27-04-2025
Chinese owners sell off Bordeaux vineyards as demand dries up
In France's Médoc region, vines wither in the weeds in front of a faded château. The estate is owned by Mr Wan (not his real name), one of the first mainland Chinese to buy a Bordeaux vineyard back in 2011. Today, the septuagenarian wanders the château's eight unheated bedrooms in a padded jacket. Wan is desperate to sell.
It's a forlorn sight common across Bordeaux. During the 2010s 176 vineyards in the region were purchased by Chinese nationals. Wan, who 'bought it because I had a passion for the wine lifestyle', acquired two — the other near the telegenic town of Saint-Émilion. Another Chinese gentleman, Qu Naijie, bought 27.
Christophe Chateau, communications director at the CIVB, Bordeaux's wine marketing board, outlined the original dream. The
