Boozy bunny! The first Year of the Rabbit-themed wine I have seen this season.

Magnum-sized red blend by the independent winemaker Jianjun 'Johnny' Liu of Lingering Clouds in Ningixa.

Blend of 90% Syrah, 5% Viognier and 5% Dunkelfelder, aged for 10 months in old French oak. I will do a taste test soon!

Liu, who packed up his life and moved to Ningxia to make wine a decade ago, will also soon release a pet-nat series, which follows up on his first attempts with this style in 2021. (His Muscat was spot on.)

I was determined to visit Liu on my Ningxia trip in September and did so on the way to the airport, impressed by both his dedication and tank samples. He is part of a wave of winemakers sourcing grapes, renting equipment, creating their own labels and selling directly to consumers.

#ningxia #ningxiawines #宁夏 #宁夏葡萄酒 #syrah #viogner #dunkelfelder #yearoftherabbit #chinesewine #中国葡萄酒

Ai ya! 'Temporary containment status' at our building as we wait for results of PRC testing: seems there was a positive case in our complex but 1) results are being re-checked and 2) tests are processed in batches so the one in question might be from another building in our complex.

If I do get locked down at home--better than in a central facility!--I'm going to catch up on the stories and tasting notes behind wines featured at my consumer tastings this year.

#chinesewine #中国葡萄酒