“Cheers” or is it “Ganbei”

Cheers Makes You Smile!

Enjoying wine together at Sanlitun

Lifestyle at The Place Beijing

Sanlitun store (Bruce Connolly)

Staff training in wine knowledge is very important

Wine tasting party

Wine is becoming very popular today in China. Although the country has been producing western-style wine for over a hundred years it was not a popular drink. Today that situation has changed particularly in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Partly this is due to a growing affluence and sophistication among the 24 to 34 year old population and a phenomenal growth in overseas travel experiences.

In today’s feature Bruce is talking with wine entrepreneur Claudia Masuger. From Switzerland and from a family with several generations of involvement in the wine industry, Claudia is CEO and Founder of ‘Cheers’ – a growing imported wine wholesale business with a distinctive presence here in Beijing.

Sitting outside her Sanlitun branch, Claudia talks of the inspiration behind her idea of providing the market with affordable good quality wine. She remembers the days when people mistakenly associated price simply as a sign of quality for wine. To remove any suspicions her customers may have, she invites them to try before buying – the result has been not only customer satisfaction but also a great growth in the business. She also explains the importance of training staff to have a high knowledge of the products they are offering customers.