中國葡萄酒變得可口了

It is unfortunate that Chinese wine drinkers seem to be deserting the produce of their own vineyards for imported alternatives. In my experience, the quality of the best Chinese wine has recently turned a corner — in the right direction.

不幸的是，中國的葡萄酒消費者似乎正拋棄國產葡萄酒，轉向進口酒。根據我的經驗，中國最佳葡萄酒的質量最近出現了變化——向着好的方向變化。

For years, it looked as though Chinese producers put more effort into the packaging than the liquid. After all, until fairly recently the great majority of Chinese consumers had no experience of what wine should taste like. So the many fraudsters, the sort who labelled questionable concoctions as “chateau Lafeet” or “Bordeaux Port”, could get away with murder.

在多年期間，中國葡萄酒釀造商好像把更多的努力放在包裝上，而非葡萄酒本身。畢竟，直到不久以前，絕大多數中國消費者沒有品嚐過真正的葡萄酒，不知道它們應該是什麼滋味。因此，很多騙子在品質可疑的酒的瓶子上貼上“Chateau Lateet”或“Bordeaux Port”之類的山寨標籤，竟然也能矇混過關。

The rampant fakery of old, as well as food safety scandals, presumably played a part in encouraging the country’s wine consumers to see imported wine as a more reliable product. It also tends to be priced much more sensibly. China’s wine producers are apparently still influenced by old gifting habits, with too many overpriced bottles aimed at providing a patriotic official with a domestically produced status symbol rather than a good-value drink.

肆無忌憚地假冒陳年佳釀，以及多起食品安全醜聞，想必在一定程度上促使中國的葡萄酒消費者把進口葡萄酒視爲更可靠的商品。進口酒的定價也往往理智得多。中國的葡萄酒釀造商顯然仍受到過去送禮風氣的影響，太多定價過高的葡萄酒旨在爲“愛國”官員提供一種國產的身份象徵，而非一款物有所值的飲品。

The great majority of the imported wine is fairly ordinary stuff. France in general and Bordeaux in particular used to be the model for all wine to aspire to in China, but imports from Chile and Australia have surged in the past year or two, thanks to friendly trade agreements. Spain, too, offloads vast quantities of incredibly cheap wine to China.

絕大部分進口葡萄酒的品質都相當普通。法國，尤其是波爾多地區，曾經是所有葡萄酒希望在中國效仿的模板，但過去一兩年，在友好的貿易協定推動下，來自智利和澳大利亞的進口葡萄酒飆升。西班牙也向中國出口了大量葡萄酒，價格低廉得令人難以置信。

Meanwhile, at the top end of the market, Chinese consumers used to be seen as ignorant stooges by the many exporters who cast China as their potential saviour in a sluggish European wine market. But they are becoming increasingly sophisticated and knowledgeable. The global leader in wine education, the London-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust, has almost as many Chinese students as British — and the University of Bordeaux is teeming with them.

與此同時，在市場高端，中國消費者曾經被很多出口商視爲不識貨的小卒（這些出口商現在把中國列爲低迷的歐洲葡萄酒市場潛在的救星）。但他們正變得愈發精明和博學。葡萄酒教育領域的全球領導者、總部位於倫敦的Wine & Spirit Education Trust的中國學生與英國學生幾乎一樣多，而波爾多大學(Université de Bordeaux)也有大批中國留學生。

Chinese producers are nothing if not determined and efficient. Last year, the country’s total vineyard area overtook France’s to become the second biggest in the world, after Spain’s. Often with local government help, producers have invested heavily in new vineyards and built wine “chateaux” more fantastic, quite literally, than any in the Loire or Hollywood, all aimed squarely at Chinese wine tourists.

中國葡萄酒釀造商的特點是堅定和高效率。去年，中國葡萄園總面積超過法國，位居世界第二，僅次於西班牙。葡萄酒釀造商往往獲得地方政府的幫助，他們大舉投資於新的葡萄酒園，還建造了“酒莊”，比盧瓦爾河谷或好萊塢的任何酒莊都更加風景如畫，吸引着中國的葡萄酒遊客。

If wine imports continue their dramatic growth, then Chinese exports will have to increase considerably. So far they have been modest, but UK consumers have apparently shown more interest than expected in such Chinese bottles as have so far been presented to the customers of Sainsbury’s supermarket and the off-licence chain Wine Rack.

如果葡萄酒進口的戲劇性增長趨勢延續下去，那麼中國的葡萄酒出口將不得不顯著增長。迄今爲止，中國的葡萄酒出口增速溫和，但英國消費者顯然對中國葡萄酒顯示出了超出預期的興趣，中國葡萄酒已在英國塞恩斯伯裏超市(Sainsbury’s)以及連鎖酒類商店Wine Rack上架。

There is one potential handicap, however. The countries that have had the most success in establishing export markets in the modern era have had a USP. New Zealand has carved a niche for the world’s most valuable per-bottle prices by offering uniquely, refreshingly fruity Sauvignon Blanc. Australia saw massive success with its friendly Chardonnay and rich Shiraz. Argentina has blitzed North America with its bold Malbec.

不過，還存在一個潛在的阻礙。那些在現代開拓出口市場最成功的的國家都有一個獨特賣點。新西蘭通過提供獨特的果香沁人心脾的長相思(Sauvignon Blanc)白葡萄酒，打造出了世界單瓶價格最貴的葡萄酒細分市場。澳大利亞受人喜愛的霞多麗(Chardonnay)和氣味馥郁的西拉(Shiraz)獲得了巨大成功。阿根廷大膽的馬爾貝克葡萄酒(Malbec)在北美市場風靡一時。

But Chinese vineyards are dominated by the red Cabernet and Merlot grapes that grow in abundance all over the wine world — not least in Bordeaux, which produces massive quantities of inexpensive examples every year, typically made by co-ops that do not have the debt that recent investors may be saddled with.

但中國的葡萄園主要種植紅色赤霞珠(Cabernet)和梅洛(Merlot)葡萄，這些葡萄在所有葡萄酒產地大量種植，特別是波爾多地區，每年生產大量不貴的葡萄，一般由合作社生產，它們沒有近期投資者可能揹負的債務。

The reaction of many Chinese producers to market trends has been to acquire foreign vineyards and wineries. Chinese investment in Australian wine production, in particular, has recently gathered pace, and current estimates are that almost 200 (relatively minor) Bordeaux chateaux are in Chinese hands.

很多中國葡萄酒釀造商對市場趨勢的反應是收購外國葡萄園和酒莊。特別是，中國在澳大利亞葡萄酒釀造領域的投資最近加速，同時據目前估計，近200個（規模相對較小）波爾多酒莊由中國投資者所有。

Chinese buyers were out in force once more at the primeurs tastings in Bordeaux at the beginning of this month. One thing seems sure: Chinese influence in the world of wine will only increase.

4月初，中國買家再次在波爾多期酒品鑑會上大舉出動。有一點似乎是肯定的：中國在葡萄酒世界的影響力只會上升。