Penfolds has released its new range of ‘Country of Origin’ Penfolds in China.
The new brand, One by Penfolds, there are four wines in the first release from three winemaking regions: France, America, and China.
One by Penfolds expands on Penfolds multi country of origin winemaking approach and means that the Penfolds brand can be sold in China without attracting the crippling tariffs applied to its Australian counterpart. (Treasury Wine Estate ‘s multi-country origin approach was announced in 2018 with the California Collection release. This was prior to the imposition of tariffs on Australian wine.)
TWE has always maintained a presence in China and remained committed to operating within the market.
The trial wine is sourced and made in China’s Ningxia region in the central-north in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains. The red blend from the 2020 Ningxia vintage will be available exclusively in China.
“Penfolds winemakers worked alongside our dedicated teams in France, America and China to create fruit forward, medium-bodied, vibrant and aromatic One by Penfolds wines from each region”, said Matt Woo, Penfolds Winemaker. “Expressive varietal characters carry a medium tannic structure, silky and integrated. The wines are approachable and ready to drink.”
In May, TWE entered into an agreement with the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, the country’s main alcohol industry body, to build the Chinese wine industry through technical knowledge and expertise exchange in China’s wine regions. Part of that agreement sees Penfolds partnering with the China Agricultural University to establish a student fund and academic exchange program that supports winemaking and viticultural studies for local winemaking talent.
“Developing talent and sharing viticulture and winemaking expertise underscores the partnership between China Agricultural University and Penfolds,” said Tianhong Li, Dean of College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University. “In addition to merit and needs-based financial assistance with tuition, we are pleased that the One by Penfolds Student Fund will also support academic and cultural exchange, wine education materials, and access to wine samples from around the world for students to expand their learning. As a university with a global mindset, we welcome continued collaborations, such as this partnership with Penfolds, that take a long-term approach to empowering the local winemaking community and incubating talent for the China wine industry.”
TWE says the agreement is testimony to the company’s commitment to partnerships with the Chinese wine industry and the strong equity that the Penfolds brand has established with its consumers in China.
Tom King, Penfolds Managing Director said, “One by Penfolds is about much more than the wine itself. It is inspired by culture, collaboration, empowerment and giving back to the community.
“For each winemaking region represented in One by Penfolds, signature varietals and blends were selected by Penfolds’ winemakers that best represent the regional character while suiting the Penfolds’ style and benchmarks for quality, consistency, and drinkability.”
The label design has been created by Tel Aviv based illustrator, Ori Toor. He created distinctive illustrations for each wine, creatively capturing the essence of the local communities of each winemaking region through playful and unconventional designs.
The One by Penfolds brand will rollout to the rest of the world in mid-2023.
