A Decent Bottle of Wine in China

When Yorkshireman Chris Ruffle decided to build a vineyard complete with a Scottish castle in the midst of the countryside in eastern China, he was expecting difficulties, but nothing on the scale he encountered. But build it he did, and the wine is now flowing. A Decent Bottle of Wine in China tells the unique story of an adventurer determined to make his dream come true regardless of what strange and formidable obstacles are placed in his path.

Chris Ruffle has a first class degree in Chinese from Brasenose College, Oxford. He sold Fairy Toilet Soap for Procter & Gamble in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Beijing in 1983 to work for metal trader Wogen Resources. After studying for a diploma in Japanese at Sheffield University he became a financial analyst for Warburg Securities in the bull market in Tokyo in the late ‘80’s before opening their Taiwan office. He was one of the earliest foreign investors in China’s domestic stock market on behalf of Scottish fund manager Martin Currie. He is now based in Shanghai where he manages specialist China funds for Open Door Capital Management. Previous publications include China: an Insider’s Guide.