Meet the Chinese innovators behind our new Discovery wine series

What we create is what defines us, and a fascinating crop of Chinese winemakers are taking that message to heart. Through bold innovation, they are transforming Chinese wine from a drink to be casually enjoyed at the end of the day into an expression of both heritage and ingenuity. 

This pioneering spirit makes them the ideal stars of Cathay Pacific’s latest series of Discovery wines, served on board our aircraft and in our airport lounges. 

As Ronald Khoo, Cathay Pacific’s Wine, Spirits & Beverage Manager, says, “Chinese wine no longer simply follows established winemaking traditions from elsewhere. Many producers are confidently developing their own identity.” 

Cathay Pacific’s new Discovery Wines selection

We’ve previously showcased Chinese wines from high-altitude locales and sustainable vineyards in our inflight offering. Our latest Discovery wines selection celebrates bold innovators in the space. “In the Chinese Mainland, creativity often stems from the fact that many wine regions are still relatively young compared with centuries-old European regions,” explains Khoo. “Winemakers have the freedom to question convention and explore what works best in their local conditions.” 

Amid this landscape of curiosity and experimentation, our winemakers draw on Chinese tradition, native fruits and hard-won adaptations to bring their expressions to life. At Silver Heights in Ningxia, pure rice wine is blended with Chardonnay in a double fermentation process to create the brand’s refreshing sparkling Bloom wine. Hardy Chinese Beichun grapes, a hybrid of wild Jilin grapes and Xinjiang muscats, form the base of Puchang Vineyard ’s complex red wines, which critics like James Suckling and Decanter have praised for their rich profile. 

At Domaine de Long Dai , meanwhile, Marselan grapes are the star of the show. A popular choice among Chinese winemakers, they’re especially well-suited to Shandong province’s mild summer climate. “These producers are not innovating for innovation's sake, but because it works,” Khoo notes. 

Discover our new selection of inflight wines below – and hear from some of the producers behind them. 

First class (served on a rotational basis)

Long Dai, Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong, China, 2022

After nearly 15 years in production, Domaine de Long Dai knows what works best at its Shandong vineyards and have turned to Marselan, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grape varieties to create its flagship red. Woody, black fruit notes emerge first, then comes hints of dark chocolate, rosemary and nutmeg for a well-balanced finish.

The region’s climate is what makes this sophisticated wine possible, says Olivier Tregoat, Technical Director of Domaines Baron de Rothschild Lafite – the renowned French winery behind Domaine de Long Dai: “It's not an excessively hot region in summer, which means that the fruit does not become overripe and remains fresh and delicate, unlike in regions further north.”

Business class (served on a rotational basis)

Hu Yue, Qiu Shan Valley, Shandong, China, 2022

Domaine de Long Dai’s second label is a Bordeaux-style blend with a twist. Like the Long Dai, it features Marselan grapes that impart floral, spicy notes, beautifully rounding out the acidity of bright red fruits and warm roasted almonds. Aged in barrels which once housed Château Rieussec’s sweet Sauternes wines, Hu Yue honours France’s long winemaking tradition while bearing its own distinctly Chinese character.  

Puchang Vineyard Beichun Limited Edition, Turpan Valley, Xinjiang, China, 2019 

Innovation is at the heart of Puchang Vineyard’s winemaking. The Turpan Valley winery uses Beichun, a hybrid grape variety specially developed to withstand the region’s extreme climate. 

“It was bred to resist both very low and very high temperatures, with vigorous roots, a dense canopy of large leaves and thick grape skins,” says Clara Wang, Director, Puchang Vineyard. “The resulting wines contain notes of red and black fruit – cherry, blackberry, plum – with a floral lift. As they age, they develop a savoury profile: dried fruit, cranberry, raisin, date, but also black tea, menthol, tobacco and Mediterranean herbs.” In the Puchang Vineyard Beichun Limited Edition, these characteristics shine through: herbal aromas, balsamic plums and a mineral finish.

Silver Heights Bloom Sparkling, Ningxia, China, 2023 

The Chinese Mainland has emerged as a key player in the widening field of sparkling wine production, and Bloom illustrates exactly why. It’s a wine born out of experimentation: Silver Heights owner Emma Gao tried blending pure Ningxia rice wine with freshly fermented Chardonnay in her quest to develop a rich yet refreshing wine perfect for the region’s hot summers. 

“[Gao] decided to bottle this secret rice wine blend. To her surprise, the residual sugars triggered a secondary fermentation in the bottle – a serendipitous moment that transformed a simple table drink into a sophisticated sparkling wine,” a spokesperson for Silver Heights recalls.