French wine a Chinese entree

Chinese people's understanding of French products has grown over the years, to the point where they know the country offers more than just red wine, snails and foie gras, says Cecile Bassot, managing director of Sopexa.

"When I first arrived in 1997, Chinese consumers could only understand and accept red wine," says Bassot. "But now they have learned about white and rose wines and recognize the differences between the wine regions."

Bassot has visited China more than 20 times and since 2009, she has helmed Sopexa, a company promoting Gallic food, wine and lifestyle.

Recently, Bassot attended a grand tasting of Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux in Beijing to organize a training course for Chinese wine educators. The aim here is to coach locals about French wine and it is one of about 2,000 promotional activities held annually by Sopexa.

Bassot thinks China is among the countries that are able to quickly assimilate foreign ideas and products.

"Chinese customers have a wish to discover new things. They have a gift of understanding foreign products, especially French wine."

The 46-year-old believes China and France are similar in that they have a rich culinary tradition and this is the basis for mutual understanding.

According to Customs France, the country was the No 1 European exporter of agri-food products to China in 2011. The $3.1 billion of agri-food products included wine, liquors, meats, dairy products and spices. China is France's sixth biggest wine importer by volume.

Bassot, however, insists there is still potential for further growth in the China market.

"Chinese people have a high awareness of food quality and hygiene. At the same time, French people have strict controls when it comes to food safety. Both French and Chinese parents are very careful when it comes to choosing what to feed their children," she says.

"French products have established themselves in China as being of good quality, diversity and safety. In addition, more Chinese people are going to France for vacations and their understanding of French culture is becoming deeper."

While French chefs in China have helped a great deal to promote the country's culture, other French products are doing well, such as kids' products, chocolate and jams.

"Although France is known for luxury goods, others goods are affordable, such as ham, cheese, sausages and daily comestibles," she says.

While French wines account for 47 to 48 percent of China's imported wine market, it faces increased competition from New World wines (Wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas). But Bassot is confident of the future.

"French wines have their own advantages, namely their diversity in terms of grape varietals, and different production origins," Bassot says. "French wine can satisfy the needs of different customers in China, both in the low-end and high-end market, at restaurants, as gifts, and at wedding ceremonies."

Since Sopexa entered China it has organized many events, such as the annual French cultural festival, but is now extending its efforts in both the major cities and provincial areas.

"We hope we can become a benchmark in the industry. We plan to cooperate with local institutions in the future and promote better mutual understanding between cultures. This is the basis of Sopexa's future development," Bassot says.

Besides French and European products, Sopexa also promotes Japan's culinary culture in France, and has developed the AOC system in Poland.

Bassot says she also hopes that Sopexa will work with Chinese companies in the future to promote Sichuan's chili, the country's beer and tea.