Tai-Ran Niew may be a winemaker, but he approaches his craft with the thoughtfulness of a philosopher. Niew Vineyards is guided by 静, the Chinese concept of being serenely aware. Its grapes are farmed naturally, following the principles of Japanese natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka.
Niew is fueled by a desire to push the limits of low-intervention winemaking, with the added perspective of his heritage. As a result, Niew Vineyards is unlike most other wines we’ve encountered. It is an expression of Asian culture, art, and philosophy, as much as it is a wine.
Niew Vineyards: Behind the Label
Every aspect of Niew Vineyards is rich in story and significance. The wine label has just four Chinese calligraphy characters, “饶氏庄园”. These translate to “Niew Family Estate Garden” (or Mansion). These words reflect Niew’s desire to make the vineyard a part of his family legacy, particularly for his son.
The Niew Vineyards logo is the stone seal for Niew’s family name. Niew notes that his family name was technically mistranslated. “Due to a quirk of British colonial administration in Malaysia, where my father was born, 饶 was translated to “Niew” on his birth certificate,” he says.
On Asian Americans in the Wine Industry
Niew is unabashed about being a minority amongst winemakers. His unique perspective is shaped by a wealth of global experiences. “I grew up in Singapore, where Asians are represented in every strata of society and in every profession,” says Niew. “Being ‘Asian’ has never been a consideration when it comes to any career path.”
While wine is typically associated with European culture, Niew actually feels it has a strong place in Asian culture. “There are lots of wine enthusiasts in Asia, and many are extremely sophisticated,” he says. “Outside of the US, there are now Asian winemakers around the world, producing world class/cult wines that are extremely well regarded – in Burgundy, Northern Rhone, New Zealand, etc. This is without considering the industry in China and Japan, which is not surprisingly, staffed by mainly Asian winemakers!”
One challenge Asian Americans face when beginning a career in wine is their lack of connections in the industry. Niew built his winemaking experience from the ground up, traveling to major wine regions to seek employment.
“I adopted a rather haphazard path to winemaking,” he says. After a career in investment banking, Niew gained experience working in vineyards in France, Australia, and the United States. He also wrote for the acclaimed wine critic, Jancis Robinson. Niew mentions that there are plenty of more straightforward routes for aspiring winemakers. These include pursuing a winemaking degree at schools such as UC Davis and Oregon State.
Why aren’t there more Asian American winemakers? Niew’s opinion is thoughtful. “I suspect the biggest barrier to having more comes not from external factors, but within the Asian community itself,” he says. “Being a small-scale farmer (which fundamentally is what winemaking is) is not an aspirational choice of career for many families.”
Niew encourages interested Asian Americans not to be intimidated by a winemaking career. “If you want to start by working vintages, I know of very few wineries that are not completely pragmatic – hard work, professionalism and intellect is always rewarded,” says Niew. “This is particularly true of the better/best wineries.”
Niew Vineyards Today
Now that Niew has started a vineyard, he faces the delayed gratification of waiting for it to mature. In particular, a vineyard under Masanobu Fukuoka’s teachings will take longer to grow than a typical commercial vineyard. Fukuoka posits that high quality crops may grow with little more than air, sun, and water. These principles were written with rice in mind, and are only just now being applied to grapes.
So, Niew’s Willamette Valley estate grows without the cushion of chemicals, plowing, or even weeding. While some of his vines will struggle, the winners will be culled to foster a new, stronger generation of vines. In the end, a vineyard that thrives naturally in the Willamette Valley will be born.
In the interim, Niew has taken a smart approach, purchasing grapes to hone his winemaking style. The current Niew Vineyards Chardonnay contains a small portion of grapes from his own vineyard. Over time, this proportion will increase.
We had the opportunity to try one of the few remaining bottles of the 2019 Niew Vineyards Chardonnay. It is nothing short of singular, with an expressiveness and texture that speaks to its Willamette Valley terroir. It offers beautiful melon and stone fruit aromatics on the nose, with a savory, saline twist on the palate. Layered beneath this are undertones of hazelnut, wet rock, and lemongrass. Vibrant, lemony acidity is balanced out by the rounded, creamy finish.
Due to the wildfires, there will not be a 2020 Niew Vineyards vintage. We look forward to experiencing his next vintage, anticipated to be available in spring of 2023. Those interested in experiencing Niew Vineyards’ sold-out 2019 vintage may contact E&R Wine Shop. Visit the Niew Vineyards website to learn more about his journey of natural winemaking.