Eat Beat

[Photo provided to China Daily]

 

China soared to prominence this year at the world's leading wine and spirits exhibition, Vinexpo 2015 in Bordeaux, accounting for the largest contingent of foreign trade professionals. Chinese visitor numbers at the June 14-18 fair increased by 14 percent to nearly 4,000 since the last biennial trade show in 2013. China's position as No 1 source of visitors outside France "brought renewed confidence" in the global wine and spirits market, the fair's CEO Guillaume Deglise says. The world's fifth-largest wine consumer was crowned top consumer of red wine last year, having drunk nearly 1.9 billion bottles. Hong Kong film star Carina Lau (pictured) also brought a touch of Chinese glamour to the show by launching her own online wine and champagne brand, which consists of six top-end Bordeaux wines and four other wines from the region, as well as two Moutard champagnes and a sparkling wine.

 

 

 

China is about to boost the development of agricultural produce with regional appellations. On July 11, high-ranking government officials, established university researchers and representatives from leading agricultural product dealers attended a seminar in Beijing to discuss steps to develop national, systemic criteria to recognize, regulate and protect agricultural brands with regional appellations. Some produce from certain geographic areas, such as Wuchang rice from Wuchang city, Heilongjiang province, and Longkou rice noodle from Longkou, Shandong province, have built good images among consumers, while appellation systems of "green" or "organic" food have been damaged consumer confidence, due to lack of tough regulation and frequent scandals. A national exhibition center for agricultural produce with regional appellations was also founded on that day.