Founded in 2017 by former sommelier Ian Dai (戴鸿静), Xiao Pu is one of China's most exciting low-intervention wine projects. Rather than owning a single estate, Xiao Pu follows a nomadic winemaking philosophy, travelling across China's diverse wine regions—including Ningxia, Yunnan, Gansu, Hebei, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia—to work directly with local growers and produce wines that express each region's unique character
Believing that great wine begins in the vineyard, Xiao Pu partners with small-scale growers who embrace sustainable farming and fair agricultural practices. Every wine is made with minimal intervention: spontaneous fermentation using native yeasts, little or no fining or filtration, restrained use of sulfur, and gentle handling to preserve the purity of the fruit and the identity of each vineyard.
Unlike many traditional wineries, Xiao Pu isn't tied to one piece of land. This freedom allows Ian Dai to explore different grape varieties, climates, and terroirs across China, crafting everything from vibrant whites and delicate reds to skin-contact wines, Pét-Nats, and experimental blends. Each bottle is a reflection of both place and vintage, capturing the remarkable diversity of modern Chinese wine.
Type: Light Red Wine (Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol ABV: Approximately 12%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Generous and expressive with aromas of overripe wild strawberry, ripe red cherry, strawberry leaf, and raspberry, layered with smoked Chinese sour plum, damp autumn forest floor, baking spices, and subtle earthy undertones. Compared with the other Perdue bottlings, 22.3 is the most generous and stem-influenced expression, offering greater savoury complexity alongside its ripe fruit profile.
Palate:
Light to medium-bodied with vibrant red berry fruit balanced by refreshing acidity and firm, grippy tannins. Flavours of ripe strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, and sweet spice are complemented by herbal stem notes and earthy minerality. The finish is long, savoury, and energetic, showing both elegance and structure while remaining highly drinkable.
Winemaking
The grapes are hand-harvested over multiple picking dates to capture different levels of ripeness and structural components. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts using uncontrolled temperatures and gentle extraction, with later-picked fruit incorporating a higher proportion of whole clusters to build aromatic complexity and tannin. The wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation before ageing in older oak barrels for approximately 7–12 months, allowing texture to develop without overt oak influence. No acidification, tannin additions, or cultured yeasts are used, reflecting Xiao Pu's minimalist, blending-focused philosophy.
Farming
The fruit is sourced from vineyards in Qingtongxia, Ningxia, where a continental climate with warm sunny days, cool nights, and low rainfall produces Pinot Noir with excellent concentration while retaining freshness. Xiao Pu works closely with growers using sustainable, low-intervention viticulture and careful hand harvesting to preserve the individuality of each vineyard. The Perdue series is designed to showcase different expressions of Ningxia Pinot Noir through thoughtful barrel selection and blending rather than heavy winemaking intervention.
Type: Orange Wine (Skin-Contact / Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol ABV: Approximately 12%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
An elegant and refined skin-contact Chardonnay with aromas of ripe apple, preserved lemon, yellow peach, and citrus peel. Layers of caramel, ginger candy, rock tea, and subtle floral notes create a complex aromatic profile, balancing Chardonnay’s fruit purity with the savoury depth brought by extended skin contact.
Palate:
Medium-bodied with a broad, textured mouthfeel and gentle phenolic grip. Flavours of apple jam, salted lemon, dried citrus, and stone fruit are complemented by notes of oolong tea, caramel, and herbal spice. The acidity remains bright and clean, providing freshness and balance through a long, mineral-driven finish.
Winemaking
The Chardonnay grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and extended skin contact, creating the wine’s amber colour, layered aromatics, and structured texture. The wine is aged in old barrels, allowing complexity to develop while avoiding excessive oak influence. Made with minimal intervention, Xiao Pu focuses on natural fermentation, preserving the grape’s character without adjustment of acidity or tannins.
Farming
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Ningxia, China, a high-altitude wine region known for its dry continental climate, strong sunlight, and significant day-night temperature variation. Xiao Pu works closely with small-scale growers and explores more sustainable vineyard practices, aiming to express the unique character of each Chinese terroir through low-intervention winemaking.
Type: Orange Wine (Skin-Contact / Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol ABV: 13%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
A bright and elegant orange wine with aromas of fresh mandarin peel, orange zest, kumquat, and ripe citrus fruits. Layers of white peach, apricot, jasmine, dried herbs, and subtle tea-like notes add complexity. Compared with earlier Tangerine Dream releases, the 2024 vintage shows a cleaner, more focused Chardonnay character with greater purity and freshness.
Palate:
Medium-bodied with a refined texture and gentle phenolic grip from skin contact. The palate shows flavours of citrus peel, grapefruit, apricot, yellow apple, and stone fruit, balanced by bright acidity and a refreshing mineral character. Fine tannins provide structure without heaviness, leading to a clean finish with lingering notes of oolong tea, herbs, and salted citrus.
Winemaking
The Chardonnay grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and extended skin contact, creating the wine’s natural amber colour, aromatic depth, and textured mouthfeel. The wine is aged in neutral vessels/old oak to develop complexity while preserving freshness and purity. Made with minimal intervention, the wine is bottled with its natural character intact, showcasing Chardonnay through an orange wine style.
Farming
The grapes are sourced from Ningxia, one of China’s most important emerging wine regions, known for its dry continental climate, strong sunlight, and large temperature variation between day and night. Xiao Pu focuses on expressing local terroir through careful grape selection and low-intervention winemaking, allowing Chardonnay to develop both freshness and aromatic complexity in this high-altitude environment.
Type: Orange Wine (Skin-Contact / Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: 100% Gewürztraminer (also known as Traminer; some sources note the aromatic Traminer family expression)
Alcohol ABV: 12.1%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Highly aromatic and expressive, showing classic Gewürztraminer characters of lychee, rose petals, jasmine, and orange blossom. Extended skin contact adds layers of tangerine peel, dried apricot, ginger, herbal tea, and exotic spice, creating a complex bouquet that bridges floral elegance with savoury orange wine character.
Palate:
Medium-bodied with a rich, textured mouthfeel and gentle phenolic grip from skin maceration. Flavours of apricot, mandarin, grapefruit, star fruit, and candied citrus are balanced by refreshing acidity and subtle tea-like bitterness. The finish is long and savoury, showing notes of oolong tea, ginger, herbs, and citrus peel, giving the wine both aromatic intensity and structural depth.
Winemaking
The Gewürztraminer grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and extended skin contact, creating the wine’s distinctive amber colour, aromatic complexity, and textured palate. The wine is aged in old oak barrels for approximately several months before bottling, with minimal intervention and without heavy adjustment to preserve the natural expression of the grape.
Farming
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Ningxia, China, a high-altitude wine region known for its dry continental climate, strong sunlight, and significant day-night temperature variation. Xiao Pu works closely with local vineyards to explore natural farming and low-intervention viticulture, allowing aromatic varieties such as Gewürztraminer to express freshness, intensity, and regional character.
Type: Orange Wine (Skin-Contact / Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: 100% Viognier
Alcohol ABV: Approximately 12%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
An intense and aromatic skin-contact Viognier showing expressive notes of ripe apricot, peach, tangerine peel, orange blossom, and dried citrus. Layers of jasmine, ginger, herbal tea, honeycomb, and subtle spice add complexity, while the extended skin contact brings a deeper floral and savoury character beyond a typical Viognier expression.
Palate:
Medium-bodied with a rich yet energetic texture. The palate delivers flavours of apricot, mandarin, dried orange, peach skin, and tropical fruit, balanced by bright acidity and a gentle phenolic grip from maceration. The finish is long and complex, showing notes of oolong tea, citrus peel, herbs, and a subtle mineral freshness.
Winemaking
The Viognier grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and extended skin contact, creating the wine’s distinctive orange hue, aromatic intensity, and textured mouthfeel. The wine is aged in neutral vessels/old oak before bottling with minimal intervention, without heavy manipulation or excessive extraction. Xiao Pu’s approach focuses on preserving the natural character of Ningxia fruit while creating a more expressive, terroir-driven style.
Farming
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Ningxia, China, one of China’s most important emerging wine regions, known for its dry continental climate, strong sunlight, and large temperature variation between day and night. Xiao Pu works closely with growers to explore more sustainable vineyard practices and match grape varieties with suitable terroirs, allowing aromatic varieties such as Viognier to express their full character.
Type: Light Red Wine (Natural / Minimal Intervention)
Region: Tianshui, Gansu, China
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol ABV: Approximately 11%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
Delicate and lifted with aromas of fresh raspberry, wild strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, and rose petals. Gentle notes of black tea, dried herbs, crushed gravel, and forest floor add savoury complexity, creating a perfumed and Burgundian-inspired expression of Pinot Noir.
Palate:
Light-bodied, elegant, and energetic with vibrant red berry fruit supported by bright natural acidity. Fine, silky tannins and restrained extraction give the wine a graceful, almost weightless texture, while subtle earthy and mineral notes lead to a clean, refreshing finish. Chilled slightly, it drinks beautifully as a fresh, glou-glou style Pinot Noir with remarkable finesse.
Winemaking
The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts using a minimalist approach. No acidification, tannin additions, or cultured yeasts are used, and extraction is deliberately gentle to preserve the purity and elegance of the fruit. The wine undergoes natural malolactic fermentation before ageing in older oak barrels, allowing texture to develop without introducing overt oak influence. It is bottled with minimal intervention to express the character of the vineyard and vintage.
Farming
The fruit for Perdue 22.1 is sourced primarily from high-altitude vineyards in Tianshui, Gansu, a cooler and wetter region than Ningxia. The lower temperatures and greater rainfall produce Pinot Noir with naturally lower alcohol, higher acidity, and exceptional freshness. Xiao Pu works closely with growers using low-intervention viticulture, focusing on expressing the unique terroir of China's emerging cool-climate wine regions.
Type: Red Wine (Natural / Minimal Intervention / Light-Bodied Red Blend)
Region: Ningxia, China
Grapes: The exact recipe varies by vintage, but the release (such as the MV7) features grapes like Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Marselan, and Welschriesling.
Alcohol ABV: Approximately 12%
Tasting Profile and Key Notes
Aroma:
A fresh and aromatic natural red showing notes of red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry. Floral hints of violet and rose petals combine with subtle herbal notes, spice, and a gentle earthy character. The wine carries a lifted, youthful perfume with a style focused on freshness rather than power.
Palate:
Light-bodied, juicy, and vibrant with crunchy red fruit flavours of cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate. Bright acidity provides energy, while fine tannins create a delicate structure and a slight savoury grip. The finish is clean and refreshing, with lingering notes of red berries, herbs, and subtle minerality.
Winemaking
The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented naturally with indigenous yeasts, following Xiao Pu’s minimal-intervention approach. Fermentation is carried out with gentle extraction to preserve freshness and aromatic purity, followed by ageing in neutral vessels before bottling. The wine is bottled with minimal additions, allowing the natural character of the fruit and vineyard sites to shine.
Farming
The grapes are sourced from vineyards in Ningxia, China, a high-altitude region known for its dry continental climate, strong sunlight, and significant day-night temperature variation. Xiao Pu works closely with growers using sustainable vineyard practices, focusing on healthy soils, balanced vines, and expressing the unique identity of Chinese terroir.