How's China and the whole wine thing doing?

[Andy Velebil]

Since this was heralded as the next great place to sell tons of wine and Port, with tons of money put forward so producers could establish themselves and make their wines known. Anyone know how it's going now that their economy is going down the drain? I ask as this was all the news, with pictures of Port/wine producers at dinners and events there and now there is not even a speck of news on it.

[Eric Menchen]

I think down the drain is a bit of a leap, but it has certainly slowed. But the other big factor affecting the wine trade in China was the change in government policies about gift giving and what have you. This isn't current, but gives some information on the issue:
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-wine ... ift-giving

[Andy Velebil]

I think down the drain is a bit of a leap, but it has certainly slowed. But the other big factor affecting the wine trade in China was the change in government policies about gift giving and what have you. This isn't current, but gives some information on the issue:
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-wine ... ift-giving

Oh, yeah. That would put the slow down on things.

[Janet Ainsworth]

I'm writing this from China. Having been a frequent visitor to China over the past couple of decades, I can vouch for the fact that high end wine purchases are definitely impacted by the anti-corruption drive. Gifts of high end French wines were very commonplace in recent years, as were premier cru growths being served at celebratory banquets. In fact, some gifted wines were regifted and regifted again!

On the positive side, there are fewer fake Bordeaux around these days. It had gotten to the point where I just assumed a Bordeaux in China was a fake. For my wine loving friends in China, I always recommend Australian wines--not touted enough to be worth counterfeiting!

[Andy Velebil]

I'm writing this from China. Having been a frequent visitor to China over the past couple of decades, I can vouch for the fact that high end wine purchases are definitely impacted by the anti-corruption drive. Gifts of high end French wines were very commonplace in recent years, as were premier cru growths being served at celebratory banquets. In fact, some gifted wines were regifted and regifted again!

On the positive side, there are fewer fake Bordeaux around these days. It had gotten to the point where I just assumed a Bordeaux in China was a fake. For my wine loving friends in China, I always recommend Australian wines--not touted enough to be worth counterfeiting!

Good to know, Thanks!

[Edward J]

China loves red wine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... -gold-rush

[Eric Menchen]

China loves red wine. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ ... -gold-rush

Nice read, and echoes some of what is in the movie Red Obsession.

Winemaking requires on average six to seven litres of water for every litre of wine

Six-to-one is the general ratio I hear for beer, but some very conscious efforts have gotten that down to four-to-one at some breweries. I bet you can do at least as well for wine.

[Tom Archer]

China loves red wine

They love the idea of getting rich by it, but the Han Chinese are mostly very tannin averse.

Go down to SE Asia and you get a melting pot of ethnic Thai, Lao, Khmer and other races, including Chinese. By and large these peoples like red wine - with the exception of the Chinese..

At tastings in Thailand I have been able to state with confidence - 'you will like this, but you probably won't' - just by noting the paler skin, blacker hair and wider faces of those with Chinese in their ancestry..

[Andy Velebil]

China loves red wine

They love the idea of getting rich by it, but the Han Chinese are mostly very tannin averse.

Go down to SE Asia and you get a melting pot of ethnic Thai, Lao, Khmer and other races, including Chinese. By and large these peoples like red wine - with the exception of the Chinese..

At tastings in Thailand I have been able to state with confidence - 'you will like this, but you probably won't' - just by noting the paler skin, blacker hair and wider faces of those with Chinese in their ancestry..

So should we sell them some cheap red wine that has been through reverse osmosis to suck all the tannins out, then add in some sugar to make it taste better?

[Tom Archer]

So should we sell them some cheap red wine that has been through reverse osmosis to suck all the tannins out, then add in some sugar to make it taste better?

Yes.

[Edward J]

Tannin sensitive? These girls are more sensitive to other issues associated with drinking red wine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI56XotU8OQ

[Andy Velebil]

Tannin sensitive? These girls are more sensitive to other issues associated with drinking red wine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI56XotU8OQ

After I stopped laughing...I don't know where to begin