By Jim Boyce | Four cities in continental China will be part of a New Zealand “road show” this year that, not surprisingly, features plenty of wine. According to nzwine.com, Pure Discovery China will include stops in Chengdu (May 15), Beijing (May 17), Shanghai (May 19) and Guangzhou (May 23) as well as Hong Kong (May 25):
The format will be a development from the existing wine fairs, including guided wine tastings, masterclasses, food exhibitors and cooking demonstrations for guests to enjoy. Alongside these events, Tourism New Zealand will include destination information and develop activities about visiting New Zealand, such as tourist experiences, regional themes, promoting wine and food routes. By shifting the event to give a broader lifestyle experience, we expect the wider appeal will give more long-term awareness for New Zealand wine in China.
New Zealand is not a major imported wine source in China in terms of volume, with less than 1 percent of the market in 2016, but hits far above its weight when it comes to value.
According to China Customs stats for bottled still wine, New Zealand ranked thirteenth as an import source last year with 2.8 million bottles, up 16 percent from 2015. But for value, it ranked ninth, leap-frogging larger suppliers such as Portugal and Germany in terms of total value, topping the two biggest sources, France and Australia, in terms of value per bottle, and blowing away traditional powerhouses like Italy and Spain. Italy, for example, had 12 times more volume but less than six times more value, while Spain had 33 times more volume but only seven times more value.
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