QUELLE HORREUR - CHINESE INVESTOR RENAMES HISTORIC BORDEAUX VINEYARDS

The French take their wine seriously. So it’s not entirely surprising that those living in the country’s most renowned wine regions might resist change to their historic chateaux.

Just ask Chi Tong. The Chinese entrepreneur purchased four Bordeaux vineyards: Château Larteau, Château Senilhac, Château La Tour Saint-Pierre, and Château Close Bel-Air. His is not an unusual investment. Between January and March 2017, China imported more than 98 million liters of French wine — up nearly 16 percent from the same period in 2016. China’s growing wine market makes investing in chateaux increasingly appealing to entrepreneurs like Tong.