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Chinese wine buyers come calling
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monty Knight, founder, proprietor and managing director of Okahu Estate, has invested a great deal of time, energy and money into developing a market for his wines in China and further evidence of the success of that effort was evident last week when a delegation from the Kiwi Lafite Wine company arrived to see for themselves where the wine comes from, and to meet the people who produce it.
Far North Mayor Wayne Brown and his wife Toni were amongst those who welcomed the visitors, and who enjoyed an evening meal at Mr Knights home.
(left to Right: Managing director Monty Knight, Far North Mayor Wayne Brown, Kiwi Lafite Company chairman Zhao Hong.)
Mr Knight said the company chaired by Zhao Hong imported both labels, Shipwreck Bay and Okahu, for sale in its two shops in Zhaoqing, around two hours west of Guangzhou (Canton), in Southern China. The company has plans to open another shop in Guangzhou later this year, and set up a distribution arm for Okahu Estate and other Kiwi wines. “New Zealand wine sales to China were worth about $5.6 Million last year, and that is expected to grow to $80 million over the next 15 years,” he said. “Currently Okahu sales make up about 2.5 percent of the total, and we hope to grow our business as take-up and acceptance of New Zealand wine grows.” Mr Knight spent a week in China in November last year, as a guest of Kiwi Lafite Wine Company, undertaking a sales and wine education tour. “They were wonderful and generous hosts,” he said, “and I wanted to make sure their visit to New Zealand was memorable.” 
(One of Monty Knight’s Chinese guests exchanging the traditional Maori greeting with Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira at Kaitaia’s Saturday Market)
On Saturday, after a tour of the winery, the visitors called at the Kaitaia market and looked over the local shops, then went fishing at Doubtless Bay, followed by a seafood dinner at the Taipa home of Mr Knights daughter and son-in-law Adeline and Luke Nash. The visit wound up with a meeting on Sunday and a visit to 90 Mile Beach and Shipwreck Bay.
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