HONG KONG, March 29 Moet Hennessy has become the latest international winemaker to announce plans to set up a vineyard in China, with the famed French company choosing a site that brings a little history of its own to the table.
Moet Hennessy conducted research for three years before picking Shangri-La county in Chinas southwestern Yunnan Province. The vineyard will be established 2,400 metres above sea level with the help of Chinese partners Vats Group.
It will concentrate on premium red wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes will be planted first, followed by Petit Verdot and Malbec once the vineyard is better established, according to reports in Chinese media.
It is expected the first vintages will be ready for sale in three to four years, and the companies are working on how to label and market their wines.
The brand name and package are as important as the wine quality in marketing to both Chinese and international consumers, Mark Bedingham, managing director of Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific, told the China Daily newspaper.
Shangri-La was previously known as Zhongdian county but in 2001 was renamed after the fictional monastery in James Hiltons novel Lost Horizon (1933) in an effort to promote tourism in the region.
Moet Hennessy says it is moving directly into China to further exert its influence over a market the company claims last year provided the lions share of the 3.52 billion (RM14.4 billion) in revenue it collected from Asia, where the brand is associated with success and prestige.
Home-grown wines in China are also hit with less duty than imports.
Other famed winemaker! s laying down roots in China include Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which has just started work on a vineyard in the Penglai region of Chinas eastern Shandong province.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild is also looking to tap in directly to the worlds fifth-largest wine market by volume, one that is growing by more than 20 per cent each year.
Another is the 300-year-old Spanish winery Torres, which has a partnership with the China-owned Grace Vineyard in Taigu, in Shanxi province. Relaxnews
No comments:
Post a Comment