China remains the most important market in Asia for Sassicaia, the third-generation owner of Tenuta San Guido told Vino Joy News, as the estate steps up engagement in the country amid a challenging global wine environment.
Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta made the remarks during her visit to Chengdu during the country’s biggest wine and spirits fair, marking her first trip to China in a decade and her first since taking over leadership of the estate.
The winery produces Sassicaia, one of Italy’s most iconic wines and a staple among top collectors worldwide. Its 2023 vintage recently received a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker Wine Advocate. Over the past nine years, Sassicaia has also ranked among Wine-Searcher Most Wanted Wines’s top 10 wines eight times.
Priscilla’s China tour began at the China Food and Drinks Fair in Chengdu and included stops in Guangzhou, Wenzhou and Shanghai. Together with its China importer Globally Fine Wines, the estate hosted a series of promotional events across the four cities.
China has long been one of the estate’s key markets, not only for Sassicaia but across its portfolio, Rocchetta said, adding that it remains the largest market for the estate in Asia.
“We will continue to develop the brand together with Globally Fine Wines,” she said. “All the activations we are carrying out are aimed at strengthening the positioning and image of all our wines.”
The promotional programme included masterclasses and client dinners during the Chengdu fair, meetings with on-trade clients in Guangzhou, a large-scale dinner for around 200 guests in Wenzhou, and a co-branded gift box launched in collaboration with Forbes in Shanghai.
The events targeted distributors and end consumers, with the aim of reinforcing Sassicaia’s brand presence in key markets.
Priscilla said the estate is taking a cautious and closely monitored approach to market development as the global wine sector faces headwinds.
“Very honestly speaking, the global situation for wine is challenging at the moment,” she said. “We are following each market year by year, in continuous dialogue with our partners, to see whether it is growing or declining.”
Attention has also turned to the 2023 vintage, which marks Sassicaia’s third perfect score from the Robert Parker team, following 2016 and 2021.
Priscilla described 2023 as a “classic” vintage for the Bolgheri region, with an ideal growing season and extended harvest allowing Cabernet Sauvignon to fully ripen. The result, she said, is a balanced wine combining structure, freshness and elegance.
“It is a very classic vintage,” she said. “It comes from a well-balanced growing season rather than particularly challenging or overly warm conditions.”
Despite strong vintages, the estate is not immune to climate change. Priscilla said rising temperatures have been observed at certain times of the year, although the impact in Bolgheri has been moderated by its coastal location.
Sea breezes help regulate summer temperatures, while the sea also moderates winter conditions, she said. Water availability remains generally sufficient, with soil reserves typically lasting through late August despite occasional drier years.
“Everything is changing,” she said. “But Bolgheri may be affected more slowly because of the influence of the sea.”
The estate is also seeking to engage younger consumers by emphasising sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Tenuta San Guido operates a large nature reserve and organises visits for schoolchildren to observe wildlife and ecosystems, part of efforts to connect with a generation increasingly focused on environmental issues.
“We are very attentive to the environment,” Rocchetta said. “It is an important element that is not widely known about the winery.”
She added that communication with younger audiences needs to be clear and accessible, focusing on topics they care about, including sustainability.
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