USA

Junqi Peng

Junqi’s journey in wine began in 2014, when she fatefully tasted a 2005 Chateau Palmer. Falling in love with wine from this moment onwards, it became a passion of hers, albeit not one that she thought would ever become a career. A talented chemist at school (being placed in the Top 10 of one million students in the Guangdong province division of the Chinese Chemistry Olympiad), she studied theoretical chemistry at university, aiming to undertake a PhD eventually. Visits to German and Spanish winemaking regions, however, convinced her that winemaking was where her true passion lay, representing “a true combination of art, science and philosophy”. To change course and become a winemaker was no easy feat, however: Junqi has faced many obstacles, and question regarding her suitability for such a “tough” occupation. Undeterred, Junqi is forging ahead, applying for the MW programme and simultaneously identifying the three areas she wishes to focus upon in the next 5-10 years: establishing a winery in China; working on the development of Chinese region and appellation regulations; and ameliorating China’s import and export regulations with regards to the wine trade. Alongside wine, Junqi’s other great passion is underwater photography, and indeed she sees similarities between the two pursuits, remarking: “both wine and ocean are boundless, unifying people and the world.”