Collection: Jade Gross, Rioja

Jade Gross: From Hong Kong to Rioja

Jade Gross (高思翠) is not a typical Rioja winemaker. This is not the story of an old family estate, but of a Hong Kong‑born chef who traded a Michelin‑starred kitchen for a steep, calcareous hillside in northern Spain.

From the UN to Mugaritz
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Jade studied Politics and Human Rights in New York and London, even working for the United Nations. But the lawyer's path didn't satisfy her. Winning a James Beard scholarship, she moved to Paris for culinary school, then climbed the ranks at Alain Ducasse's three‑star restaurant and eventually became Chef de Cuisine at Mugaritz in San Sebastián, one of the world's most innovative two‑starred restaurants. It was there, creating dishes and visiting Rioja's vineyards, that her curiosity turned from plating to planting.

In 2018, Jade left gastronomy behind and moved to San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Rioja Alta, starting from zero. She apprenticed under iconic winemaker Abel Mendoza and threw herself into viticulture, earning her WSET Diploma. Her debut vintage in 2019 was just 800 bottles of Tempranillo but it marked the birth of a new voice in Rioja.

Vineyards & Philosophy
Today, Jade farms a small but growing domaine, including her own one‑hectare vineyard, San Ginés, in Rioja Alavesa. She works organically, uses only indigenous yeasts, ages in neutral barrels and concrete, and never fines or filters. Her wines are fresh, energetic and transparent, a world away from heavily oaked Rioja. Every bottle is sealed by hand with wax, a personal touch that speaks to her meticulous, chef‑driven sensibility.

Her production has grown to over 5,000 bottles, and she's been named one of the winemakers to watch in 2026. But for Jade, success is simple: "I don't intend to make great wines," she says, "but to bring my own interpretation of the territory, with a lot of respect for the people who have welcomed me."

From Victoria Harbour to the hills of Rioja, Jade Gross is proof that great wine can come from the most unexpected places.

Jade Gross（高思翠）並不是你印象中典型的 Rioja 釀酒師。這不是一個古老家族莊園的故事，而是一位在香港出生的主廚，放棄了米芝蓮星級廚房，轉而投入西班牙北部一片陡峭的石灰岩山坡。

Jade 在香港出生長大，曾在紐約與倫敦攻讀政治與人權，甚至為聯合國工作過，但律師之路未能滿足她。獲得 James Beard 獎學金後，她前往巴黎就讀廚藝學校，隨後在 Alain Ducasse 的三星餐廳中逐步晉升，最終成為 San Sebastián 世界最具創意的兩星餐廳之一 Mugaritz 的主廚。正是在那裡，她在創作菜餚並走訪 Rioja 葡萄園的過程中，好奇心從廚藝轉向了種植。

2018年，她離開美食界，搬到 Rioja Alta 的 San Vicente de la Sonsierra 由零開始。她跟隨標誌性釀酒師 Abel Mendoza 實習，全身心投入葡萄栽培。她的首釀年份為 2019 年，僅產 800 瓶的 Tempranillo，這標誌著 Rioja 一股新聲音的誕生。

如今，Jade 耕作著一個規模雖小但不斷成長的酒莊，包括她在 Rioja Alavesa 擁有的自家一公頃葡萄園 San Ginés。她採用有機耕作，僅使用原生酵母，在中性橡木桶與混凝土槽中陳年，且從不進行澄清或過濾。她的酒款新鮮、充滿活力且純淨，與重度橡木桶風格的 Rioja 截然不同。每一瓶酒皆以手工封蠟，這份細膩的個人觸感，反映了她來自廚師背景的嚴謹與敏銳。

她的產量已成長至超過 5,000 瓶，並被評為 2026 年值得關注的釀酒師之一。但對 Jade 而言，成功很簡單：「我無意釀造偉大的酒，」她說，「而是要以最大的尊重，對我接納我的人們所屬的這片土地，提出我自己的詮釋。」

從維多利亞港到 Rioja 的山丘，她證明了：偉大的葡萄酒，可能來自最意想不到的地方。