Allan Warburg , the majority owner of the Donum Estate since 2010, has a peculiar background. Born in Denmark, he had traveled to Asia with his open-minded parents, which helped him understand the charm of exotic cultures at an early age. While studying business at Copenhagen University, he learned Chinese language and later even enrolled at Yunnan University. After mastering Chinese, he got a job in trading business and settled in China. His entrepreneurial tendency was discovered then. In the mid 1990s he detected the potential of a European-style fashion business in a slowly-changing market of China. He and his friend partnered with a Danish fashion company and launched that brand in China. They were virtually the first market player to introduce western fashion to China. The brand grew exponentially several years later and began taking in other established apparel makers. As a result, he became a business tycoon in charge of 7,000 stores in all of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia, and some 50,000 employees.
It would have been an entirely different story if Warburg had lived in a Scandinavian city. However, he was in Beijing in 2000 when China was welcoming changes, and ultimately became a living witness to the transformation that took place in China’s contemporary art circle. Old electronic plants and munitions factories were turned into art studios and galleries, and the creativity of Chinese artists exploded in them. Fascinated by the extraordinary energy in the art industry, Warburg started collecting art pieces and built relationships with the artists. At the time, he was a wine lover who enjoyed the Donum brand and rookie art collector.

There came another turning point. A wine trader who knew him well gave him news that the Donum winery in Sonoma was up for sale. His entrepreneurial instinct kicked in once again. He knew it was too good an opportunity to pass up. The land had certainly been productive for high-quality wine making, and the price wasn’t too high considering that. He thought he could flip it after some time and gain profit. The new Donum winery under the ownership of Allan Warburg finally opened in 2011.

He first paid attention to Chinese contemporary artists he had already established relationships with. It was a natural choice for him considering that his first-ever personal sculpture purchase was from Zhan Wang, a Chinese artist known for his surrealistic, figurative sculptures. Near the entryway to Donum stands Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads(2011) by Ai Weiwei, a world-class sculptor representing Chinese contemporary art. The iconic works, symbolizing the 12 animal gods in Chinese tradition, stir interest among spectators with a horse head resembling a chess piece. Zhan Wang’s work titled Artificial Rock No. 126(2007-2013) stands tall in the center of the vineyards, mirroring the sunlight shone on its rugged surface. The sculpture was intended to create a synergy effect with the surrounding natural elements. Yue Minjun’s Contemporary Terracotta Warriors(2005) portrays a collective social anguish masked by exaggerated smiles on the faces of bronze statues, forming a contrast against the rows of olive trees nearby. Gao Weigang’s installation titled Maze(2017), on the contrary, becomes part of the landscape as the artwork reflects environmental changes such as light and the weather conditions at the time of observation.

Donum’s Tasting Room plays a supporting role in diversifying the art collection. It is located in a simplistic white building designed with the farmhouse which used to be in the winery in mind. Yayoi Kusama’s black-and-gold Pumpkin(2014) occupies the front yard. Pink Ladies(2014) by Lynda Benglis draws attention in the backyard with the candy-colored fountain. On the interior white wall are the self-portrait by Yue Minjun, a large oil painting by Liu Xiaodong, and Tracey Emin’s neon installation piece. If you are a fan of Emin who is considered a leading member of Young British Artists(YBA) that revitalized contemporary art in Britain, you should check out her bronze sculpture titled All I Want is You(2016) placed near a lake in the property according to the artist’s wish. Completed in the year that her mother passed away, the autobiographical work carries the feeling of sorrow and sense of absence after the loss of a loved one.