Sainsbury’s adds Chinese wines

UK retailer Sainsbury’s is adding two Chinese wines to its line-up – a Cabernet blend and a Riesling – as well as an Albariño from Uruguay.

The Changyu Noble Dragon Red, which is the first wine from China to hits the retailer’s shelves and went in store last week, comes from the Yantai region in the coastal Shandong Peninsular in the east of the country. The Cabernet Gernischt/Cabernet Sauvignon blend (RRP: £10) is described by the retailer as “an elegant expression of Cabernet with an intense, smoky red, packed with blackberries and cassis and a smooth finish”.

It will be joined by a Riesling in the next few weeks, and followed by Uruguayan Albariño, Colinas de Uruguay from Bodegas Garzon, which is intended to tap into the popularity of the Iberian grape variety.

Sainsbury’s wine buyer Georgina Haughton, who covers South Africa, South America & China said the retailer had been looking to broaden its range of wines from “distinctive regions”

“We know customers are keen to broaden their repertoire and we’ve been looking to some distinctive regions and countries for new additions to expand our range. China is now the second largest producer of grapes destined for wine production (ahead of France), so it is great opportunity to do just that,” she said.

Haughton described Uruguayan wine as “one of the best kept secrets of South American wine production”.

Changyu Pioneer Wine is the biggest wine group in China, having been founded in 1892. Around 40% of wine produced in China comes from the region, and wine is its second largest industry.

The Chinese wine producer is also the principal shareholder in Marques del Atrio, which has four wineries in Spain. Its Marques de Montino is in the top best-selling Spanish wines in the UK retail market. It also owns property in Bordeaux, having acquired its first Bordeaux property in October 2015, after buying Bordeaux Supérieur estate Château Mirefleurs from the Castel Group for €3.3 million.

Changyu’s vineyards