Develop wines tailored to Chinese consumers
By 2011-11-24 17:47:00
Dennis Barnett, president of L2S Wine Partners International, saw in China an opportunity to develop a product tailored to a consumer that has different needs and desires than American wine drinkers.
To suss out how to reach the growing group of potential wine buyers, Barnett conducted focus groups in China. Then, he partnered with Sonoma Wine Co. to develop a line of products, choosing flavor characteristics, brand names and lower alcohol content that the focus group participants favored.
Along the way, Barnett found that many Chinese wine drinkers fit into two groups: consumers who purchase bottles for $5 or less, and wealthy buyers who are willing to pay $1,000 to $10,000 for a bottle from Bordeaux or Burgundy.
"You have the very wealthy billionaires that don't know much about wine, and they enjoy showing off," Barnett said. "They're drinking it with 7UP, because they don't have a taste for wine ... Our approach, rather than try to compete with first-growth Bordeaux, we're focused on the emerging middle class that are very status-conscious and aspirational, and will become an economic force in China."
It appears to be working: His company is currently sold out of a line called "Napa Trail" that was developed for sale in China.
From cnwinenews