New Zealand’s Marisco goes into China

New Zealand's Marisco Vineyards has signed a distribution deal with a major Chinese company.

Marisco is a Marlborough winery which makes The Ned and The King’s Series. It has now signed a distribution deal with Dynasty Fine Wines Group.

The winery won nine Decanter World Wine Awards this year, A Sticky End Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2009 winning Gold and The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2010 taking Silver.

Marisco’s chief winemaker Brent Marris – formerly of Marlborough’s Wither Hills – told New Zealand television, ‘In time, the deal will be worth millions for both companies.’

Marris is confident that white wines – and especially the lighter, fruitier styles – will become more and more popular in China.

Dynasty Fine Wine Group is one of China’s largest wine producers, with a portfolio of products from dry red wines to sparkling, ice wine and brandies.

It also distributes Bordeaux first growths Chateaux Lafite, Margaux and Latour, and Petrus, Cheval Blanc and Palmer, as well as the JP Chenet brand.

Five more American brands ‘from a very big US wine company’ will be added this year, a spokeswoman for the company told Decanter.com.

Marris said Marisco was taking advantage of an established distribution network as it was very difficult for an individual company to gain a foothold in China.

‘By taking a collaborative approach, it means you have a greater opportunity to hit the market well,’ he said.

Marisco exports some 75% of its production. Its business model, Marris said, is to actively seek international markets, ‘building our brands and cementing relationships’.

Earlier this month he told scoop.co.nz, ‘We’ve just signed up Canada, and we’re actively exploring new markets that suit our brands and our business model, including Sweden and China.’

Written by Adam Lechmere