It’s no real secret that many wine producers are betting the future of wine on the Chinese market. This notion is growing just as much as, well, China itself is. It should certainly come to no surprise that the Chinese have discovered an appetite for Wine and of course they know how to make it. What DON’T they know how to make?
BEHIND THE GRAPE-WALL OF CHINA
My position on this subject is most certainly based Politically, Nationalistic, and Economical. As for the Culture, to each their own though I couldn’t imagine eating a lot of the things you see sold at markets. 🙂
Contrary to my other global, human counterparts, I for one am not a big fan of Chinese manufacturing, in general. I guess that’s because the majority of products I personally encounter in my daily life adorning a MADE IN CHINA stamp or sticker on it, are crap. Actually, CRAP.
So, if you’re listening CHINA, if your plan is simply to crank out bizillions of watered down, tasteless bottles of 
“Wine”, do the world a big favor and stay out of the vineyard. I’ve yet to taste a brilliant Chinese beer, for example, though I see them popping up everywhere here. Now that China has an official middle-class citizenship, no idea how big that is, production is clearly about quantity, not quality and we continue forking the money over. Well, not we. I’m truly am one of those guys to give an American product a chance first, followed by a German one. Vice versa when I’m abroad. Are there not enough Chinese people in China to market too? Oh, forgot, the majority are still poor by comparison.
At present, the export sales to most countries are weak, but China will undoubtedly find their way to your dinner table. Let’s hope they at least adhere to wine making best practices. I’d hate to discover some strange, fancy new chemical being added for color and taste which causes children to be born with 5 limbs. You’ll never know, until you know. Bought any playthings for your toddlers that were made in China lately? DON’T.
Current figures do suggest that China is now the biggest export market for Bordeaux wine, ahead of the UK, though I don’t know the validity of those figures. For those who want to know more about China and about how wine is sold and understood in China, there is a special blog in that very subject. It is written by a Chinese journalist living in France, Jia Peng, so it is in French. Use Google Translate or something to understand the basics. It’s called Le Marché du Vin en Chine. I for one, am far too lazy.
No, with my limited funds I will continue to support Wines and winemakers I can trust and a bit closer to home. Any huge Chinese wine fans out there, feel free to send us a bottle of your best. I’ll review it along with another more experienced Palate and I’ll be happy to admit being wrong minded. Until then, I’m anti-Chinese manufacturing, no matter what the hell it is. Wine production should not be a mega-mass produced, numbers game. But that’s just me. What do I know, I’m just an American wino with European citizenship who doesn’t knowledgeably support any country that still executes it’s citizens on the streets nor respects the rights of animals. I could go on…
Viva Sonoma!
Cheers,
K.
Every so often while surfing the Wine Blogosphere I come across a bit of visual insanity. It’s that wackiness that keeps the Wine world interesting. As a Wine blogger, It’s those freaky folks that I personally want to bring to the forefront of Wine Time TV, though I’m only one of several writers around here…thank Goddess for you!
This recent HOT WINE PIC is from Eva Clark. ‘Nuff said…
After a very long break, Wine Time TV will be returning to regularity in the world of Winos online. Thanks to the drive from Wine Time TV writer Jodi Fritch and her interest to continue, I’m getting motivated and sparked!
Not having been able to afford wine as of late makes it kind of hard to be inspired to produce content around it. That’s all changing as opportunities and new money are arising. Yay!
I’m sure WTTV will reinvent itself yet again and bring another interesting twist to an old topic that’s often not-so-interestingly explored. Does that make sense?
Now in North Hollywood, I’m looking for the right ‘angle’ to approach the next Wine Time TV edition. Perhaps a wine shop or wine bar partnership? Hm…
I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out. Meanwhile, chime in with any thoughts anytime.
How can a bottle of wine help the world? And how can the wine world come together, to change the lives of those in the greatest need? How can those in the wine industry really help the lives of those less fortunate?
In January of 2010 Anja Cheriakova and Georges Janssens will be starting a world wine charity tour. The pair will be visiting over 300 wineries around the globe, inviting them to donate a bottle of their best wine for the cause. Upon completion of their journey, which will include most wine growing regions of the world, they will hold an auction of the wines in the Napa Valley of California, donating all proceeds to charity. It will hope to raise 150, 000 USD.
To make this remarkable humanitarian project possible, the World Wine Tour 2010 project is seeking sponsorship, in return for marketing and exposure throughout the mission. The sponsors will be promoted through media broadcasts, and also directly through visits to wineries and other wine related businesses. For those interested in becoming a sponsor let me know.
The proceeds will support the Lao Rehabilitation Foundation Inc. (LRF). There the funds will go towards a special interest in education for children, by rebuilding a school in Simmano Village that was destroyed in 2008 by massive floods.
Average income per year in the destroyed schools village is estimated to be $16 US. LRF is one of the few foundations that works specifically in Laos to improve conditions there.
Aside from the sponsors to promote, the wineries to showcase, and the charity to raise funds for, the pair hope to motivate young people of their generation to combine their passions and dreams with humanitarian goals, which is what this world needs most.