Chinese quaff wine, snap up chateaux
Source : By Lu Chang (China Daily European Edition) For Shen Dongjun, the 22-hectare chateau in Bordeaux seemed a priceless investment and a natural addition to his new wine business, rather than being just an expensive holiday home. The idyllic Laulan Ducos, a medieval-style chateau, with surrounding vineyards that produce wine was the latest addition to Shen's business empire comprising of more than 300 jewelry stores. "I have been searching for the right vineyard for more than six years. This is exactly what I was looking for and the wine quality is outstanding," he says. "My aim is to bring these high-quality French wines to China at affordable prices." Shen, 42, is part of a new wave of Chinese investors who are snapping up wine estates across the world to quench China's growing thirst for high-quality wines. Data provided by the International Wine and Spirit Research shows that China surpassed Britain as the world's fifth-largest wine c...