Penfolds Max's wine makes China debut

Australian wine producer, Penfolds, recently unveiled a new 2016 vintage of its Penfolds Max's label in Beijing.

To promote the launch of the wine, which is named after Penfolds' pioneering first Chief Winemaker, Max Schubert, the company held meet-and-greet events with four experts including Hong Kong lyricist, Wyman Wong, and timepiece expert, Bai Yingze, who shared their stories with fans during a wine tasting.

"It's a cross-border cooperation," says Christy Iu, marketing director of North Asia for Treasury Wine Estates, the Australia-based wine conglomerate that owns the Penfolds brand. "The four experts are ideal representatives of Penfolds Max's because of their creativity."

She added that the wine bottle's red label is perfect for the Chinese market because of the color's auspicious meaning in Chinese culture.

According to Iu, the company's products are most popular with customers born in the 1970s and 1980s, but they are beginning to attract a younger group of wine enthusiasts from the post-1990 generation.Treasury Wine Estates is hoping that the release of Penfolds Max's will be a new attraction for a younger Chinese clientele.

Recent surveys conducted by the company show that Chinese drinkers have a broad preference for wine brands. When they're making their decisions, they're more likely to be affected by a wine brand's reputation and recommendations of friends or that of wine influencers.

"We pay attention to consumer research, in order to develop a customized marketing strategy," Iu explained. "We're having more interactions with consumers to promote wine culture."