By Camellia Aebischer

With all the hype of the China’s growing wine market, it may seem appealing to tee up a few business meetings and jump on a plane. Before you head off, there are a few things to be mindful of. The following advice was provided by Jing Cao of Chinese language and Cultural Advice at a Wine Industry Suppliers Association seminar in 2017.

BEFORE DEPARTURE

Gifts

A gift is a great way to say thanks for taking the time to meet. However, Chinese culture carries a few symbolic translations that might turn your transaction sour. The numbers zero,

six, eight and nine are considered lucky, as their names hold positive meanings. Four, five and seven, however, carry bad connotations. Don’t think about bringing a decorative clock or watch, as clocks symbolise the wish of a swift death. The pinyin word for a clock gift “Song Zhong” also means “send to the eternal” and is usually used to describe attending a funeral.

Australian-made goods are always the best bet, something small for travel, like a pen with an opal embellishment. Stay away from indigenous art unless you’re willing to explain the meaning behind it.

Tactics

When notifying your Chinese counterpart of your visit dates, Cao advises to never specify your leave-date. If you are looking to sign a partnership agreement then expect to be signing it at the very last minute (when you’re exhausted) as a strategy to wear down your guard. Simply say you’ll be in town from X date “for a few days” or weeks.

Branding and translation

Often wines are exported with labels tailored to the country of receipt. However, with a prolific counterfeit market, Chinese consumers are often looking for pieces of authenticity. A member of the WISA seminar commented that his wines did far better with a translated back label stuck over the original than with new export packaging. Investing the money in a good translator is also crucial, as there are many words that don’t actually make sense when translated into Mandarin or Cantonese. Don’t rely on Google translate or you might end up on a Buzzfeed China translation fails list.

This article is an extract of an article that first appeared in the Grapegrower & Winemaker August 2017 edition. For advice on what to do during and following your trip, search the Grapegrower & Winemaker online archives for the full article.