Trends in Chinese wine-drinking: South American, domestic wines to make inroads

While French Bordeaux may enjoy a stronghold on budding Chinese wine drinkers now, Chilean and Argentinean wines will soon carve out new turf among oenophiles in Asia.

That's the prediction of Sarah Kemp, publishing director of Decanter magazine, which wrapped up the largest wine competition in London this week and where Chinese winemakers took home 18 medals, almost doubling their performance from last year when they won 11 awards.

In addition to being touted as one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world, China is trying to become a producing nation itself by tapping into areas of the country where grape-growing conditions are ripe.

And while the Chinese may have a love affair that borders on obsession with all things French -- the Chinese mainland is the largest importer of French Bordeaux by volume -- Kemp predicts that the quality and reputation of Chilean and Argentinean wines will begin to make inroads among increasingly adventurous Chinese oenophiles.

In a country of a 1.3 billion people, clutching an exorbitant luxury handbag or clicking signature, red-soled heels is seen as the only way to broadcast people's social status. Similarly, the Western tradition of sipping a glass of wine has likewise become a status symbol insinuating a measure of pedigree and culture, Kemp says.

The typical Chinese wine drinker, meanwhile, can be segmented into three tidy groups.

First, there's the typical 55-year-old, affluent Chinese male, often a businessman who's done his fair share of travel throughout the world and has been exposed to the Western wine culture. He offers bottles of wine as gifts and sets it on his dining table when he's invited important guests, Kemp said.

Then there's the younger, 35-year-old Chinese urbanite, plugged in and heavily influenced by Western trends.

And finally, there's the young Chinese woman who, perhaps more than any other group, is most fanatic about shouting out her status by holding up a glass of wine to her lips, Kemp said.

While the pinnacle of luxury is often associated with anything French in China -- think Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon -- Chinese winegrowers are hoping to poach consumers to domestically produced labels and convince sophisticated drinkers that their wine can hold up to longstanding French brands.

Last year, a Chinese Bordeaux beat out French winemakers to win one of the most coveted medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards, a historic win that served as a turning point for the burgeoning wine industry in China, and in the eyes of local consumers, Kent says.

Meanwhile, as one major wine competition wraps up, another one is set to take place in Hong Kong next week, where the wine industry will descend at Vinexpo. About 15,000 visitors from around the world are expected to attend.