AM Vineyards co-owners Andrew Robinson and Matthew Karan saw an opportunity open up in the Chinese market.
"Given the cultural symbolism associated with the colour red in China - happiness, success and good fortune - it's no surprise that 80% of the wine consumed in China is red," says Karan. "Our business model is different from that of a typical wine estate. We partnered with growers and farms in areas like Franschhoek, Elgin, the Hemel-and-Aarde Valley, and the Swartland, where our winemakers manage specific blocks of vineyards. We harvest and bottle our own wine and use our own cellars. It is a versatile business model and gets us the best grapes, best product and scale," says Robinson.