Meeting the test, Jiebaina now sold by UK's Waitrose
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Changyu Jiebaina on sale at a Waitrose outlet in the UK. Photos provided to China Daily |
China-made goods, including some high-end products, have become increasingly popular in the United Kingdom, but that was not the case for Chinese wines until recently.
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Waitrose, the sixth-largest retailer in the UK, began to sell Changyu Jiebaina in its chain of supermarkets on Aug 28, a landmark for the Chinese wine industry.
With a warrant to supply wines and spirits to the British royal family, Waitrose has 280 outlets across the UK. A bottle of Changyu Jiebaina is priced at 9.99 pounds ($16.2).
Chinese wines have been better accepted by global consumers in recent years, but only a few including Changyu have a chance to win over discerning consumers.
Guy Woodward, editor of Decanter magazine, said that "China is already the fifth-largest wine producer in the world and while much of the quality is pretty mediocre, it's inevitable that at the top end, as know-how improves (often via the employment of overseas consultants) and the best regions are identified, it will start turning out some decent wines worthy of export".
Woodward said he has tried Changyu Jiebaina and it is among the worthy.
Katie Mollet, a senior purchasing manager at Waitrose, said the retailer "is bringing in a new era as interest in the Chinese wine industry continues to grow".
"We scour the world to find exciting new wines and were particularly impressed by the Changyu Jiebaina," she said.
Mollet said she hopes Waitrose will help raise the profile of Chinese wines among UK consumers.
"The Changyu is a great wine to drink with a Friday night takeaway, perfect with Chinese style beef with ginger and spring onion," she said.
