Greek wine: Boutari, COFCO make five-year plan for China market

UPDATE: I’ve been in contact with Mihalis Boutaris since I originally published this post. He says the budget relates to a five-year purchase plan of Greek wines via COFCO. In terms of marketing, he says the plan will include “the operation of the Greek Wine Academy that will be powered by AWSEC [Asia Wine Service and Education Centre]” as well as “familiarization trips to Greece, wine tastings, and in general an awareness campaign about Greek wine in China.”

“The interesting thing about my experience so far in China is that Chinese consumers are really fond of the Greek varietals, especially Xinomavro,” says Boutaris. “It seems that the texture of its taste and the complexity of its aroma are quite appealing to the Chinese palette.”

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Given this report on Greek Travel Pages, consumers in China should soon see more wine from the country famous for Plato, the Parthenon and the Olympics:

Greek wine companies Boutari and Kir-Yianni recently embarked on a partnership worth $50 million with COFCO Wines & Spirits Co Ltd that will boost Greek wine exports to China. COFCO Wines & Spirits is the largest, state food and beverage company in China.

[The agreement] is based on a five-year plan that will launch this summer and initially focus on the promotion of classical, Greek varieties (Xinomavro, Moshofilero and Aghiorghitiko), with the potential of expanding to other wine varieties.

This article puts the deal in the context of a recent visit to Greece by Premier Li Keqiang, which included a meeting with Prime Minister Antonio Samaras.

COFCO produces Great Wall, one of the China’s biggest and most famous wine brands.

Also of note, Mihalis Boutaris, a member of the family behind the Greek wineries, has been involved in the Gansu wine scene for about five years, first in a joint venture with major regional producer Magao that produced the brand Sunshine Valley and now in a second smaller project.  He has also led numerous Greek wine tastings in China, including at venues such as M on the Bund and Temple Restaurant Beijing, and has a wine distribution company called MB Selections.

See also:

Wine makers in China: Mihalis Boutaris finds a ‘sweet spot’ for grapes in Gansu

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