Grape Wall of China

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T time: Chateau Lafite vs Chateau Lafitte in China

Posted on | November 30, 2009 | 1 Comment

grape wall of china wine blog chateau lafitte 2007-

By Jim Boyce

Chateau Lafite is insanely popular in China and consumers here should be careful to avoid not only fake bottles, but also mistakenly buying Chateau Lafitte, a separate operation that includes a double-t in its name. Let me be clear: I am not saying there is anything wrong with Chateau Laffite as a wine. Instead, the concern is that some consumers might pay outrageous prices for Lafitte in the belief they are buying the much pricier Lafite. This could not only mean a loss of money but also a loss of face should that Lafitte be given as as a gift to someone who knows the difference. Considering that the label above is being offered to distributors at 5.5 Euros, or about RMB55 per bottles, and adding in transporation costs and duties, you should not be paying more than RMB150 at retail for this one.

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One Response to “T time: Chateau Lafite vs Chateau Lafitte in China”

  1. News: Counterfeit Wine Importer Arrested in Korea
    February 8th, 2010 @ 10:23 pm

    [...] An importer who sold cheap Chinese wine after labeling it as being made in the United States to reap huge profits has been arrested. According to Seoul Police Station, Thursday, the wine importer, identified as Kim, imported 27,000 bottles and 50,900 boxes of wine from China since June 2007 and labeled them as products from the U.S. He sold them for 14,000 won each, tripling his profit. The 62-year-old allegedly changed stickers and packaging on the bottles and boxes. The fake American bottles of wine were distributed to cafes and restaurants across the country. The police also found that Kim had put the wrong bottling dates and handled the product in unhygienic conditions. Authorities plan to expand the investigation as they believe there may more wine dealers involved in such irregularities. __________________________________________________________________________________ Counterfeit wine is a significant problem in Asia with some people keen to make a quick buck in new markets especially China which is growing at such a rapid pace. Here’s a good article from the the Jakarta Globe. Consumers should also check the labels carefully. Slight spelling changes are sometimes used to fool people into paying excessive prices for average wine. Read this article from the Grape Wall of China Blog. [...]

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