Week in pictures: Chengdu wine fair

Last week saw the most important wine & spirits fair unfolded in China – Chengdu Wine Fair or, officially, the China Food, Wine & Spirits Trade Fair. Held in the capital city of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, the fair is actually split into two parts: taking place between 19-22 March and 23-25 March. A diverse range of events including masterclasses, seminars on China’s wine market and market reports from leading merchants including ASC Fine Wines, COFCO and JD.com were held during the week-long event. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the highlights from the fair including the launch of JD.com’s ‘Authentic Goods Alliance’ and Vinitaly’s wine dinner.

David Allen MW, wine director of wine-searcher.com, presented a series of data compiled by the global wine search engine and analysed how consumers in Hong Kong and China vary in search interests compared with global users. Contrary to popular opinion, if judging only by grape variety searches and diversity of Southern Hemisphere wines shown by wine-searcher figures monitored for the past 12 months, China is actually a maturer market compared with Hong Kong, the master of wine said.

The Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) and China’s e-tailer 1919 officially signed a deal on 20 March, which will see 1919 become an official educational partner of both Vinitaly International and the VIA.

China’s second biggest e-commerce company JD.com vowed to regulate its products online and ensure that all products sold on its market space are authentic. The e-commerce company invited a few of its main partners to launch what it’s called “Authentic Goods Alliance”.

Yang Ye, director of JD.com’s alcoholic drinks department, revealed the e-commerce company is vying to become China’s biggest B2C e-tailer by 2021. Its current market share in the sector is 33% behind Alibaba’s Tmall (55%).

A Don Maximiano masterclass was held at the Shangri-la Hotel on 21 March, chaired by Fongyee Walker MW and Carlos de Carlos, Errázuriz’s managing director in Asia. The masterclass presented four wines from Don Maximiano, with each representing a decade, namely 1989, 1998, 2009 and 2014.

Visitors at the official Chengdu Wine Fair held from 23-25 March at Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Although officials figures for the main Chengdu Wine Fair held at Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center haven’t been released yet, it’s estimated the number is going to surpass 200,000.

ASC Fine Wines hosted a VIP tasting with distributors at the St. Regis Hotel in Chengdu on 22 March, presenting its leading brands such as Lafite and new entrants including Yalumba, China’s Grace Vineyards and Caliterra from Chile.

In addition to some serious business negotiations and wrangling at Chengdu Wine Fair, a troop of China’s mythical ‘Monkey King’ was spotted at the main fair at Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center on the first day of the fair.

Chris Hatcher, chief winemaker at Wolf Blass, was in Chengdu for a Treasury Wine Estates event. Wolf Blass unveiled a Manchester City-themed wine for the China market during the fair, and its Black Label Cabernet-based blend came out on top at a 2012 Cabernet blind-tasting held at the Shangri-la Hotel.