Chinese Biodynamic Wine with a Panda Twist
“This is literally the poo,” says Domaine Bear owner Xiong Taidi as he surveys ten hectares of vineyards set 2,500 meters high in the mountains of Sichuan province.
Xiong’s winery is fast becoming known for quality wine due to an unexpected ingredient from one of China’s ancient symbols. His secret? Panda poop. And plenty of it.
“We are committed to biodynamic practices, to revealing the influence of nature,” says Xiong. “And as part of that effort, at least ten percent of all fertilizer used in our vineyards is panda droppings.”
From Bamboo to Bottle
Xiong, who made his fortune in rare earth minerals before pivoting to wine, sources premium-grade panda droppings from across the province. He pays top dollar for the freshest most “terroir-enhancing” excrement, a cost that make his wines among the country’s most expensive.
“Panda poop doesn’t come cheap,” he says. “But can you really put a price on biodynamic wine?”
One oenophile has already scored his wines as high as 96 points, describing a recent bottle as having “hints of wild bamboo, a whisper of eucalyptus and an unmistakable… earthiness.”
Single-Bear Wines
To highlight the role of terroir, Xiong has taken single-vineyard and single-barrel concepts to their logical extreme: single-bear wines.
“Our Celebrity Bear series shows how the aroma and flavor of grapes are shaped by unique environments,” he explains, holding a bottle featuring a panda named JieJie on the label.
“This wine comes exclusively from vines fertilized by JieJie,” he says, pouring out a glass. The result? A twiggy bouquet with dark meaty fruit and a lingering and slightly fibrous finish.
Xiong claims true connoisseurs will eventually be able to identify the exact panda behind each wine with just a sniff and a sip.
He also has global aspirations.
If all goes to plan, Xiong will soon have wineries in Australia, Canada and the United States using kangaroo, beaver and eagle droppings respectively, all in pursuit of his biodynamic dreams and in bringing wine lovers together.
“Our panda project should give everyone paws, er, pause for thought,” Xiong chuckles. “And if that sounds like a joke, well, it is — an April Fool’s joke!“
Check out more Grape Wall of China April Fool’s posts from over the years here.
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