Chinese develop growing thirst for champagne
(25 Oct 2013) China's growing middle classes are getting a taste for the finer things in life - from designer handbags to expensive sports cars. Now increasing numbers of Chinese are getting a thirst for champagne. In May 2013, China's government said only wine produced in the French Champagne region could be sold as champagne, and more and more Chinese tourists are visiting the area to taste it for themselves. STORYLINE: Champagne used to be reserved for the elite in China. But as the country's economy grows and more people join the middle classes, the French sparkling wine is becoming something increasing numbers of Chinese can afford. These Chinese tourists are tasting Moet & Chandon champagne at a wine cellar in Epernay - known to some as the Champagne Capital. During the grape-harvesting season in Champagne, almost all the hotels here are fully booked. Liwen Miao, a Mandarin-speaking guide for Moet & Chandon, says she has more and more Chinese clients. "A lot of tour operators are offering wine cellar visits during their European circuits, so I think that there is more interest in that," she says. Miao has been working for the company for three months and she is one of three Mandarin-speaking guides. "The taste of champagne is completely new for Chinese clientele," says Miao. "They are absolutely not used to tasting it, to drinking it. Time is needed to teach them how to fully appreciate it." Miao says her clients want to learn more about the wine. "The most frequent question clients ask is: 'how do you identify a good champagne?' Or: 'how do you taste it?'," she says. But the drink isn't quite to everyone's taste. Fant Zhant Wen, a tourist from Beijing, says she's not used to drinking champagne. "It is a little bit acid for my taste," she admits. Wen and her colleagues were in Paris for a business trip, but decided to spend a day in the Champagne region to do a tasting tour. "After visiting the vineyard, I felt the process of making wine is very interesting. I'd like to try it in the future if there's an opportunity," she says. Drinking champagne is a matter of prestige for some, like Arbeat Chao, a tourist from Shanghai. "We know the champagne and the sparkling white wine is different. So actually for the very important activities (events), for example celebrations, we will chose champagne, not sparkling wine," he says. Chao also says he is learning to tell the difference between different types of champagne. "This is very good champagne. After visiting this vineyard, we understand the culture behind the wine, and champagne has a lot of history and most of this is found in France. This is the essence of champagne," he says. Champagne is not yet widely available in China, but exports from France are increasing. The recognition of the champagne name in China was a major success for the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC - Professional Winemakers' Committee of Champagne). For sparkling wine to be sold as champagne in China, it must now exclusively come from the French Champagne region - a rule that the United States and Russia have not yet introduced. The group's research indicates that China is a growing market. Two-million (m) bottles of champagne were exported to China in 2012 - an increase of 700-thousand from 2011, according to CIVC data. Champagne producers are hoping there is a great deal of growth potential in the booming Chinese economy. Lely says it's the exclusivity of authentic champagne that seems most appealing to Chinese consumers. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
