It was not until recent that consumers started to give us compliments about how wine in a can could also be a great sell in China and around the world because of the environmental benefits of wine in a can.

If you go on a outdoor adventure and want to toast to a glass of wine in the middle of the wilderness, you will undoubtedly think it a hindrance to carry a heavy glass bottle of wine with you.  Furthermore, what do you do with the then empty glass bottle?  You must either take it back with you, or dispose of it and dirty the earth.  Well with a can of wine you can simply crush the can and slip it into a side pocket in your bag.

In this article from ScientistLive.com, Incept, a UK based consultancy firm also found that wine in a can

* Have half the CO2 transport related emissions of the equivalent 75cl wine sold in glass packaging.

* Wine, in both 200ml and 250ml cans, produces fewer transport related CO2 emissions than other packaging formats

* Compared to glass bottles, to save one tonne of CO2, only 5,330 cases of 250ml slim cans need to be sold

* Slim cans are up to 17p per litre cheaper than glass bottles and have 2 – 20 pence less cost per unit in the value chain

* Suppliers could save between 2 and 8 pence per unit

* Retailers savings are between 1 – 13 pence per unit

I pose a question to all readers… Would like some wine in a can?

Very cool, hip and trendy new web tv show about wine in China.  The show is filmed in Shanghai and usually is not translated outside of question / answers which are addressed to English only speakers. For the Chinese speakers out there Mir Global reccomends checking out the other episodes which you can find on youku.  For the English speakers out there you can feast your eyes on the first episode which has been subtitled.

At least five wineries within the Mudgee region have shown they are fighting an Australian wine glut by working with the NSW government’s Asian export wine strategy.

While it has been reported the Australian wine industry is producing 20 to 40 million excess cases of wine every year, there are numerous wineries jumping on board to enter one of the world’s fastest growing wine markets.

Rapid growth in the Chinese market has been a catalyst for the State Government committing resources to local wineries in an attempt to sell more NSW wines in Asia.

[...]  Click here to access the full article from the Mudgee Guardian

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Beijing wants a taste of Australian wine sector by Michael Sainsbury of The Australian

CHINESE companies are poised to target Australia’s $26 billion wine sector with a range of companies across the country — most of them government-owned — exploring deals that would result in them buying local wineries or taking equity interests in wine and beverage groups.

Australia’s largest trading partner is extending its investment activities into sectors other than mining and resources.

Shanghai-based food and beverage conglomerate Bright Group — one of China’s biggest — this week signalled its interest in paying $1.5bn cash for the sugar and renewable energy division of CSR, and is eyeing winemakers as part of a wide-ranging look at investment in Australia.

Other major beverage groups — including the massive food and drinks group COFCO, owned by the central government, which has recently stepped into the wine market in China as a major distributor — are also believed to be mulling Australian wine industry purchases.

[...]  Click here to read the full article from The Australian

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Grape Wall of China – CHINA is tipped to become the world’s biggest wine producer by Jane Hamilton of The Sun – UK

The Far East giant – better known for its Great Wall than its vineyards – already makes more wine than Spain and Portugal.

And with British supermarkets stocking up, experts predict it will overtake Australia in 2010 and Italy and France within 50 years.

Nine out of ten bottles of Chinese wine are red. Supermarket chain Morrisons has trialled one and now Waitrose plans to sell another.

Waitrose wine buyer Andrew Shaw said: “Chinese wine is the hot new trend. We’re hoping to have a quality one in store by the end of the year.”

[...]  Click here to read the full article from The Sun – UK

Singpore will host hundreds of wines from around the world in April, with the fourth annual WSA Wine Challenge.

The WSA Wine Challenge 2010 (formerly known as the Wine & Spirits Asia Challenge), seeks to promote knowledge, prestige and value of world-class wines to Asia. The competition will feature the participation of wineries, winemakers, wine importers and traders from all over the world.

Submissions will be judged by country, region and varietal. Special awards will be bestowed to the Best Red, Best White, Best Sparkling and Best Wine of Challenge.

The event is now open for entries.The deadline for entry is March 15 2010, and all entry wines must be shipped to the competition venue by April 6 2010. The wines will be judged on April 17 to 19 at the Raffles Town Club, and final results will be announced on April 19 2010.

The WSA Wine Challenge was formed as a part of WSA (Wine & Spirits Asia), an international trade event dedicated to wine and spirits products and services. The exhibition serves as a platform to connect wine and spirits buyers from Asia with international sellers. Winning wines will be prominently displayed and opened for tasting at the WSA2010 show floor from 20 to 23 April 2010, presenting winning wines the chance for exposure to potential wine buyers from Asia’s food and hospitality industry.

Click here to access the complete article from wines-info.com

Few people in China acknowledged Chile as a wine producing nation of any stature. The Chilean trade commission teamed up with Ogilvy Public Relations to change the situation with an informative online campaign.

Background
China offers huge potential for the wine industry, but being a young market, it is also full of confusion. A lack of knowledge often leads consumers to default to French wine and high prices to ensure quality while demonstrating the desired status that goes with drinking wine.

Aim
Recognizing the potential of the China market, Chile’s trade commission in Shanghai, ProChile, set out to help consumers understand that there is more to choosing wine than the price tag, and to present Chilean wine as an attractive, more affordable alternative to premium European wines.

Click here to access the case study

2. China learns to wine properly – GlobalTimes by Michael Gold

As the winter season rages on, don’t forget one of the best ways to keep warm during the chilly season: Curling up in front of a roaring fire with a thick woolen blanket and a big goblet of hot mulled wine in your hand.

This being China, however, you may have to substitute the wine for a shot of erguotou, but worry not, because the Chinese market for wine (a daily staple of most Westerners’ diet) has been skyrocketing along with the rest of the Chinese economy.

Though in the eyes of many independent wine importers, restauranteurs and connoisseurs, attitudes toward wine in China still have a long way to go if they’re to match the ethusiaism commonly associated with French tipplers.

Click here to access the complete article

3. Chinese Wine Labels No Longer Capture The Essence of Chinese Taste and Design

Guesses are, the concept of Chinese wine, taste, and design coinciding as a single concept never crosses one’s mind. A pretty smart guess. However, examining historic Chinese wine labels sheds some light on a unique design oriented past.

Not too long ago, Chinese wine connoisseurs had a diverse range of wine selections with amazingly intricate and detailed design packaging. But after foreign imported wines began entering the Chinese market, many of these wine brands died off, along with their special wine design aesthetic.

Click here to access the complete article

Linda Kennedy of the China Daily takes a trip to Chateau Changyu, one of China’s most recognizable domestic wine brands (Great Wall is another which comes to mind). It’s also a common sight to anyone who has spent thirty minutes watching CCTV9 during the past 6 months, where a commercial from the vineyard is constantly aired and makes the vineyard out to seem “world class.”

Perhaps it looks world class and has the big bucks to get a one year advertisement slot on CCTV9 (China’s English language channel), but according to the wine experts of Beijing, Jim Boyce and John Gai, and also my own palate, this vineyards wine is nothing special.

Watch the video and decide for yourself if you’ve been convinced to dish out $50-70 usd on a fine bottle of Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon is really worth it?

1. Importers who have registered with Mainland customs authorities can ask for a pre-valuation of wine duty 10 working days before a shipment is exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland. When it arrives at a Mainland boundary point, Mainland customs will valuate it within one working day

2. For registered importers who have not chosen to conduct wine duty pre-valuation, Mainland customs will strive to shorten the clearance time at Mainland boundary points. For wines which have been imported to the Mainland before, with submission of all the necessary documents and no irregularities identified after inspection, the clearance procedures will normally take no more than three working days. For wines which are new to the Mainland market, the valuation procedures will usually be completed within seven working days. If the customs clearance cannot be completed in time, the goods can still be released with a guarantee deposit.

The measures will first be implemented as a pilot in Shenzhen, and may be extended to other major Mainland boundary points subject to development. Both sides will work towards the target of implementing the measures early next year.