Introducing September Helan

Yujie (Gigi) Gao (no relation to Emma Gao) was standing behind a booth at ProWein Shanghai. Amongst the ‘Young Chinese Winemakers’, she appeared reserved and muddled; several bottles lacking labels and others hastily added at the last minute. I found myself drawn to the beautiful labels and approached the booth, introducing myself. 

She looked at me like a deer in headlights. She didn’t speak any English.

I looked at her, frozen. I didn’t speak any Chinese.

I went home that night and enrolled myself in Chinese lessons.

September Helan’s story is a Chinese cliché: a small winery and retirement project from Gigi’s parents that fell into Gigi’s hands, ready for a new vision and reinterpretation. Originally pursuing a career in architecture, Gigi has since devoted her life to winemaking, undertaking a PhD in oenology and completing 10 vintages at September Helan.

Gigi’s wines possess vibrancy and vitality, with the ‘Home Grown’ label serving as the proving ground for wines focussed on indigenous ferments, fruit purity and ripeness. The lighter-bodied Marselan shares more in common with Grenache than its other parent, whilst the macerated white balances generosity with an acidity not often buried under oak amongst other wines in the region.

In 2025, the local government reclaimed the family’s 33-acre vineyard and rezoned the area for an airport, turning September Helan from an estate to a négociant overnight. Whilst Gigi intends to establish another vineyard in the future, the decision has provided her an opportunity to think about the future - location, farming practices, varieties, and clonal material.