The taste for fine wines among Chinese investors may find a new outlet as Changyu Pioneer Wine Co Ltd launches the country`s first history-themed wine investment product.

One of China`s top wine producers, Changyu has teamed with the Bank of China (BOC) and Zhonghai Trust Co Ltd to issue a new financial product backed by Century Cellar Ping Zhong Li Quan wine.

The vintage is named after an inscription by Sun Yat-sen, founder of China`s Kuomintang party.

The wine-based financial instrument, offered only to VIP clients of BOC, has a 1.08 million yuan ($168,804) minimum investment that is locked in for 18 months.

After a year and a half investors can sell the financial instrument at a promised annual return of 7 percent - twice the current benchmark one-year bank deposit rate of 3.5 percent - or take possession of the wine itself.

"Although the price of the product is not cheap, it is very popular among our clients, Jing Li, head of BOC`s investment department for VIP clients, told China Daily three days after the product`s release on Aug 21.

"Now, almost all of the initial release has been subscribed."

Encouraged, Changyu plans to issue another Century Cellar wine product with a lower minimum investment to a wider spectrum of investors.

With real estate investment trusts cooling after the government moved to dampen once-buoyant property markets, the wine product is drawing investors with the prospect of decent returns.

"Most of the buyers are wine lovers. Despite the decent returns, some of them do not intend to sell the product, but get the wine for collecting," said Jing.

120 years old

Almost 120 years ago, overseas businessman Chinese Zhang Bishi established Changyu wine company in Yantai, a coastal city in Shandong province. During the revolution against the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Zhang donated money to Sun Yat-sen several times to support his campaigns.

On Aug 21, 1912, Sun visited the Changyu Grand Cellar as he traveled through Yantai. After tasting a glass of fine wine, he was impressed by its mellow flavor and offered the inscription "Ping Zhong Li Quan", which can be traced to the Li Ji - or the Book of Rites- that praises Zhang`s efforts in supporting revolution and depicts the wine as sweet manna from heaven.

It is the only time Sun wrote an inscription for an enterprise in his life. The original writing is rated as a national first-level cultural relic and is now at the Yantai Museum.

Changyu issued the product in honor of the 100th anniversary of Sun`s inscription and the 120th anniversary of the founding of the company that will be celebrated next year.

Strict standards

As a high-profile vintage, the Changyu Century Cellar dry wine has strict standards in both grapes and production. A 20-hectare vineyard in Yantai - the only international vine and wine city in Asia - grows grapes for the wine.

To improve the quality of the grapes, the vines, all over 25 years old, are only allowed to produce a maximum of 150 tons of premium grapes, just enough for 60,000 bottles of top-level wine annually.

Grapes are picked up by hand and sent to fermentation tanks within an hour. The wine then is put in the Century Cellar to age for eight years.

Every bottle of Century Cellar wine is identified with a code on the label and the harvest year.

"Only with strict standards can make wines of high quality. The limited edition creates value and its price keeps rising annually," said Li Jiming, chief engineer of Changyu Pioneer Wine Co Ltd.

Voices from experts

A wine tasting was held for experts from both home and abroad in Changyu`s underground cellar on Aug 21 to promote a newly released dry red wine.

"I am very excited to be able to drink this wine. It is a rare fine wine and proves that Changyu is capable of rivaling any other wines of foreign bands," said Zhu Jiyi, director of China`s wine and spirits quality supervision and inspection center.

"The wine has a good taste with heavy fruity flavor. The tannin is balanced. The aftertaste is like jam. It has a unique local flavor which is quite different from wines produced in other areas," said Duan Changqing, director of grape and wine research center at the China Agricultural University.

Huang Yali, a wine expert from Hong Kong, was also fascinated by the wine and said it has a high collection value since it will become much smoother and taste better after maturing for 10 to 20 years.

With its top quality, Changyu`s wine is frequently served at state banquets and international summits, including the welcoming banquet for US President Obama`s visit to China in 2009 and the opening ceremonies of the World Expo held in Shanghai last year.

The Changyu wine financial product is not the only new venture that could boost Chinese wine purchases. China will launch its first wine investment fund, the Dinghong Fund, in September, according to Xinhua News Agency.

It plans to raise 1 billion yuan ($156.5 million) and will invest in vintages from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Industry insiders said Chinese wine-based investment products are beginning to take off as the wine market has boomed in recent years. It not only shows a rising taste for the good life, but offers investors a new protection from inflation.

"Changyu`s new product is a good choice for investors and features decent collection value, with top-quality wine, limited production and a special historic theme," said Zhou Hongjiang, Changyu general manager.