The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and a few days ago, the country's top leader paid a state visit to France, and the heads of state of China and France met, opening a new chapter in China-France relations.
At the closing ceremony of the sixth meeting of the Sino-French Business Council, the Chinese side expressed its commitment to expanding the breadth and depth of bilateral economic and trade relations, so that more high-quality agricultural products, including wine, can appear on the table.
On the afternoon of May 3, the "When Yantai Meets Bordeaux" red wine gift box conference to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France was held in Paris, France. This event is an important part of the Sino-French Food Carnival, where the guests will appreciate the quality of the two countries and promote the exchange of wine culture between the two countries.
The event was organized by the Xinhua News Agency News and Information Center and the Information Office of the Yantai Municipal People's Government, and was attended by 60 guests from China and France in the fields of culture, tourism, food, and environmental protection.
During the event, the red wine gift box to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France was officially released. The gift box is composed of Mr. Fabrice Somière, President of the French Sommelier Association, who selected one from each of the well-known red wines in Yantai and Bordeaux, to create a red wine gift box of "60 pairs of Sino-French friendship in 60 years".
Mr. Fabrice Somière, President of the French Sommelier Association (first from left), Mr. Wang Lei, Director of Xinhua News Agency News and Information Center (middle), and Mr. Gong Haitao (first from right), Executive Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Yantai Municipal Party Committee, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Yantai Municipal Party Committee in charge of daily work, Director of the Municipal Civilization Office and Director of the Municipal Information Office, presented the red wine gift box to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France
Among them, the selected red wine in China is Longyu Dragon 12 Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine, a strategic wine brand of Changyu Company from Yantai.
Dragon 12 Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine
At the event, Mr. Fabrice Somière shared the selection process of the gift box, saying: "When these two wines meet, the silky tannins of Chinese red wines are perfectly combined with the intense flavours of Bordeaux wines, creating a unique combination of flavours and textures, bringing a balance between tradition and modernity. ”
The commemorative red wine gift box is not only a symbol of the deep friendship between the two countries, but also integrates the common concept of wine culture between the two countries, and is a symbol of cultural integration and cooperation between the two countries.
Mr. Fabrice Somière, President of the French Sommelier Association, introduced the two wines in the wine gift box to the guests
Mr. Gong Haitao, Deputy Minister of the Propaganda Department of Yantai Municipal Party Committee, Director of the Municipal Civilization Office, and Director of the Municipal Information Office, introduced the development of Yantai's wine industry and the unique charm of history and culture in detail with the guests at the scene.
He said that Changyu was born in Yantai in 1892 and was the first wine enterprise in China. In 1987, Yantai was awarded the honorary title of "International Grape and Wine City" by the International Wine Organization (OIV), and to this day, Yantai is still the only city in Asia to receive this honor. Nowadays, wine has become a window for the world to understand Yantai and connect Yantai with world culture.
Mr. Gong Haitao, Deputy Minister in charge of daily work of the Propaganda Department of Yantai Municipal Party Committee, Director of the Municipal Civilization Office, and Director of the Municipal Information Office, delivered a speech
Yantai wine has a deep connection with France. In 1871, Mr. Zhang Bishi, a patriotic overseas Chinese, was invited to attend a reception held by the French Consulate in Jakarta. During the dinner, a French consul said that he had been to Yantai and found that the wine produced from Yantai's grapes was pure, and the soil and climate of Yantai were particularly suitable for growing wine grapes. This led to the idea of going to Yantai to set up a Chinese wine company.
In 1892, with the original intention of "rejuvenating the country through industry", Mr. Zhang Bishi founded Changyu Company in Yantai, which opened a precedent for industrialized wine production in China.
Mr. Zhang Bishi, the founder of Changyu
In 1939, the "Brewing Magazine" founded by Changyu Company published a letter from the OIV to investigate the situation of wine cultivation in China, that is, at least in 1939, Changyu established contact with the OIV and France.
Last year, Brand Finance, a global authoritative brand value evaluation agency, released the list of "World's strongest Wine & Champagne brands in 2023", and Changyu ranked first in the "World's Strongest Wine &ampagne Brands" with the highest score of 83.2.
The selected Longyu wines have won more than 150 world awards, are sold in 50 countries around the world, and are stationed in many Michelin and Black Pearl high-end restaurants around the world. Not long ago, Ms. Jesses Robinson, one of the world's top three wine critics, gave Long Yu a high score of 17.5 in a blind tasting of the world's top wines, which is the highest score Ms. Jesses has given to 483 Chinese wines so far.
Dragon 12 Cabernet Sauvignon dry red wine
The 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France will be sold in China, and all proceeds will be donated to EcoTree, an environmental protection organization, to help the global green and low-carbon cause.
On May 4th, the "Sino-French Food Carnival" was held on the banks of the Seine, which focused on French food display, food culture exchange, traditional culture and art performance, using food as the medium and culture as the media, to promote mutual learning between Chinese and French cultures and people-to-people bonds.
Chinese and French chefs worked together on the spot, integrating the characteristics of Chinese and French cuisine, paired with Longyu wine from China, realizing an exchange and integration of Chinese and French food cultures.
The guests roamed on the Seine, tasted Chinese and French food and wine, and toasted the deep friendship between China and France.