Chinese quality and quarantine officials have granted their approval for Bordeaux wine to be protected as a geographical indication (GI) in China.
The news follows several months of analysis by the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
Forgery and brand-squatting have long been a concern for Bordeaux wines in the Chinese market and GI protection is expected to help chateaux from the French region to defend themselves.
The Bordeaux wine council (CIVB) said GI approval was the ‘fruit of work that began in 2011’. ‘China has recognized not only the brand of Bordeaux but the specific way we produce and control our wines,’ Bernard Farges, president CIVB told DecanterChina.com, it is an assurance for the Chinese consumer’.
Chinese premier Li Keqiang celebrated the approval this week at a reception in Paris held to mark his state visit to France. Bernard Farges, president of the CIVB, also attended the ceremony.
In the past few years, the region and some of its sub-regions including Saint-Julien, Saint-Estephe and Graves have been registered as trademarks at the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and being protected under the Chinese Trademark Law.
The Chinese quarantine and quality officials were expected to recognise 45 Bordeaux appellations ‘in the next two months’, said Farges.
Other regions being protected by AQSIQ as GI products in China include Cognac, Champagne and Napa Valley.
*Additional report by Jane Anson.
For the latest wine news from China, visit DecanterChina.com
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