Chinese to get 100 million $ worth of free wine cellars
 

Interesting..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061130...t_061130143454

BEIJING (AFP) - China's rich are in line for an unlikely form of charity with wine cellars worth tens of millions of dollars to be handed out as part of a marketing ploy, state press said.

The International Wine Culture Promotion Association will give 100,000 cellars worth around 1,000 dollars each to "middle class" families in a bid to promote wine drinking in China, the official Xinhua news agency said.

To qualify for the free gift, a person must own a home that is at least 120 square meters (1,290 square feet) and a car, or be a "VIP" in the banking, aviation or telecommunications industries, Xinhua said.

The criteria were to ensure recipients were "genuine wine lovers who could afford to be wine lovers," Xinhua said, citing the association.

The recipients also have to first pay 2,980 yuan (380 dollars) to join the association, but they can get that back through discounts on buying wine.

Each "cellar" is a wooden, box-like structure that will be installed inside the house rather than underground, Xinhua said.

The promotion body, using investments put forward by wineries from 11 countries, has budgeted around 64 million dollars to fund the project.

Interesting marketing plan.

interesting indeed :thumbsup

that is real good thinking...

but i'd have thought any wealthy chinese would
already be slugging wine

I read that Australia exports the lowest quality wine to China, they just can't get enough of it..

I see why now!!

I guess the Chinese aren't really wine connoisseurs