Vineyards in Mildura, Australia, are sprayed with water.
Vineyards in Mildura, Australia, are sprayed with water.
(Image credit: Horizon International Images / Alamy)

Australia's wine industry has attracted more Chinese investment after Wei Long Grape Wine Co said it had agreed to buy hundreds of hectares of vineyards for 13 million Australian dollars.

China’s Wei Long Grape Wine Co has agreed to spend A$13.4 million (67 million Chinese yuan) to buy three Australian vineyards, the company told the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

As reported on DecanterChina.com, it marks the latest in a series of Chinese investments in Australia’s wine industry.

Wei Long said its agreed acquisitions were located in Mildura and Swan Hill in Victoria, with another third in New South Wales.

The deals include 484 hectares of vineyards and 605 hectares of land that could be planted with vines, it said. The firm agreed to pay cash.

According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, Wei Long also intends to open a winery in Mildura to process 60,000 tonnes of grapes annually.

The Chinese firm said in its stock filing that it wanted to access more high quality grapes to help build its brand image.

Wei Long was founded in 2007 and is part of a new wave of companies seeking to profit from Chinese middle class consumers developing a taste for wines.

It has a relatively strong distribution network in China, listing large supermarket chains as clients.

A free trade deal between China and Australia has fostered stronger links between Australian wine producers and Chinese distributors and retailers in the past 18 months.

More China wine news:

China wine in space, tiangong-2

China's 'space palace', Tiangong-2, has lift-off...
(Image credit: China Manned Space Programme)

China grows wine in space to beat harsh climate

China blasts Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir vines into orbit...

alibaba wine festival, 9.9, wine in china

Alibaba announces its first 9.9 wine sales festival. Can you spot retired basketball player Yao Ming? He's on the right-hand side of this picture...
(Image credit: Alibaba Group)

Alibaba: No sales figures from China wine festival

But company is shy on final sales figures...

g20 wines, g20 summit, hangzhou

Artists perform at the G20 summit in Hangzhou.
(Image credit: Visual China Group / Getty)

G20 wines: What world leaders drank over dinner in China

And here's the full menu, too...

Wine App

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Do we really need wine apps? – China

Zhao Wei, Wine in China

Zhao Wei (red coat) at a tasting in Beijing to launch her Bordeaux wine in China.
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Bordeaux château owner Vicky Zhao Wei under fire in China

Nationalists lambast film star. château owner...

Ao-Yun

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Ao Yun – Moët Hennessy and China’s Magical High Wire Wine

'There's no manual. It's a great adventure...'

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.