A dream born in Bordeaux
Copower Jade's owners, the entrepreneurs Jiao Xuding and Lily Zhang, found their passion for wine during a visit to a friend's family château in Bordeaux. In 2012 an opportunity brought them to Ningxia, Jiao Xuding's home region, and within months they decided to build their own estate.
Planted from scratch
Instead of buying existing vineyards, they planted 84 hectares from scratch, divided into 17 plots around the winery. The estate grows 12 varieties for its wines and another 26 for experiments; among them, Lily Zhang has high hopes for Barbera and Sangiovese, whose bright acidity can balance the ripeness of Ningxia fruit. The crimson winery, west of the Xixia Reservoir in the Yongning sub-region, was inspired by Uluru, the great red monolith of central Australia.
Wines
The estate's best-known wine is its Fei Tswei Reserve Syrah. Fei Tswei refers to fei cui (翡翠), the Chinese word for jade. The 2021 vintage, aged 12 months in oak, won a Silver medal with 92 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2024.
Why it matters
Copower Jade is one of the Ningxia estates pushing beyond Cabernet Sauvignon, testing grapes that could shape the region's future.