Most people are crazy about wine. The drink has been a staple or civilization for thousands of years. But every once in a while a wine craze arises that takes hold of a nation and becomes a part of the current culture. The film, Sideways, brought on a wine craze and delivered new wine lovers to the Napa Valley. But there is a new wine craze that has taken over an entire nation -- with its citizens paying top dollar to be part of the process.

The film “Red Obsession” covers two red subjects: the nation of China and Bordeaux wine. As the economy of China continues to grow, its purchasing power grew as well, giving birth to an elite class. And that purchasing power of the elite class brought on the desire to purchase and to collect the French Bordeaux. In recent years, China has become the largest importer of Bordeaux and the film highlights that aspect and how the Chinese are becoming more involved in the winemaking process.

As China’s economy grows and embraces Western traditions, the role of the status symbol has become an aspect among the economically elite. Much like a Louis Vuitton purse or a BMW car, ownership of a certain vintage of wine became its own status symbol. This fact was evident in the fact that Chinese wine collectors dominated wine auctions and even one buyer paid close to a quarter of a million dollars for one bottle of Bordeaux.

Along with the purchasing and importing of wine, Chinese nationals are buying land and wineries in the French region. Therein lies one of the conflicts in the documentary: how the French are handling this new influx of foreign buyers and how their wine culture is changing with the arrival of deep-pocketed buyers.

The rise in demand from the Chinese buyers and the long held traditions of the Bordeaux are aspect in this documentary about over consumption and cultures clashing. From buying expensive vintages to eventually taking over whole vineyards, the documentary covers the Chinese craze that still continues today. Will the bubble burst on wine prices? No one knows for sure, but this documentary that Bordeaux and the Chinese economy meet at a most opportune time.

 

This content was created by AI