Chinese wine has made a new inroad in the UK after one of the country's leading supermarkets, Sainsbury's, said it would place a wine made by Changyu Pioneer Wine Co on its shelves.
Sainsbury’s has added Changyu’s Noble Dragon Red to its wine range, the supermarket announced this week to coincide with Chinese New Year.
Noble Dragon Red is at the value end of the Changyu range, priced at an ‘introductory offer’ of £8 per bottle in Sainsbury’s.
It is a ‘Cabernet Gernischt’ with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blended in, from the Yantai region. Cabernet Gernischt is the name given to Carmenère in China.
The move follows the launch of Changyu wines at Berry Bros & Rudd, the London-based independent merchant known to supply the Queen’s wine cellar.
‘We know customers are keen to broaden their repertoire and we’ve been looking to some distinctive regions and countries for new additions to expand our range,’ said Georgina Haughton, Sainsbury’s wine buyer for South Africa, South America and China.
Changyu is known domestically as China’s oldest wine producer, having been founded in 1892.
Changyu’s wines have graced the tables of Chinese government banquets and, despite some financial difficulties, the company has been at the forefront of wine’s rising popularity in China.
Related Stories:
Marselan: Why it could be a ‘signature grape’ of Chinese wines
Can this lesser-known French variety win in China?
Cabernet Sauvignon reigns in Chinese wine regions, shows report
Berry Bros ‘first to permanently list’ Chinese wine
Berry Bros and Rudd has announced it is the first major UK retailer to give Chinese wines a permanent place
