葡萄酒是用新鲜的葡萄或葡萄汁经发酵酿成的酒精饮料。通常分红葡萄酒和白葡萄酒两种。前者以带皮的红葡萄为原料酿制而成;后者以不含色素的葡萄汁为原料酿制而成。
Background: 法国最著名之一的葡萄酒酿造商将在中国开辟种植葡萄园。这是法国葡萄酒制造业和中国巨大市场之间联系日益增长的又一迹象。
Last year it was a Chinese business group that bought up 收购 Chateau
Now the interest is in the other direction, but Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the company which owns the elite 优秀的 Chateau Lafite premier cru, has invested in 投资 land near Penglai in the Shandon peninsula, an area with climatic conditions 气候条件 similar to those in Bordeaux.
Over the years it hopes to develop a world-class 顶级/世界级 top-quality Chinese wine. Christophe Salin is a director at the Domaines Barons de Rothschild:
"I think we have isolated a very nice part in the region of Penglai where we can first of all plant a small vineyard 葡萄园, twenty-five hectares 公顷, where we think we can achieve a great wine. But I mean we will be judged by generations."
The reason behind the move is simple. As a nation, China is now among the world's leading consumers 消费者 of wine. By 2011 it's reckoned that the Chinese will be drinking more than one billion bottles a year.
The vast 巨大的 majority of what they consume is home-grown 国产, but they have a weakness for the great French vintages.
For Chateau Lafite it's an obvious business opportunity 商业机会: to be a great French name in China.
GLOSSARY 词汇表
bought up 收购
vintage 佳酿/美酒
invested in 投资于
elite 精英/最优秀的
climatic conditions 气候条件
world-class 世界级/顶级
vineyard 葡萄园
hectares 公顷
consumers 消费者
vast 巨大的
home-grown 国产的
business opportunity 商业机会