French wine region eyes growing China market

BEIJING - Rhone Valley, a leading French wine-producing locale, plans to launch promotional campaigns in some major Chinese cities this September to tap into the rapidly growing market, an insider said Monday.

Rhone Valley is currently the second largest Appellation d'Origine Controlee in France. Inter Rhone is the trade association for the promotion of wine produced in the region.

Laure Vaissermann, the media manager of Inter Rhone, told Xinhua that the association will have a series of marketing campaigns in Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao cities.

Data from the association show that its sales revenue in China surged 130 percent to 12.43 million euros ($15.36 million) in 2011, and China topped Japan as the association's largest Asian market.

"The China market is very alluring," said Vaissermann, adding that the association will pursue its own strategy by meeting the tastes of ordinary buyers.

Last year, Chinese people consumed 156 million cases of grape wine (9 liters per case), making China the fifth-largest wine consumer in the world, according to data from Vinexpo, a leading wine and spirits exhibition.