I was in China earlier this month for the launch of Quinta do Noval there with our new importer Kerry Wines. This is an exciting development. Of course it is very early days, and Port consumption in China is still extremely low. But the recent history of Bordeaux’s development there shows that there is enormous potential, and our experience with other markets has often been that an initial discovery of red wine is followed by a development of interest in other great wines of the world, of which Port is incontestably one.

It was a fascinating experience to host the various tastings we organized and to receive the impressions of the people who had come to try our wines. Naturally for some the experience was extremely novel, and some of them may need a little time to understand and appreciate Port better. But a sizeable number really enjoyed the wines, and of course there are many sophisticated collectors in China who knew about Quinta do Noval already. To mark the occasion of Quinta do Noval’s launch into this exciting market, we opened a few rare bottles of Vintage Nacional. It was highly enjoyable to share these great wines with wine drinkers for whom in some cases the experience was entirely new, and with others who had already come across Quinta do Noval elsewhere in the world.