Chinese face suspicion in French wine world

(France24) - Chinese investors are flocking in growing numbers to the wine-rich French region of Bordeaux, and while locals are grateful for the attention, some are questioning the motivations spurring the new craze.

Amid dozens of tradeshow stands at this year’s Vinexpo fair in the southwest city of Bordeaux, one in particular stands out. Inside its imperial-red folding screens, the Yunnan Red Château & Wine stand visitors are tempted to savour a “taste of the East”. Tiana Wu, a young woman who has worked for the vineyard based in southern China since 1997, tips a bottle of red that is adorned with fine Oriental motifs and calligraphy. But two perplexing words stand out on the otherwise harmonious label: “French wild”.

Wu has trouble explaining what the term means. The wine’s grapes grow and are harvested in China. They are also pressed and bottled there. Does the taste recall French wines from a certain region? The talkative saleswoman admits she is not sure.

What is sure is her enthusiasm for French “vin” and the wine-rich region that hosts Vinexpo – the world’s largest annual tradeshow of its kind. “We would love to buy a wine property in France,” Wu says of her company. “But first we have to test out products to see if they are compatible with European tastes.”