智利為何能在短短十幾年間成為僅次於澳大利亞和法國的中國第三大葡萄酒進口來源國?一方面,自中國與智利籤署貿易協定以來,智利葡萄酒出口到中國的關稅就在逐年遞減,並於2015年實現了零關稅,由此帶來了巨大的價格優勢。另一方面,注重瓶身和標籤設計的智利葡萄酒更能滿足中國消費者的需求。
Why Chinese tipplers like Chilean wine
為什麼中國人愛喝智利葡萄酒?
In thirty years Chile’s wine industry has gone from backwater to global powerhouse. Its vineyards are blessed with few pests, warm summers and low costs. That has helped it become the world’s largest non-European wine exporter by volume. Now it is taking China by storm; only Australia and France send more wine there.
三十年來,智利的葡萄酒產業已經從一潭死水走到了世界前列。智利的葡萄園有著害蟲少、夏季溫暖和成本低的優點。這使其成為了歐洲以外全球銷量最大的葡萄酒出口國。如今,智利葡萄酒正在席捲中國,成為了僅次於澳大利亞和法國的中國第三大葡萄酒進口來源國。
The absence of tariffs helps. Since Chile signed a trade deal with China in 2006, the value of its wine exports to that country has rocketed from $5m to $250m in 2019. Another factor is Chile’s ability to make wine that is specially branded and packaged for the Chinese market, known in the trade as 「private-label」 wine.
零關稅起到了重要的作用。自2006年智利與中國籤署貿易協定以來,智利對中國的葡萄酒出口額已從當年的500萬美元飆升至2019年的2.5億美元。另一個重要因素在於智利具有為中國市場提供客制化葡萄酒品牌及包裝的能力,這種葡萄酒在業內被稱為「自有品牌」葡萄酒。
This requires not only good plonk, but also impeccable labelling and bottling: the drink is often given as a gift, so it has to look impressive. Chilean wine sent to China fetches an average of $33.11 a case, a price that includes all costs up to loading it onto a ship, compared with $27.42 for wine sent to the United States.
這不僅需要價廉質優的葡萄酒,還需要無可挑剔的標籤和瓶身:葡萄酒常常被人們買來送禮,因此必須要看起來高大上。從智利運往中國的葡萄酒平均每箱的價格是33.11美元(包含從生產至裝船的所有費用),相比之下,運往美國的葡萄酒的價格是27.42美元。
「The key to success in China is to understand the market and...cultural context,」 says Nathalie Malbrán, who oversees Asia for Viña Futaleufú, a winery that specialises in private labelling.
專門從事貼牌葡萄酒生意的 Vina Futaleufu 公司的亞洲主管娜塔莉·馬爾布蘭說:「想要在中國取得成功,關鍵在於了解其市場和文化背景。」
Founded in 2012, it now leads Chile’s wine exports to China, ahead of dominant brands Concha y Toro and Montes. China’s size and diversity mean there is no common pattern for bottles and labels. 「It is essential to be flexible,」 says Ms Malbrán.
該公司成立於2012年,目前在智利對中國的葡萄酒出口中處於領先地位,甚至在規模上超過了知名品牌 Concha y Toro 和 Montes。中國的市場規模及需求的多樣性決定了酒瓶和標籤並沒有一個統一的規格。馬爾布蘭表示:「靈活多變很重要。」
This business model has fostered a flourishing label-design sector in Chile to cater for China’s changing requirements. It is a huge challenge, says Carlos Scheuch of Colorama, a label-maker, not least because the labels must withstand rough weather and extreme temperatures on the month-long journey across the Pacific to China, then overland to the retailers.
這種為了滿足中國需求不斷變化的商業模式推動了智利標籤設計行業的蓬勃發展。標籤製造公司 Colorama 的卡洛斯·舍奇表示,這很具有挑戰性,尤其是因為標籤必須能經受住惡劣天氣和極端溫度的考驗,在長達一個月的旅程中穿過太平洋到達中國,然後再經由陸路送抵零售商。
「The label designs are spectacular,」 he says. They involve different textures, unusual shapes and advanced printing techniques such as embossing, silk-screen printing and coloured metallic foils. Gold and silver are favoured colours.
他說:「標籤設計也很講究。」 其中涉及不同的紋理、非同尋常的形狀以及先進的印刷技術(如壓花、絲網印刷和彩色金屬箔)。金色和銀色是最受歡迎的顏色。
Whereas chateaux often appear on French bottles, Chilean private-label ones favour landscapes, animals, birds and images that emphasise their Chilean character. Designs are rarely repeated, so printers have adjusted to one-off print-runs. 「Eighty per cent are printed only once and never again,」 says Mr Scheuch.
法國葡萄酒喜歡將酒莊圖案設計在瓶身上,而智利的自有品牌葡萄酒則更偏愛風景、動物、鳥類等具有智利特色的圖案。並且圖案設計很少會重複使用,因此標籤印表機通常會設定為一次性列印模式。舍奇說:「80%的設計只會列印一次,後面就不會再使用了。」
Six out of Chile’s top ten wine exporters to China use private labels, says Ms Malbrán. This is paying off. In 2016 China became Chile’s main wine destination by value, though in 2020 it slipped behind Brazil and Britain by volume after covid-19 left stocks languishing in Chinese warehouses. Chile’s industry insiders reckon that time, and vaccines, will restore the Asian giant to its perch.
馬爾布蘭表示,在智利十大對華葡萄酒出口商中,有6家都在使用自有品牌。這種模式頗有成效。按價值計算,中國在2016年成為了智利主要的葡萄酒出口國,但在2020年,受新冠肺炎疫情影響,中國的智利葡萄酒進口量一度減少並落後於巴西和英國。但智利業內人士認為,隨著時間的推移和疫苗的上市,這個亞洲巨人將會重新崛起。
(黑體標註詞為重難點詞彙)
重難點詞彙:
backwater [ˈbækwɔːtər] n. 死水;停滯不前的狀態或地方
powerhouse [ˈpaʊəhaʊs] n. 精力充沛的人,身強力壯的人;強大的集團(或組織);強國
absence [ˈæbsəns] n. 沒有;缺乏;缺席;不注意
impeccable [ɪmˈpekəbl] adj. 無可挑剔的;沒有缺點的
specialise ['speʃəlaɪz] vi. 專門研究(等於specialize)vt. 使專門化;限定…的範圍
dominant [ˈdɒmɪnənt] adj. 顯性的;佔優勢的;支配的
essential [ɪˈsenʃl] adj. 基本的;必要的
flexible [ˈfleksəbl] adj. 靈活的;柔韌的
flourishing ['flʌrɪʃɪŋ] adj. 繁榮的;繁茂的;盛行的
withstand v. 抵擋;禁得起;反抗
spectacular [spekˈtækjələ(r)] adj. 壯觀的,驚人的;公開展示的
destination [ˌdestɪˈneɪʃn] n. 目的地,終點
languish [ˈlæŋɡwɪʃ] vi. 憔悴;凋萎;衰退
reckon [ˈrekən] vt. 測算,估計;認為
vaccine [ˈvæksiːn] n. 疫苗;菌苗 adj. 疫苗的;菌苗的
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