Are New World winemakers influencing the Chinese palate?

China’s wine market remains very much in its infancy, despite some more than passable drops being produced near Beijing in joint ventures with French and Australian vintners.

New World winemakers like those from Australia, New Zealand and Chile, have been actively trying to ‘educate’ the Chinese palate, enticed by the size of the emerging Chinese middle class, should wine become the drink of choice.

Last week one of New Zealand’s larger independent wineries, Trinity Hill, revealed it had secured its largest order of red wine to China.

That’s no mean feat because - to date - 86% of wine exports to China are of white.

Trinity’s winemaker John Hancock says the order of his company’s Tempranillo is “just the tip of the iceberg”.

Let’s hope so, because with a 5% rise in the Australian wine inventory over the past 12 months, new markets like China will be a key to maintaining the propsperity of this region’ wine industry.

As Foodweek.com.au reports, Trinity Hills is sending 1400 cases urgently, as the initial order has sold out already.

“These are premium priced wines that will be enjoyed in restaurants in China,” says Hancock.

Tempranillo is grown in the stony, free-draining and warm soils of the Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, and Trinity Hill is one of the few New Zealand wineries producing this wine.

At least it should be easier to find a good drop of affordable red next trip to China!