After buying wineries in France and Chile, China's largest food company has set its sights on a Barossa Valley winery.
COFCO is China's largest food company and has been investing in wineries across the globe over recent years, with the government-owned conglomerate now considering an Aussie purchase.
According to The Australian, representatives from COFCO visited Barossa wineries about a month ago, and are hoping to market wine produced in the region under its Great Wall label.
A recent report in Europe's alcohol industry publication The Drinks Business includes comments from COFCO senior manager, Shu Yu, who says, "I think our next step will be Australia."
The report said he suggested the Barossa would be the preferred region.
The company is planning to release a range of Great Wall wines based on the region they're produced in.
"We will announce that Great Wall is not only China, and we will make a French Great Wall, a Chilean Great Wall and an Australian Great Wall," Yu said.
China has been showing increased interest in Australian wineries recently, with talk that foreign investors are considering taking over Treasury Wine.
The Chinese are lovers of Australian wine, appreciating top quality drops and the heritage behind them. Australia's First Family of Wines is later this year travelling to China to promote Australian wines and their family values.
There's also talk that Woolworths is considering buying the collapsed Barossa Valley Estate. Industry sources told The Australian Financial Review the supermarket giant attempted to buy the Estate for $13m before receivers were appointed in January. It's expected any further investment by the supmarkets in the wine industry will upset producers, who are concerned with the duopoly's growing influence in the industry.