We were honored to have been invited to Lijiang last year to document Miaolu Vineyard during its first harvest season. One of the highest-altitude vineyards in the world is the vision and hard work of Shanghai-based restauranteur and sommelier Alex Xu. Farming by hand at an altitude of 2800 meters, the vines for his Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are rooted in limestone and marine basalt soils. Miaolu’s three hectares of south facing terraces reside on Naxi land at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, making for a particularly beautiful and unique site.

Alex Xu built an amazing team with the local Naxi villagers and domestic consultants and together they’ve been working towards the dream - “to make wines with an individual sense of beauty, wines that are singular and unique to Miaolu”. 

The nearby family house is the work of renowned Chinese architect Li Xiaodong. The design takes on the local Naxi architecture style and blends beautifully with the landscape.