The Chinese appear to have beaten the French at one of their own favourite pastimes – quaffing red wine. China’s drinkers knocked back 1,865bn bottles of vin rouge last year, an increase of 136% over five years, making the country the leading market for red wine.
However some experts say the boom, which has led to increasing interest from Chinese buyers in French vineyards, is more a matter of cultural sensibilities than taste.
The colour red is considered lucky in China and is also affiliated with the Communist government, while white is associated with death and is predominantly seen at funerals.
France, where consumption of red wine is dropping, was in second place in this league, followed by Italy, according to the latest figures compiled by the London-based company International Wine and Spirit Research.
The US remains the world’s biggest market for all colours of wines, said Vinexpo, the Bordeaux chamber of commerce organisation that commissioned the study, Guardian informs.
“Apart from the healthy aspect in comparison to the excessive consumption of rice wines, the success of red wine [in China] is largely down to the symbolism of its colour,” said a Vinexpo spokesperson. “Red is a very positive colour in Chinese culture and is synonymous with wealth, power and luck. In the business world these three values are fundamental, therefore red wine is often found in banquets to seal partnerships. And red is also the colour of China.”
