Booming Chinese wine market spawns bulk specialists

China’s bullish demand for wine has spawned a growing industry of bulk wine business that specialise in creating commercial wines specially tailored for the Chinese market.

Chile, China’s third largest source for imported wine, is among the countries that have embraced this commercial trend, according to a report by Vinex, thanks to a surge in exports and a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

Chile remained China’s biggest source for bulk wine for years until 2017 when it was overtaken by Spain. The country exported more than 56 million litres of bulk wine to China in 2017, according to customs data, behind Spain’s 63 million litres. About two thirds of Chile’s wine exports to China consist of bulk wine.

The growth of bulk wine….