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January 2015 Wines&Vines 119 SaleS & marketing Appalachian wines were on display at the North Carolina stand where Greg Wright of Appalachian Country Stores was proffering tastes of their Muscadine wines. Taste tests with Chinese consumers have him convinced there's a market for the company's "stronger" tasting wines. Another way in Another option for building export sales is to hire export firms. Peter Van Deventer is the managing partner of El Dorado Hills, Calif.- based Integrity Global Management, which represents eight boutique wineries. Van Deventer has been doing export sales, primarily to Asia, for more than 30 years. Typically the pricing in Asia is about the same as in the states. It's "not found money" for wineries but rather a "process that gives the winery a diversified customer base," accord- ing to Peter. Evolution Time International is a interna- tional wine broker with offices in Shanghai and Las Vegas, Nev. Senior partner Frank McGarvey has this advice for wineries: "You have to be consistent. You have to be at these shows year after year." What price point? Maxime Pilleniere of Montreal-based Versay Group has found a unique angle for clients— selling wines in conjunction with their tap dispensers. Another angle Versay took was to enter winery clients in local wine competi- tions. Awards can help build the wineries' creditability with potential Asian distributors and retailers. Beyond the dispensers and awards, Pille- niere said, "Initially it's the price. Quality comes second." Once "you have the right dis- tributor, then you're set, as it's all about vol- ume." And with 300 million middle-class Chinese, there is a lot of potential volume. Kevin Luther, associate winemaker for Wise Villa Winery in Lincoln, Calif., said manage- ment at his winery decided to attend the fair after customers suggested their "smoother and sweeter" wine would be a great fit for the Chi- nese palate. Wise Villa representatives came to explore the market and—hopefully—"find the perfect marriage." If they were just interested in selling con- tainers, Luther thinks they could be doing so very quickly. But Wise Villa is looking to "build a fan base and reputation," and they recognize In spite of the New World's progress, France still accounts for most of China's imported wine sales.