27.10.2011 - Vinexpo news selection
Australian winemakers are setting up replica cellar doors in China and running wine clubs and tastings as they intensify efforts to win Chinese buyers in a bid to offset shrinking demand in their traditional British and U.S. markets.
The wealthy Chinese consumer, with a growing appetite for luxury brands, is the main target for premium winemakers such as Penfolds, which next month will launch a new wine, Special Bin 620, in Shanghai.
"We have never done a global launch like this outside of Australia before," says Penfolds' global brand manager, Sandy Mayo. Bin 620 will sell in the same price range as Penfolds Grange Hermitage, widely considered Australia's best wine, at more than US$ 548 per bottle. (Reuters - 12 October 2011)