrates modern refined green agricultural management into the entire process of traditional wine production . also achieves a perfect result for the brewing process that only accounts for "three points".
Chairman Zhang Yanzhi, who is a professional, knows the truth that "if you want to do things well, you must first sharpen your tools." The experience of overseas travel has broadened his horizons and prompted him to guide Xige Winery to the road of branding, scale and modernization of fine wines.
Xige Winery brewing technology is in line with international standards. It uses the intelligent temperature control brewing system from New Zealand , as well as the pre-processing equipment used by mainstream wineries in Germany and France , and ordered thousands of French oak barrels to lay a solid foundation for brewing quality wines.
In addition, the fermentation tank equipment independently developed by Xige Winery has obtained patent certification. emphasizes a "slow" word : 3 months of fermentation, 12 months of oak barrel aging, no less than 6 months of bottle storage time. Slow fermentation, proper oak barrel aging and long-term bottle storage technology can increase the taste complexity of the wine, making the already outstanding quality Xige wine more touching.
4
Xige wine
Today's Xige Winery hopes to make a conscience wine that can hit the hearts of ordinary consumers, so that more Chinese consumers can realize the true strength of today's domestic fine wines.
In the past five years, Xige Winery has successively launched multiple product lines such as Xige N series , Xige X series and Yuge series and Yuge series and other product lines. Xige N series , take the first letter of the pinyin of "Ningxia" and use the numbers to clarify the meaning of wine. is intended to explore the terroir endlessly and convey the fine grape wines bred in Ningxia.
N series "N609""N609""in commemorating the Central Leadership Group's inspection of the Ningxia wine production area on June 9, 2020.
uses the "king of wine grapes" Cabernet Sauvignon and the iconic variety that expresses the domestic terroir Snake Dragon Ball , combined with the "star of tomorrow" of the wine industry Malbeck , and uses a rich and violet flavor to pay tribute to the great moment of the production area. earnestly responds to the "Chinese wine, which is amazing to the world" given by the Ningxia production area, and high hopes for .
Single Garden Series "Yu Ge" regards the mission of spreading Ningxia terroir, and selects the iconic grape varieties in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains, and is brewed in a single way, striving to present the unique terroir of Xige Lao Tengyuan , a small-scale production area of Gezi Mountain.
wine label is seen as a pigeon perched on a peach branch. The prototype is from Song Huizong "Taojiu Picture Album", which is equipped with minimalist streamlined cutting, which is suitable for contemporary Chinese people's modern insights on Chinese classical aesthetics, and shows the unique taste of Chinese fine wine from the inside out.
This time, Xige Winery cooperated with EMW and also jointly launched the EMW customized wine label version "Yu Ge (International Edition)" series wine , including three products: dry white, peach rosy and dry red.
smooth bottle with pigeon egg-shaped wine label, EMW's exclusive traditional Chinese red square seal perfectly matches the classical atmosphere of jade pigeons, and its temperament is as gentle as "small jasper". It is not only suitable for sharing or drinking in daily leisure occasions, but its aging potential has reached more than 3 years, and it is more suitable for opening a bottle to celebrate on important days.
Xige X series represents the "infinite possibilities" brought by the unknown. It is the final presentation of Xige Winery's unremitting exploration of the terroir potential of the production area of the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains . The series will launch single variety wine from time to time, challenging unknown.
X series latest released "Xi Ge® "X" Snake Dragon Ball Dry Red Wine" , originated from the old vineyard Snake Dragon Ball plot, which was aged by 50% new and old French oak barrels for at least one year. It is condensed and full and mature wine body, and the aroma of red berries is bursting. In the rose, rosin, dried apricot and licorice provided by Snake Dragon Ball, you can feel the round texture of the wine and the delicate and silky tannins. The structure is stretched and complex, making people feel the aftertaste.
Xige products have a pure, elegant and balanced taste, soft and complex. In the past two years, it has not only won praise from many Chinese people, but also been recognized by experts in the international wine industry, winning more than 100 professional awards at home and abroad .
5 products were awarded by wine critic James Suckling with a high score of more than 90 points . The 93-point "2018 Jade Pigeon Single Garden Snake Dragon Ball Dry Red Wine" was selected as the "Top Ten Chinese Wines of 2020" selected by him.
Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson (Jancis Robinson) also gave Xige Winery many wines of more than 90 points and 17/20 high scores respectively. The upcoming "Xige Genuine Brand Vine On Teng® Dry Red Wine" has won numerous reputations in Chinese wine reviews, which is worth looking forward to.
Xige Winery currently uses e-commerce and new retail channels, and its product sales network covers most parts of the country. It has also entered international markets such as Canada, Switzerland , and the United Kingdom. believes that after this strategic cooperation with EMW, can further penetrate the catering and hotel channels and appear in the table wine cups of more Chinese consumers!
