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| Alberto Fernandez, managing partner of Torres China [Photo/China Daily] |
Industry experts say they are especially favorable to wines made from the Chenin blanc, a grape originally from the Loire valley of France which is also widely grown in South Africa. It is viewed as ideal for a growing number of white wine drinkers in the coastal cities of southern and eastern China, such as Guangzhou, Xiamen and Shanghai, where seafood is popular.
Also Pinotage, a red wine grape which is a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, can match richer dishes in China's northern provinces, because it can produce complex and fruity aromas at the same time.
"Most of the South African wines are food-friendly, although most Chinese consumers are yet to define their characteristics of taste," said Alberto Fernandez, managing partner of Torres China, one of the country's largest wine importers and distributors.
"But the packaging of wines sold in China helps a lot, because they are mostly simple and easy to remember."
The Spanish-based wine company imports just one brand from South Africa, Kleine Zalze red wine, but Fernandez said he plans to add more as the market matures and curiosity grows among the country's increasingly sophisticated consumers.
Jim Boyce, Grape Wall of China founder, holds an annual survey on his website, and the evidence from that is pretty conclusive, that there is a rising tide of interest in South African wines.
A dozen Chinese customers sampled 40 wines priced below 100 yuan ($16) and ranked them on different aspects.
In each of the four years the survey has been held, South African wines have been in the top three slots.
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