In 2012 David entered the Ningxia Wine Challenge. He was one of 8 winemakers selected from over 50 applicants to take part in the event.
The event is two years long and will involve David making wine out of the 2012 and 2013 vintages in the Ningxia province of China. David will also make numerous trips back to Ningxia for blending and bottling during the course of the two years.
David is very proud to be representing both Australia and New Zealand at the Challenge and has truly embraced the opportunity. David's parents lived in Beijing for 5 years, whilst working as teachers, and regular visits meant that David soon gained an appetite to learn more about Chinese culture and especially the in's and out's of the fledgling wine industry, both from a winemaking and consumer perspective.
David has recently been learning to speak Mandarin and is looking forward to making wines from the grapes of the Ningxia region and imparting his knowledge of winemaking and winery management to the companies he has a chance to work alongside.
As well as getting to make wines, the group of winemakers also get the opportunity to take in some of the local sights and activities. David got to indulge his two big hobbies - hiking and karaoke. Being 6'3" he is also difficult to miss and was constantly being asked to have his photo taken.
With Chinese wines poised to start making an impact on the wine world, it is an exciting time for David to be involved in the countries growing maturity in this field.
Read more about David's visited to China in his blog.