Introducing Silver Heights

“I travel widely around the world of wine but I honestly think that Emma Gao is the most naturally vivacious wine producer I have ever met” - Jancis Robsinon MW

I first encountered Silver Heights when I started reading about China’s wine industry in early 2024. At the time, I didn’t know anything about Chinese wine, and information was scarce. However, one name kept getting mentioned by critics, blogs, videos, and authors: Emma Gao.

Without the capacity to travel there in person, I contacted Emma via email, anxious for a reply. Weeks passed. I heard from dozens of other wineries in the area, but none were as enchanting as this headstrong, passionate, and committed Chinese winemaker in Ningxia.

Finally, a reply! A few sample bottles arrived, and they were put to the test alongside 20 other Chinese wines. I followed my palate alongside the trusted palates of Melbourne’s most respected sommeliers. This was the one. Within 6 months, the first wines from Silver Heights arrived in Australia. Now, they are exported to over 12 countries including Australia.

Few others have achieved as much recognition for their commitment to China’s wine industry as Emma Gao, one of the few female owner-winemakers in the country. Born and raised in Ningxia, she has truly spent their time on the land she farms whilst supporting underrepresented local communities, speaking out about climate change, and setting the standard for Chinese wine worldwide. With a foot in both the traditional and innovative, Emma’s wines blend technical expertise with a profound respect for nature and tradition, encapsulating Ningxia’s style as both an established and evolving wine region.

‘The Summit’ is her magnum opus - critically acclaimed year after year, benchmarked as a Ningxia Cabernet Sauvignon, and served at state dinners.

‘Bloom’ is her tour de force - inspired by early evidence of fermented beverages, it combines grape and rice wine to give a unique identity only possible in China.

Fascinated by Chinese traditional medicine, Emma converted Silver Heights’ 70 hectares to biodynamic farming practices in 2017, complemented with farming methods from the Chinese lunisolar calendar. From 2023, Silver Heights is the only Chinese winery to hold Demeter certification for its commitment to biodynamic farming.

I’ve eagerly championed these wines for the last 12 months, and I am always blown away by the quality of winemaking. These biodynamically-farmed, zero- or low- sulphur cuvées are reliably stable and classically put together, with a touch of unadulterated innovation.

“My feeling for winemaking stems in large part from my deep knowledge of the complex geological and social terroir of northern Ningxia, something I carry in my bones. I used the term "social terroir" to refer to Ningxia's ethnically mixed population, but it also applies to the support of business partners and customers who have become close friends. Each year, friends of Silver Heights – both in Ningxia and from all around China – come to help sort and crush grapes, making our wines the work of many human hands but all bound together in a spirit of harmony.”

-Emma Gao