Move Over, France – Here Comes China

China is shaping tastes in wine as both consumer and supplier. “China has edged ahead of France in the amount of land devoted to vineyards, according to the International Vine and Wine Organization, although France still produces more than four times the volume of wine that China does,” reports Wei Gu for the Wall Street Journal. Spain ranks first in land devoted to vineyards. For now, the world is overstocked with wine and this is driving down prices. Investors assume that Chinese wine connoisseurs, the world’s fifth largest market, will enjoy Chinese wines and follow the pattern of coffee; Shanghai has more Starbucks outlets than any other city in the world. The climate is not ideal for growing grapes for fine wines. But Chinese wines are starting to win awards and slowly appear on shelves in cities around the globe. – YaleGlobal