In fine spirits
A new generation of winemakers is turning Shangri-La's mountain valleys into China's most uplifting frontier of wine, Li Yingxue reports.
Another winery that left a lasting impression on Liu was Zaxee Walnut Tree Winery, founded by Quan Shiping in 2017 in Benzilan township, Dechen county.
Quan's journey into wine began far from Yunnan, in the mountains of Gansu province, where he grew up. In 2006, he entered Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University to study viticulture and enology. After graduation, he moved to Guangzhou in Guangdong province to work in wine sales, but in 2015 he returned to the mountains — this time to Garze county in Sichuan — to become a winemaker. Over time, the highland landscape, culture, and people captured his heart.
Before arriving in Garze, Quan had studied other wine regions across China, but this one struck him as truly unique. "The combination of high altitude, low latitude, local terroir, and deep-rooted beliefs makes this region unlike any other," he says. What began as curiosity turned into connection — and eventually, belonging. Garze became his second home.
