Decanter World Wine AwardsBordeaux approves official Chinese names
- Friday 24 February 2012
Auction house Christie's has unveiled an official translation of each of the 61 chateaux in the 1855 classification, after 12 months of collaboration with the Medoc estates.
Simon Tam, head of wine, China, for Christie's told decanter.com: 'We have written confirmation and agreements from all but three or four chateaux that these Chinese translations are the agreed names for the whole Chinese speaking world.
'We are trying to make wine as accessible as possible for our clients. Language is the first barrier and we are trying to break down those barriers,' he added.
Christie's staff have worked with chateaux to agree on Chinese translations for their estate while others already had Chinese names. However, some chateaux including Cos d'Estournel have opted not to take a Chinese name.
The Chinese translations have been published on a poster, which will be unveiled to the Bordeaux trade during the 2012 En Primeur week.
The posters will also be distributed to Chinese clients and journalists 'to ensure the chateaux will be referred to properly,' said Tam.
It is too early to tell whether the names will be embraced by other auction houses and the wider wine trade but Tam added, 'I would like to think that the hard work has been done, and it will be adopted widely.'
Christie's hopes to produce similar translations for producers in Sauternes, Bordeaux's right bank and Burgundy in the future.
Have your say!
Phoebe
March 05 04:07
There are numerous chinese names of a wine label. It is good to be standardized
but not sure if they are translated with oriental precognition.
5kwidkid
February 27 03:22
I can't read the characters
so can we have them in pinyin also please. I maybe able to converse easier with my mandarin speaking friends
THOMAS B. ABRUZZINI
February 24 19:17
THANKS FOR PUBLISHING MY COMMENTS ON THE PREFERENTIAL
TASTINGS OF BRUNELLO & CHATEAUX AFFORDED TO SUCKLING & CIE.
NOW LET'S DISCUSS THE CHINESE
INTRUSION -Otherwise known as
Tonneau-ing in Chinese !
So it has taken 157 years for
the Haut-Medoc classifiers plus
Haut Brion to come up with a "certified" translation of the1855 Bordeaux Classification but Cos D'Estournel opted out-
but the translation list does not omit Cos!I wonder WHY ? Because Cos thinks it is ludicrous and here again
placating the big Chinese buyers! Why not a translation
in Japanese, Korean,Taiwanese,
Malayasian, Tibetian, Mongolian
just to name a few more oriental type-face symbols/lettering - not to mention the "musical" Hebraic
symbolistic form!
Of course, what about the Romance(EUROZONE!!!) language translations ??? Aren't they a little late ?
If the Bordelais are serious
about this they should incorporate the Chinese symbol
lettering on their front Chateaux labels for ALL the
world to see -as they do in Alto Adige -Italian & German ! It would look GREAT !!!! ???
Thomas B. Abruzzini
ABRUZZINI64@aol.com
Qianrui
February 24 18:22
Cos d'Estournel already has a famous Chinese name among wine fans, no matter if they deny it or not. Intersting article.