Jing Song is a wine producer originally from China, settled in New Zealand and now based in the UK. She is the youngest woman to have won the UK Pinot Noir trophy at the London based IWSC competition and has won the IWC (International Wine Challenge) best Pinot Noir in the World, receiving this Trophy a record setting three times. Jing was also honoured as the first Ambassador for IWSC London to China from 2017-2019. Jing Co-Founded Crown Range Cellar Wines with Grant Taylor, regarded as one of New Zealand’s top Pinot Noir winemakers and their Pinot Noir has won acclaimed reviews and awards around the world.
Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?
I was raised in Chongqing, China, but left China when I was years old to move to New Zealand alone to study, navigating a foreign culture and new language on my own. Almost by accident, I discovered winemaking and fell in love with the grapes from the Central Otago region of New Zealand. I have since been fortunate to create a number of exceptional wines, collaborating with, for example, a top Bordeaux Grand Cru winemaker and a Pinot Noir expert from New Zealand. I founded my company in 2012 and our Pinot Noir has gone on to win acclaimed reviews and awards around the world. My focus now is on my China Girl Wine (the name of which pays homage to my favourite David Bowie song). China Girl wines are available at Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred restaurants, Lucky Cat, in Mayfair and Bishopsgate London, as well as being on the Discovery Pairing Menu at Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, at the luxurious Savoy Hotel.
What inspired you to start your business?
With no viticulture or wine making education or experience, I set myself the target of becoming an entrepreneur who produces the best Pinot Noir and the most expensive Pinot Noir from the New World. I wanted to revolutionise the industry and change perceptions about where the best wines in the world could come from. The wine industry is male-dominated and often family and history based. I definitely stand out as a woman of Chinese heritage. Honestly, I simply fell in love with the idea of making wine and am still surprised and delighted to see how far I have come.
How did you create awareness for your brand?
Having a brand called China Girl obviously helps as it intrigues people. I also realised the value of entering – and winning – prestigious international wine competitions. This in turn helped me attract media attention. At home, in New Zealand I do a lot of community and charity work and internationally I have become noticed for having a brand associated with premium dining and hotel experiences such as Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. The combination of all of these elements has helped create brand awareness.
What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
I have not had any external funding in my business. My company is entirely self-funded, all organic growth. We make the best wine – fine wine is not something that people buy and sell frequently like a commodity. You need to be able to hold the stock for the long term. It pays off in the end!
What have been your biggest successes so far?
There are a few elements I would mention: certainly, becoming the youngest woman to have won the UK Pinot Noir trophy at the London based IWSC competition was amazing. In addition, I have won the IWC (International Wine Challenge) best Pinot Noir in the World, a record setting three times. And more recently winning an award for the best Pinot Gris – the first semi-aromatic trophy in the entire winemaking history of New Zealand. Secondly, opening the urban wine lounge concept in Parnell – creating a wonderful space to enjoy wine and music. Personally, being chosen to be the first ever ambassador for the UK IWSC to China. Finally, my other successes in life are my two beautiful children – Leroy and Isabella.
What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Like many entrepreneurs, I have had my fair share. There was the massive fire in our Parnell lounge space back in 2018 just two weeks before we were due to open and, of course, COVID which hit the hospitality industry particularly hard. Other challenges are more personal in nature, such as losing my father or the breakdown of my relationship. What I have learnt from all of these is the importance of receiving and taking good advice both personally and professionally. I now understand the need to prioritise one’s own mental and physical health because if you don’t look after yourself, you cannot look after your business.
What are your plans for the future?
There is still so much that I want to achieve in the world of wine – I’m so proud of my wines that I want more (and more!) people to try them and fall in love with them. I’m also interested in expanding my thoughts and ideas into becoming more of an international cultural ambassador – I have this unique positioning of understanding Chinese food, especially Sichuan food, cuisine and culture mixed with my New Zealand wine routes and my international outlook. Plus there are some interesting opportunities around this in social media which I am considering. In all of this, though, I’m still trying to figure out how to work less and make more money!
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Be yourself, look inwards and find your true passion. Find what you really, really want to do rather than something someone else might have told you to do. Ask yourself why you want to do this and be really sure about it. When you have found your passion, be resilient and don’t give up on your dream. Stay determined.
What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
- Set clear goals and have a clear vision
- Have or make the space and time to think, create and reflect on a daily basis
- Be strong and have an attitude of being unstoppable – you need to stand up for yourself (whether that’s negativity or even bullying from others) and trust your decisions.
Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
The first, Sir Michael Hill, a New Zealand Jewellery mogul, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur, is someone I admire for so many reasons. He started a business in his late 40’s, which has led to it becoming a Jewellery empire with 300 stores globally, having started from small beginnings in New Zealand. He is an incredibly humble entrepreneur, who to me proves that you don’t have to have gone to business school or been born in the right place or gone to the right college in order to be successful.
Secondly, there’s our CEO Allen Gibbons, who is another person who inspires me – he is a real clear thinker – getting what needs to be done and executing it well. He is quite simply the best strategist I have come across. My partner Damien Smith is third – an exceptional professional in both business and politics. Damien continues to support me each and every day as he wants me to achieve my dream even during tough times of his own (last year he came close to dying).
The fourth inspirational person is Margaret Thatcher, Iron Lady and first female Prime Minister of the UK. Politics aside, she stuck to her beliefs and convictions through tough times. Finally, for the fifth person, it would be fashion icon Victoria Beckham. She has managed to transition from a pop singer to a fashion entrepreneur, while all the time keeping everything together as a mother (and I know how hard this can be) which leads me on to sneaking in another inspiration, which is my mother, a strong determined woman who raised me as a single mum and is super supportive of what I do, helps me with my children and believes in me totally. And just as an aside, my mum, Victoria and I were all born in the year of the Tiger!
11) What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
Mine is from the Buddha: “Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
12) Where can our readers connect with you?
https://www.instagram.com/chinagirlwine
