Why a top French wine region was sniffed at in China

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China’s young love affair with wine has so far been mainly about full-bodied reds, but the first ethnically Asian Master of Wine (MW) is encouraging consumers to turn to lesser-known, more subtle varieties.

Korean-American Jeannie Cho Lee has had the leading industry qualification MW for a decade, and looks forward to the annual release every January and February of the latest vintages from the Burgundy region of France.

In the French northeast, Burgundy is known for delicate white wines made from Chardonnay grapes and dry reds made from Pinot noir grapes. These are exactly the kind of wines Lee believes to have been overlooked by most Chinese drinkers as they have thirsted for strongly flavored Cabernet Sauvignons from Bordeaux, several hundred kilometers southwest of Burgundy.

Chinese wine drinkers have generally favored full-bodied reds. /VCG Photo

Lee thinks this should be reconsidered because of Burgundies’ potential for pairing with local food. “The natural partner for most Chinese cuisine is Burgundy much more so than Bordeaux,” said the Hong Kong-based MW, who has been running Burgundy tastings and events in the city this month.

“I’ve been living in Hong Kong for 24 years. My diet is mostly Chinese food, with a little bit of other Asian food like Korean and Japanese. I drink a lot more Burgundy than Bordeaux – not because I like it more than Bordeaux, but because it goes better with the food,” she explained.

The contrasting relationships between Burgundy and Bordeaux with China can be seen at fine wine auctions and in property sales.

For a while, Chinese collectors have been obsessed with Bordeaux, paying big money for these bottles. But recent years have seen Burgundy lots far surpass their estimates. At Christie’s in Hong Kong, three 2009 bottles from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti estate in Burgundy estimated at 4,500 US dollars sold for 34,716 US dollars in 2015, as Lee noted at the time.

Bordeaux has opened itself up to investment from China, with hundreds of Chateaux in the region now in the hands of Chinese owners. Meanwhile, there was uproar in 2012 when the first Burgundy chateau went to a Chinese buyer. The Daily Telegraph quoted the head of a local winemaking syndicate fuming that “France is selling its soul” and calling for political intervention.

This frosty reception, perhaps ironically, coincided with the pick-up in demand for Burgundy from the wealthy Chinese seen at auctions. “I think that’s a natural human reaction, that you want more of what you cannot have,” said Lee, adding that Burgundy produces about a quarter as much wine each year as Bordeaux.

“People understand the rarity factor and the lack of supply, so I think it makes the region and the wine more desirable.”

It’s high time that that desire for Burgundy passes to ordinary consumers in China as well.

Explaining Burgundies’ suitability for Asian food pairing, she said, “Burgundy reds being Pinot noir-based and the whites being Chardonnay-based, both are considered much cooler-climate grape varieties than those in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley. Essentially, that means that the wines have higher acidity, lighter body and a more refreshing character, which helps you cleanse your palate between bites.

“Asian food is about sharing of strong, flavorful condiments, with a lot of stir-frying and oil involved. Having the acidity in the wines, whether you’re reaching for a red or a white Burgundy, really helps to cut through that.”

Jeannie Cho Lee /Asian Palate Ltd.

Chinese consumers are relatively new to wine appreciation and observers say they are likely to broaden their taste as they gain experience.

China is the world’s fifth largest consumer of wine but is projected to move up the ranks to second place by 2020.

Red wine has dominated sales, benefiting from the significance of the color in Chinese culture as a sign of prosperity. In 2014, China overtook France as the biggest consumer of red wine, according to International Wine and Spirits Research, a London-based drinks research group.

But more drinkers in China are also opening up to sampling white wines. In 2015, 51 percent of imported wine drinkers consumed white wine. Two years later, the figure stood at 56 percent, the Wine Intelligence consultancy found.