The local player
Shangri-La Winery is the wine company of north-west Yunnan, owned by the Chinese drinks group VATS. Over the past two decades, local authorities encouraged farmers in the high Mekong valleys to grow Cabernet Sauvignon as a cash crop, and Shangri-La Winery buys most of the grapes grown in the region, except those farmed by Moët Hennessy.
Partner of Ao Yun
When Moët Hennessy came to Yunnan, it did so through a joint venture with VATS, signed at the Yunnan-Tibet border: Moët Hennessy Shangri-La (Deqin) Winery, the company behind Ao Yun. Shangri-La Winery's own wines, such as its Tibetan Dry range, were among the first quality wines from the region.
Why it matters
Shangri-La Winery is the bridge between the farmers of Yunnan's mountain villages and the world of fine wine, and the producer behind most of the region's grapes.