On Saturday 16 November 2019, wine lovers in Singapore will be able to taste wines, huangjiu, and baijiu from a range of Chinese producers including one of Ningxia’s best wineries, Domaine du 1er Juin.
The winery is so named not because it is dedicated to an important date of historical, cultural, or political significance but rather for a parent’s love for their first-born. Proprietory LU Mengxi and her husband MEI Ningbo’s son Vincent Mei came into the world on 1 June 2012.
LU Mengxi is proprietor of Domaine du 1er Juin and holds a Master’s degree in International Wines & Spirits from the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon.
David Lu founded Fontaine Sable Winery in 2007. The experienced vigneron helped French drinks giant Pernod Ricard set up their winery in Helan Mountain, Ningxia.
Domaine du 1er Juin grew out of Mengxi’s father larger Fontaine Sable Winery which was founded in 2007.
David Lu is a very experienced vigneron and had helped French drinks giant Pernod Ricard set up their winery in Ningxia. His own Fontaine Sable estate has 50 hectares of vines including cabernet sauvignon, merlot, marselan, pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc. The winery and domaine have stainless steel tanks of varying sizes to separately vinify different varieties, plots and parcels.
I visited both winery and domaines in August and was struck by how dedicated father and daughter are to organic viticulture, agriculture, and animal farming.
Whether wine, fruit, eggs or animals, no herbicides nor pesticides are used. Everything is real, from the ground and the sky. Rain being a rare occurrence, water is piped in from the Yellow River to help irrigate the vines, plants and trees.
The peaches, prunes and plums greedily eaten on that day were unforgettable. I can still taste them in my salivating mouth. As for their wines, whether chardonnay, red Bordeaux blend, or Pinot Noir, they are equally lifted, fruity, scintillating, fine and balanced.
Rain being a scarce occurrence in Ningxia, water from the Mother or Yellow River is piped in to help irrigate the land.
The viticulture, agriculture, and animal farming are entirely organic. Everything is real. From earth, wind, sunshine and rain.
Domaine du 1er Juin Riesling 2017
Domaine du 1er Juin Pinot Noir 2016
Check some of them out in Singapore on Saturday 16 November at the walkabout tasting at The Tower Club, and over dinner at Silk Road Restaurant, Amara Hotel.