By Catherine Skrzypinski

A new generation of wine drinkers has emerged in China – and they are willing to traverse around the globe for a perfect glass of merlot or chardonnay.

A 2015 report by market research firm Wine Intelligence stated that Chinese millennials have cultivated a taste for fine wines at business dinners. Now, they prefer a glass of wine to other types of alcoholic beverages in their social lives.

“Wine consumers in China are savvier, more informed and more demanding than ever before,” Chuan Zhou, a senior research analyst at Wine Intelligence wrote in the report. “They are increasingly seeking good value, and assert their individualism through wine consumption.”

Chinese wine consumption has reached 15.8 million hectolitres – or 417 million gallons – in 2014, a 45 percent increase from 2000, according to the Paris-based International Organization of Vine and Wine.

Red wine has become particularly popular in China because of its health benefits. According to a March 2013 report by Harvard Medical School researchers, the compound resveratrol found in red wine provides anti-aging benefits.

“Asia will continue to be the most important wine-buying market,” Jamie Ritchie, chief executive and president of Americas and Asia at Sotheby’s Wine, told the South China Morning Post in January 2015. “There are so many Asians who like to enjoy wine but there is no local supply of top-end wine.”

Now, affluent Chinese are scouring the world for the best glass of wine. Around 553,846 Chinese travelers booked trips to the United States in 2014, reported the China National Tourism Administration. Oceania is another popular destination for the Chinese, as 413,333 tourists traveled down under to Australia last year, while 222,566 holidaymakers ventured to New Zealand.

In the first half of 2015, tens of thousands of Chinese tourists targeted European destinations such as France, Italy and Switzerland – countries world-renowned for their arts, culture and wine regions, according to the China National Tourism Administration. Chinese tourists are returning home with an appetite for wines from around the world.

Napa Valley The Crown Jewel of the United States’ Wine Industry

Only a two-hour drive away from the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley’s rolling mountains and grapevines dotting its hillsides is attracting Chinese wine aficionados. They now account for approximately one-third of the 200,000 visitors each year to wineries in Northern California, Philip Kingston, senior vice president of Constellation Brands’ international business, told China Daily USA in September 2015.

Robert Mondavi, the pioneer who brought California wines to the world, once said Napa Valley could be the centre of a gracious lifestyle for those who appreciate fine wine, food and art.

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Robert Mondavi in Oakville, California will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016. The Mondavi Winery was one of the first in California to embrace several winemaking techniques, including the use of stainless steel for fermentation of both red and white wines.

The winery began conducting tours in Mandarin and Cantonese in 2013 due to demand. E-commerce company Alibaba Group started offering Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and other varieties in September 2015 to its 367 million Chinese customers through its online store Tmall.

If you prefer to make an onsite visit to the winery, it is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The winery is closed on Easter Sunday, U.S. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

● Experience Fine Dining: The French Laundry is consistently ranked as a three-star restaurant by the Michelin Guide. Nestled in the heart of Napa Valley, The French Laundry is committed to creating classic French cuisine with the finest quality ingredients. The menu changes daily, and corresponds with the seasonal harvest.

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Fans of cabernet sauvignon will enjoy the Screaming Eagle’s offering of their immensely popular red wine. The wine is aged in 65 percent new French oak barrels for nearly two years. Annual production is approximately 500 cases. Get on their mailing list for this one – the 2012 Screaming Eagle cabernet sauvignon sells for around USD $2,499.

Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Birthplace of Canada’s Icewine Industry

Many visitors to Ontario are traveling beyond the majestic beauty of Niagara Falls and the bright lights of Toronto to soak up the landscapes and charms of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Southern Ontario’s wine country. Niagara-on-the-Lake is the home of icewine, a dessert wine made from handpicked frozen grapes during the winter months. Canadian winters are consistently cold enough to make icewine annually.

Icewine’s sweet taste is a hit among Chinese consumers, and they are willing to pay for it. According to a 2011 report from Agri-Food Canada, Canada’s icewine exports totalled over $8.6 million to China in 2009. China is still the top export destination for the Canadian specialty beverage. 

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Peller Estates Winery earned accolades as the Canadian Winery of the Year in 2014. Peller’s winemakers and chefs boast that a visit to Peller Estates is one of Canada’s most innovative wine and food experiences, as customers can sample pinot noir from the vineyard, and learn about the art of pairing wine with food.

Peller Estates has also established partnerships to market and sell its renowned icewines in China. The Peller Estates Winery is open from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily.

● Experience Fine Dining: Treadwell Farm-to-Table Cuisine pioneered the concept of farm-to-table cuisine before it was trendy. The restaurant prides itself in offering guests Niagara cuisine – emphasizing one or two main ingredients from the Niagara region and surrounding areas.

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Canada is the world’s largest icewine producer, and has turned out one of the most expensive bottles of icewine at CAD $500,000. Royal DeMaria Wines, deemed the “Versace of icewine,” has come up with a unique stocking stuffer – their 2000 Chardonnay icewine retails around CAD $250,000.

Australia’s Barossa Valley

Shiraz Leaves a Lingering Impression on Chinese Wine Drinkers

First settled by European immigrants in the mid-1850s, South Australia’s premiere wine region is an hour drive from cosmopolitan coastal capital Adelaide. The Barossa Valley has been ranked as the world’s third-best performing boutique vineyard market in 2014, according to the Knight Frank Global Vineyard Index.

Wine connoisseurs from China flock to the Barossa Valley’s 150 wineries and more than 70 cellar doors for its legendary shiraz. “Most Chinese tourists visit wine regions for the experience, rather than for the wine,” said Richard Lee, Ph.D. from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute at the University of South Australia. “If the experience is good, then the wine is thought of favourably.”

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Seppeltsfield Winery – an iconic Australian wine estate that first opened its doors in 1851 – is the only winery in the world that produces a 100-year-old, single vintage wine every year. Visitors say a wine-tasting tour is a memorable experience, as most choose to sample its famous port and liquor under its larger-than-life palm trees.

Chinese visitors will be able to enjoy Seppeltsfield’s offerings at home, as the winery plans to send 2 million bottles of wine to Nanshan, China's largest private winemaker. The Seppeltsfield winery is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.

● Experience Fine Dining: fermentAsian has a cult following among South Australia’s foodies, as its dishes are a modern twist on Southeast Asian cuisine. Located in a cozy cottage near Tanunda, its Vietnamese-inspired meals use Barossa produce, paired with fine wines from the region.

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Barossa winemaker Chris Ringland produces small amounts of shiraz – around less than 80 cases a year. Made from 100-year-old, low-yielding, dry-grown vines, Chris Ringland shiraz (formerly known as Three Rivers shiraz) is the most difficult Australian shiraz to find. A bottle of its 2006 vintage goes for around AUS $1,190.

New Zealand’s Central Otago Region

Home of the World’s Best Pinot Noir

Those enchanted with “The Lord of the Rings” have placed New Zealand on their bucket list, but wine lovers make note to travel inland on South Island to Central Otago, the world’s most southerly grape-growing region. A landscape of soaring, snow-capped mountains lined with crystal-blue rivers, Central Otago was once the centre of New Zealand’s gold mining industry. Now, its treasure is wine.   

Pinot noir is the new star of the New Zealand wine industry, comprising of 70 percent of the wines produced in Central Otago. Sales of New Zealand wine in China amounted to 26.9 million in 2013, up from just 2.4 million in 2008, according to research from Lincoln University in New Zealand.

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Rippon Vineyard and Winery, located near Lake Wanaka, is the most photographed winery in the world. Remember to bring your camera for the tour. Grab a cheese platter, sample their exquisite pinot noir wines, and soak up the view.

The Rippon Vineyard and Winery is open from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. daily.

● Experience Fine Dining: Olivers Restaurant, a shining star in the 1980s New Zealand restaurant scene, reopened in 2015 at the Victoria Store, an iconic landmark where goldminers rested while they were seeking their fortune. Patrons praise the award-winning restaurant serving Central Otago-grown cuisine, citing it “as a bit luxury in the midst of the Otago rail trail.”

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Wine experts have said New Zealand wines are undervalued, so Martinborough Vineyard’s Marie Zeile pinot 2006 is an absolute steal at NZD $175. Grab one soon, as only 984 bottles – or 82 dozen – came from the 2006 harvest.

France’s Champagne Region

Raising a Champagne Flute to Chinese Tourists

The only place in the world to get a legitimate glass of bubbly is in the Champagne wine region, a historic province in the northeast of France, 145 kilometers – or 90 miles – away from Paris. UNESCO placed “Champagne’s hillsides, houses and cellars” on its World Heritage list in July 2015. 

While affluent Chinese tend to celebrate milestones with a glass of Champagne, many do not enjoy its tart flavour and fizzy texture. According to Comité Champagne, China has imported more than 1.5 million bottles of Champagne in 2013. Luxury brand Moët has created a brand of sparkling wine within China in 2011 for the Chinese market.

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Krug Champagne, a Champagne house in Reims, France established in 1843, produces around 500,000 cases of champagne annually – thus making it one of the world’s most expensive wines. England’s Queen Mother smuggled a case of Krug while she was in the hospital for a broken hip when she was 97 years old. 

Krug is open by appointment only Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is closed from mid-July to early September. 

● Experience Fine Dining: Les Crayères is the epitome of fine French gastronomy. Housed in a chateau, chefs at this Michelin two-starred restaurant have the Champagne constantly flowing, and foie gras and soufflé readily available.

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Gout de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds) is the world’s most expensive bottle of Champagne. A Swarovski crystal adorns the centre of a diamond-shaped pewter designed bottle, with the label made from a pure white gold plate. All this luxury can be yours for USD $1.8 million per bottle.

Italy’s Tuscany Region

Undergoing a Renaissance for Fine Wine

The Tuscany region, the birthplace of the Renaissance, art and fine wine, has charmed visitors for centuries with its lush, green fields and villas. Easily accessible from Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena, wine tourists continue to make pilgrimages to Tuscany to savour a glass of Chianti, the region’s famous red wine.

Chinese investors have been gazing toward Tuscany and view its potential as a wine mecca, as several business executives have bought small Chianti-producing vineyards in the past couple of years. The Chinese are also enjoying more bottles of Italian wine. The volume of Italian wines sold in China during the first five months of 2015 was 21 percent higher than for the same period in 2014, according to Italian market research firm Wine Monitor.

● Don’t Miss This Winery: Castello di Verrazzano is located on a hilltop overlooking the Chianti Classico area, near Greve. The castle’s ancient cellars date back to the 16th century. It is also the birthplace of Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who made a maiden voyage to New York Harbour in the 1520s.

The winery offers several tours throughout the day starting at 10 a.m. The last tour leaves at 4 p.m.

● Experience Fine Dining: La Botte Piena is traditional Tuscan food with a creative and innovative flair. The restaurant is hard to find, but once you arrive, you will never forget its excellent homemade pasta, its array of wines and its charming ambiance.

● Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Give your loved ones a bottle of Tuscany’s finest red Tenuta dell’Ornellaia 1997 Masseto Toscana IGT, which costs around USD $1,250 a bottle.

Switzerland’s Valais Region

Europe’s Best Kept Secret

Most culinary enthusiasts consider  Switzerland the epicentre of fondue and chocolate. However, the demand for Swiss wine is rising, even though there is not enough to go around – only 1 percent of the country’s entire production reaches the export market annually. Perhaps the only way to enjoy Swiss wine is to make a trip to the Valais region in the heart of the Alps.

Switzerland now produces more red wine than white. The most popular red wine in French-speaking Switzerland is Dole – a blend of pinot noir and gamay. Glacier wine has been made for centuries in the Alps for the transhumance, the annual migration of cattle and cowherds from the alpine meadows to the lower villages. Chinese tourists currently target Switzerland to buy luxury items like watches and custom-made Swiss Army Knives – is Swiss fine wine the next frontier?

●  Don’t Miss This Winery: Visperterminen is the highest vineyard in Europe at 1,150 meters. Its Heida wine – or the Pearl of Alpine wines – is derived from sauvignon blanc, and is unique to this vineyard.

Three wine producers located on Visperterminen offer tastings. Visitors can stroll along a vineyard trail and learn about the process of wine making.

●  Experience Fine Dining: Château de Villa, a 16th century estate located in Sierre-Valais, offers the best in Swiss cuisine – fondue, a platter stacked with dried meats and Alpine cheese, Swiss wine and raclette – in a cozy atmosphere.

●  Looking For the Ultimate Holiday Gift? Swiss wine is expensive because it is hard to find outside the country. If you come across a bottle of the award-winning Fendant Valais Domherrenwein Great Dignitaries Chasselas 2012, a white wine specific to the Valais region, do not hesitate to buy it – no matter the cost.