A Chinese translation of one of the most respected guides to Chilean wine has been launched in Beijing.
Image of Patricio Tapia © Decanter
The guide, named Descorchados and written by Chilean wine writer Patricio Tapia, includes an introduction to Chile’s wine regions, maps and major grape varieties, and tasting notes of more than 1,500 wines from 160 Chilean wineries. It was first published in 1999.
Around 5,000 copies of the Chinese version of the 2014 guide are being made available, and circulation is set to double for the next edition, according to Hu Xing, Tapia’s Hong Kong-based business partner.
The guide has previously been published in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
‘We decided to publish the book [in Chinese] because we understand that China is an important and growing market,’ said Tapia, who was also regional chair for South America at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. ‘And of course we think the book will be a good tool for the trade and also for consumers who want to learn more about Chilean wines.’
Chinese sommelier Hans Qu, editor of the Chinese version, went to Chile to taste the wines with Tapia.
‘We want him to be an ambassador for Chilean wines and, in the near future, we also would like him to become an expert on South American wines, as the book nowadays cover not only Chilean, but also Argentine and Uruguayan wines,’ Tapia told DecanterChina.com. ‘We hope in two years from now, we will be able to include Argentine wines in the Chinese version.’
‘In the past two years, I have visited Chile in depth and spent four month each year at Chilean wineries with local winemakers,’ said Qu. ‘I believe that we can better understand the philosophy of Chilean wines only if we learn more about their culture.’
Chilean wine importers in China welcomed the Chinese edition of Descorchados.
‘Currently, Chilean wine in the Chinese market is completely chaotic. Hundreds of special labels for the Chinese market are not known labels,’ said Mariano Larrain Hurtado, owner of Chilean fine wine shop La Cava de Laoma in Beijing. ‘I have the hope that Descorchados will help to put an end to this situation. For me it is a way to promote Chilean premium wines.’
Consumers can buy the book through online book stores, or at airport book stores.
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