By Amy Looker
Wine Australia welcomed 100 Chinese wine trade, media and educators to Australia yesterday (April 3) as part of a week-long trip that will see the visitors taking part in vintage at some of the country’s leading wine regions.
The 100 Chinese participants were carefully selected through an application and review process to join the program, which has been designed to increase their knowledge of the Australian wine industry.
The group is drawn from 25 cities across mainland China, and includes staff from the emerging wine distribution chain, from importers and wholesalers, through to specialist retailers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, educators and media.
The program, a collaborative effort by Wine Australia, Tourism Australia and Austrade, has been described by Wine Australia’s director for Asia, Lucy Anderson, as its biggest initiative to date.
“This initiative is aimed squarely at promoting Australia’s best wines and our famous wine regions in China. Our collaborative approach has been integral to the success and will result in more than 200 wineries hosting visitors in 16 wine regions across the country," said Anderson.
“China is a highly sophisticated society, but still has an evolving sense of wine's potential to contribute to contemporary culture. Delivering the ‘A+ Australian Wine – Vintage 2011’ program enables us to position Australian wine as trusted, excellent quality and aspirational – characteristics that are highly regarded in China.”
The week-long trip will conclude in Sydney later this week, where participants will have the opportunity to share their individual experiences with the group.