Ontario wine selling in China

A group of three Canadian businessmen have opened Maple Leaf Wines in the city of Zhengzhou, capital of China’s Henan province. The shop sells Pelee Island Winery’s table and ice wines and plans to expand to other Ontario wines in the future.
Sales of Canadian wine – in particular ice wine – have been steadily growing in recent years. China is among the key export markets for Canadian wineries, second only to the United States.
In the fiscal year ending August 2010, Canadian wineries sales in the Chinese market reached US$4.3 million.
The Standard reports Jamie Slingerland, director of viticulture with Pillitteri Estates Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as saying, "China is massive for us right now."
The Chinese are drawn in particular to ice wine, a sweet dessert wine made from pressed frozen grapes. Ice wine, said Slingerland, is regarded as something of a luxury item and status symbol for the burgeoning nouveau riche.