Interview: China fast developing taste for Australian wine: winemaker

Australian wines are becoming increasingly popular overseas, with the Chinese market growing considerably over the past few years.

Statistics from Wine Australia show exports to China increased by 66 percent in 2015, to 370 million Australian dollars, with red wine by far the drink of choice.

Managing Director and third generation winemaker from Taylors Wines Mitchell Taylor told Xinhua his company had been exporting its wines to China for over 30 years.

"The beauty of dealing in the Chinese market is that they understand the quality," Taylor said.

"I think Chinese consumers really understand the flavor profile that comes from a country like Australia."

Taylor explained the growing trend in pairing wines with Chinese cuisine, noting that the influx of Chinese and European immigrants had triggered a shift in the "beer drinking culture."

"Cantonese food goes exceptionally well with our very good Clare Valley Rieslings that have lovely lime citrus flavors," he said.

Taylor's grandfather was labelled as 'crazy' for attempting to plant 440 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1969, as during that time most of the wines were either fortified or like ports.

In 1973, when the first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon came through, the wine won numerous medals.

"It actually won a gold medal in every single wine show that it was put in around the country, and then in the Adelaide wine show, it won the trophy for the best red wine that was awarded for the lovely style of the wine, so it was a great way to enter the wine industry," Taylor noted.

Taylor's logo of three seahorses, which surrounds all of its bottles, was born when his grandfather began to dig a dam to irrigate their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon.

"As we got into that limestone, there was actually lots of fossilized seahorses so they were like a good luck charm of the business and the prosperity of a fertile land that was there, so of course we made the symbol and it sits proudly on every bottle of Taylors Wines today," Taylor said.

He added that families suit the wine industry well.

"It doesn't happen overnight, and quite often corporations get very frustrated because their share price cannot be made overnight and you've got to make a lot of decisions that have long-term implications," Taylor said.

"When we plant a variety in the vineyard, it almost takes 10 years from that planting to come through to be a successful wine to be sold in the market, so you've got to make these very strategic family decisions, that are almost generational, so a lot of the hard work we're doing today, is really for the benefit of the future generations."

Taylor said he has seen a change in Chinese consumers' wine knowledge over the years.

"Say 20 years ago, the knowledge was just picking up, whereas today it has improved considerably," Taylor said.

"But the more you drink it, the more your palate matures and has the ability to appreciate better wines."

Taylor said when people first taste wine, they like the sweeter varieties, comparing the practice with children growing up liking sweet items such as lollies.

"When we first drink wine we tend to like the sweet wines but as we practise more and more we tend to get used to having the wines that have more structure and style and characteristics so it's a matter of practise makes perfect."

Those interested in stocking Taylors Wines should make an inquiry via their website. Endit