SIAL Group, which describes itself as “the world's number 1 Food & Beverage industry trade organizer,” recently honored the Chinese winemaker Changyu by listing it as a top 30 wine brand worldwide. Changyu was the only Asian recipient of the award. Yves Benard, president of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) called it “one of the top wine brands in the world.”

Considered to be a shining star of the Chinese wine industry, Changyu has already entered the mainstream market in the US, with loyal customers in major cities such as San Francisco and New York. This is an uncommon feat for an Asian wine brand, as American consumers are known for their discerning taste in wines.
Besides the high quality of Changyu’s wine, the brand’s lengthy history also plays a role in its popularity. As early as 1937, Changyu registered the brand “Changyu Cabernet,” making it the first dry red wine brand in China. British wine merchant Bibendum tells their customers that Changyu wines “are produced at the country’s oldest winery, the Changyu Wine Company in Shandong Province.”
Bibendum also points to the wine’s unique fragrance as a notable feature. The fragrance is thought to be closely related to the main raw material of Changyu: Gernischt, the only grape breed acknowledged worldwide as having been cultivated by Chinese people. More than a hundred years ago, Gernischt was transplanted to China by Changyu. After a century's improvements and developments, it has now integrated with the local conditions of Yantai, forming its own features and tastes. When overseas customers have s sip of Changyu, they are said to be tasting the flavor of one hundred years of history—an exotic Chinese flavor and fragrance different from those found in European and American wines. This cultural differentiation has succeeded in attracting curious consumers.
Changyu’s brand strategy aims to redefine this traditional Chinese brand as both a domestic and international luxury brand. In doing so, the company hopes to attract foreign wine lovers as well as a new class of Chinese elites, all looking for ways to experience the exotic cultural history of China.