The case of the missing Chinese vintner in the Loire Valley

The goal of the research was to map Chinese investments in Loire Valley viticulture and its links with lifestyle migration. The research showed that despite the overall rise of lifestyle migration from China to Europe, Chinese investment in Loire Valley viticulture is very limited. This is because, while Chinese investment in Bordeaux wineries has declined, its principal drivers were high-end prestige investments and for-profit ventures, for which the Loire Valley, unlike Burgundy, is not an attractive alternative. Contrary to expectations, middle-class investors attracted by the “European lifestyle” associated with vineyard ownership appear to be a small group among Bordeaux investors and are currently struggling with the crisis afflicting Bordeaux wine production.