Opinion... 'Chateau Great Wall' needs to earn its pedigree

Slowly, steadily and with purpose, something you probably haven't realised is happening in China.

by | 02/12/2009

China has whisked past Germany, South Africa, Argentina and Chile to become the world’s sixth-largest annual wine producer.

China now trails only France, Spain, Italy, USA and Australia. Berry Brothers & Rudd, England’s oldest independent wine merchant, reckons that China will be the world’s largest producer within 50 years, and has “all the essential ingredients to make fine wine to rival the best of Bordeaux”. Some of you reading this are undoubtedly sneering: “Why would I sacrifice my taste buds on a Cabernet Sauvignon from ‘Château Great Wall’ winery in Shacheng?”

But, who would have thought 20 years ago that China could host such a phenomenally successful Olympic Games? Or, produce a decent automobile? Or, be a world leader in the production of wind turbines and solar panels? Don’t count out China to challenge the world in any area of industry, even fine wines. Wineries in China are already beginning to produce delicious, table-worthy reds and whites that can satisfy discriminating palates. There are now more than 500 wineries in China, and companies from France and Australia have already arrived to help raise quality and technique, and get a piece of the growing action. The product, not just the production (volume) is already improving quickly.

But for China to truly become a respected global wine player, they are going to have to get their branding right. A good product is only one, albeit critical, part of the mix. Even if the bottle before you holds a delightful Bordeaux style blend aged in French oak, will you drink it when the label boldly proclaims that Château Changyu hails from China’s wine heartland, the ‘Yantai Economic and Technological Development Zone’? It does not exactly roll off the tongue, and it’s not reassuring or credible.

For China to become a true leader in this area, recognised for quality as well as volume, it needs to carefully plan how to create the brand image of China as a wine-maker. China can’t automatically join the new world club - it has to earn its pedigree. China has potential brand baggage to consider - it has food scandals, pollution, labour issues and product quality issues that could sallow any efforts to position it as a global oenological player. But China also has brand positives to apply - its diverse terroir, its long albeit obscure history of wine-making (2,000 years!), its value proposition, and its passion to succeed. These need to be considered, evaluated and positioned to create a credible and emotional proposition for Chinese origin wine-making.

California’s Napa Valley is an example of a good wine product that transformed itself into a powerful brand. Before the late 1970s, Californian wines received little notice or respect. California arrived in 1976 when savvy wine enthusiast Steven Spurrier entered some Napa wines in an international wine-tasting contest. The wine from Château Montelena beat the French wines, and the door opened for what is now referred to as ‘the new world wines’. Today, California is a respected player on the world stage, supporting the individual brand stories of many a powerful wine-maker. China can do it.

The provincial governments and wine-makers should work together to craft and publicise an emotionally compelling story for China wine, so that these emergent wine-makers and their wines can be perceived and consumed with the fullest intensity possible.