Chinese wine joins world's best-sellers

Two Chinese winemakers were among the world's top 10 best-selling wine brands in 2016, according to recently published data, as Britain's two largest supermarket chains begin stocking Chinese wine.

A list compiled by the United Kingdom trade publication The Drinks Business had China's Changyu as the fourth best-selling wine brand, by volume. It sold 15 million cases, which was the same volume as it sold in 2015.

Beijing-based Great Wall was the 10th best-selling brand. It sold 7 million cases in 2016, down from 7.8 million in 2015. United States brand Barefoot was the best-selling product last year, selling 22.5 million cases.

Chinese wine consumption rose by 7 percent last year, and The Drinks Business estimates that, by 2020, China will have surpassed the UK to become the second-most-valuable wine market, behind the US.

Changyu and Great Wall dominate domestic consumption in China, and the companies are making inroads into the international market. Great Wall owns brands in Chile and France, while Changyu exports to several major European markets, including the UK.

This year, the UK's two leading supermarket chains, Tesco and Sainsbury's, began selling mid-range Changyu wines, starting at 7 pounds ($9) a bottle. UK wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd has had four Changyu wines, ranging from 19 to 65 pounds, in permanent stock since 2013.

Chris Mercer, online editor for wine magazine Decanter, said the appearance of affordable Chinese wines in the UK comes as supermarkets look to import more wines from outside the eurozone.

"You are seeing the exchange rate between sterling and the euro become really unfavorable," Mercer said. "Everyone has realized that China is producing a shedload of wine, and the general consensus is that the quality is getting better."

In January, Sainsbury's began stocking Changyu Noble Dragon Red Cabernet Gernischt at an introductory price of 8 pounds a bottle.

In April, Tesco started selling Chateau Changyu Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 for 7 pounds a bottle.

Tesco's master of wine, James Davis, said China will become a powerful player and has begun a major push into the UK market.

Chris Mercer said:"It would be interesting to see if the supermarkets expand their ranges－that would suggest that there is some mileage in this."

In 2012, Waitrose was the first British supermarket to import Chinese wine, stocking Changyu Cabernet Gernischt.