Bascand Wines Expands Its Presence In China

Bascand Wines and Mayor of Beijing

Bascand Wines received accolades from guests at two functions in Beijing earlier this week marking the company's expansion in China. On Sunday, guests at a Cocktail Reception held in the New Zealand Embassy's residence in Beijing tasted the company's Riesling and Pinot Noir. The following evening the Mayor of Beijing, Mr Guo Jinlong, hosted a tasting of the company's current vintage wines with 90 guests, including senior Chinese officials and Mr Gongmin Jiang, Director of Beijing's Municipal Bureau of Culture.

The Cocktail Reception and wine tasting, hosted by New Zealand's ambassador to the Republic of China, Carl Worker, was part of the Wellington City Mayoral Delegation to China and the 2010 World Expo, organised by the Wellington City Council. Bascand Wines is also hosting similar events in Shanghai and Xiamen. Guests at the Beijing reception included the Hon Gerry Brownlee, Minister for Economic Development and Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast.

Bascand Wine's General Manager, Gwyn Thomas said, "These functions were landmark events for New Zealand wine and Bascand Wines. The People's Republic of China is a growth market for the company and this event coincides with the shipping of our first 20 foot container of wine into China."

Guests tasted Bascand's 2009 Waipara Riesling, 2009 Marlborough Pinot Gris, 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and 2008 Marlborough Chardonnay and 2009 Marlborough Pinot Noir.

Gwyn Thomas says, "Red wine dominates in Asia and especially China but this is now changing. We are finding an increased preference amongst sophisticated younger people for our fruit driven aromatics, particularly our award winning Riesling and Pinot Gris varietals that complement the local seafood."

Bascand Wines has been exporting to China for the past five years and its wines are served in a number of leading restaurants, and in the luxury Sofitel and Hilton hotel chains in that country. This year the company will export around 2,000 cases to China, double the volume previously supplied to that market.

"While this is exciting in terms of the increase in volume, even more interesting is that the growth is in aromatics and that we are less dependent upon Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatics will comprise around 90 percent of our sales into China this year with the balance being Pinot Noir."

Established in 1998, Bascand Wines has an annual production of over 20,000 cases of wine and export markets now account for 50 percent of sales. The company also exports to Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Bascand's wines have also been selected for VIP hospitality at New Zealand's Shanghai Expo pavilion together with Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, Montana, Pegasus Bay and Kumeu River.