Chinese fancy posh Kiwi red

A growing penchant among wealthy Chinese for a tipple of posh Kiwi red could prompt a boom in export sales, Babich Wines general manager David Babich says.

After five years of low-level interest from Chinese distributors the family-owned Auckland operation, with vineyards in Hawkes Bay and Marlborough, has shipped its priciest container of wine yet to Guangzhou province.

The shipment - a container of 12,000 bottles made up largely of top-end Patriarch and Irongate wines- fetched 40 per cent more than any other container export in the business' 90-year history.

In the past six months Babich has sent about 5000 cases to Chinese clients. Mr Babich hopes it will increase to 8000 to 10,000 cases a year. Babich exports 300,000 cases a year to 35 countries.