About Borsen Weekend magazine:
Børsen is one of Denmark’s most important and influential business newspapers. It was
founded in 1896 and has since become the leading source of financial and economic news in
the country. The paper focuses on topics such as the stock market, companies, innovation, and
political developments that affect the economy. Børsen is known for its high journalistic
standards and for addressing readers in the business community, executives, and decision
makers. With both print and digital editions, it plays a central role in shaping public debate on
economic and financial issues in Denmark.
About the article:
A recent blind tasting organized by Danish wine journalist Ole Troelsø shocked Børsen’s wine
panel: Chinese wines from Changyu, the country’s oldest and largest wine producer, challenged
some of the world’s most prestigious wines such as Château Lafite, Tignanello, and Opus One
— and held their own.
The tasting took place at Restaurant Alchemist in Copenhagen, with a distinguished panel of
sommeliers, wine experts, and international blind-tasting champions. None of the judges knew
which wines were Chinese, and none guessed their origin correctly.
When the results were revealed, the panel was stunned: the Chinese wines performed almost
on par with the famous Western ones. Changyu Moser XV was only 0.7 points behind the top
scoring Tignanello (16.7 points) and 0.1 points behind Château Lafite.
This result echoed an earlier international tasting in Düsseldorf, where Changyu Longyu Estate
2021 was ranked at the same level as Château Lafite by ten Masters of Wine.
Interestingly, the cheapest Chinese wine (around 300 DKK) scored the highest among the
Chinese entries — perhaps an intentional marketing move that succeeded, since the wines are
now gaining attention in European media.
The article concludes that while Chinese wines are not yet widely recognized for quality, this
tasting shows they are rapidly catching up — much like China’s rise in electric cars and
smartphones.“Gan bei!”, the Chinese toast meaning “cheers,” fittingly closes the piece.
With this tasting result and publication we could sell
through an e-com partner immediately an revenue
of € 29,000 in Denmark with Family Cabernet
Sauvignon 2022!
The Drinks Business
Lenz Moser: ‘The wine industry needs an iPhone moment’ - The Drinks Business
In a drinks business podcast last month, Austrian winemaker Lenz Maria Moser spoke openly about the potential for white wine in China, and why the wine industry needs “an iPhone moment” to “excite” a new generation of drinkers.
You can listen to the interview in full here, in which Lenz covers many topics, especially his role as consultant winemaker for Changyu Pioneer Wine Co – China’s oldest and largest winery – which he has worked with over the past 20 years, producing a range of wines under the brand, Chateau Changyu Moser XV.
However, at the outset of the discussion, he considered the well-documented challenges for the wine trade worldwide right now, expressing his concern, but also optimism.
When asked about the state of the market, he told db, “The trouble at the moment is it’s not just a usual downturn led by economics, it’s a structural one.”
Explaining further, he said that the decline in wine consumption was due to an imbalance between the number of people leaving the market, and those coming into it: “The baby boomers go to rest or drink less, or their cellars are full,” he said, accounting for a fall-off in sales, before adding, “But the problem is that the generation Z and X only fill half of the slot emptied by the older folks.”
Continuing he said, “So that leaves a gap.”
Such a development is “not recent” according to Moser, but is being felt more acutely now because “of the struggles of the cyclical downturn.”
Moser, however, then told db that he sees the current negative trend “as a chance; I’m a positive person, and I’m in a niche, you know, with China, with Austria, with Tokaji” – he said, referring to his range of projects, from the aforementioned Chateau Changyu Moser XV to his winery in Krems, and Furmint called Ma’d Moser.
He continued, “I tend to think it’s a lot easier for me because I’m in a niche, but we [the wine trade] need to innovate, and we need to listen to what the consumer really wants, although not too much, because I believe in giving direction to the consumer.”
He added, “I like the Steve Jobs approach: he gave people the iPhone; people wanted it, but they did not know that it existed or that they can have it, and then, all of a sudden, it was touch, touch, touch – and this was the magic stroke because everything was invented before, but he put everything together and gave people something new.
“They were surprised and they loved it, and now they’re hooked, we all hooked on this touch thing, and I think the wine industry needs an iPhone moment.”
As for what this might be, Moser can’t be sure, but he is clear that he doesn’t believe it will come with natural or orange wines, nor de-alcoholised ones.
“I don’t see it with natural, orange or no and low, and I might be completely wrong, but the world is not going to drink only no and low, but, looking at the beer sector, it might be 5%, but it’s not going to save the [wine] industry, because in essence, what we do is substitute alcohol with sugar, and I’m not sure if this a healthy thing to do.”
“So we all need to scratch our heads and talk to people, and talk to young people in particular because that’s the ones we lost. And, when I go to China, that’s the bright spot for me, because I have found a new target group which doesn’t exist in Europe, which is young women.”
Continuing, he recorded, “They are leading the charge in China… most of them have studied in Europe or travelled there, and they are bringing the wine back home that they want, and it’s different from what their fathers or grandfathers or official people in public enjoyed.
He then observed, “They drink wine because they like it, and not just because it’s a social drink, and they couldn’t care about gifting because that was until ten years ago, the big thing, gifting and social drinking – and it was red wine, almost 100%, but now most dealers in white wines are always sold out half way through the year and struggle to get more wines in.
“And this demand is basically led by the female element in the market which is very healthy.”
It is for this reason that Moser has also found success with a novel wine from China in the domestic market.
He explained, “Nine years ago we did white Cabernet, and I did it because I needed a white wine for Europe.”
But Moser added that he had told the chairman of Changyu that “one day white wine will come”, referring to the domestic market, and nowadays “people love it, in China as well,” leading Moser to state, “Thank God we have it because we don’t have any grape varieties on the white side at this moment.”
However, back to a broader solution to the wine market worldwide, Moser said this, “We cannot only please the consumer. It’s not enough to satisfy their needs. We really need to excite them again, like we did in the 80s and 90s.”
Read more
Don’t miss the boat on a white wine boom in China
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United Kids Gala
About the event:
On October 9, 2025, the first United Kids Gala celebrated its moving debut at THE NODE Gallery
in Vienna – marking the start of the four-day FACES Art Festival. 150 inspiring women from
Vienna, known as the FACES, saw their portraits for the first time – painted by refugee girls
aged between 11 and 18.
The FACES project combines art, empathy, and empowerment: each woman chose her favorite
art style, but the young artists painted the faces without knowing who they were portraying –
an act of pure interpretation and emotion, as founder Masha Zolotova emphasized.
The gala was not only an aesthetic experience but also a social statement: all proceeds support
programs for refugee and disadvantaged girls. Following its great success, a continuation is
already planned for 2026 – this time with the goal of supporting and empowering 300 girls.
Among the distinguished guests who attended the event were Birgit Fenderl (TV host), Lilian
Klebow (actress and singer), Patricia Aulitzky (actress), Johanna Setzer (TV presenter), Lena
Hoschek (Austrian fashion designer), and Masha Zolotova (founder of United Kids).
Lena Hoschek (Austrian Fashion Designerin) und Masha Zolotova (Founder United Kids)
Birgit Fenderl (moderator), artist, Lilian Klebow (actress and singer), Patricia Aulitzky (actress)
Doretta Cartner (singer)
Interview Master Thesis Strategic Management
About the Interview:
Morgan Franke wanted to conduct an interview with Lenz Moser, the winemaker at Château
Changyu Moser XV, as part of his Executive Master’s thesis at HEC Paris, which focuses on:
“From residue to revenue: leveraging production and consumption waste to build brand equity
and revenue in the luxury wines & spirits industry.”
This interview was particularly important for Morgan because of the following points:
- Expert Insight from a Key Industry Leader
Lenz Moser is a central figure in the Chinese luxury wine market. As head winemaker at Château
Changyu Moser XV, he has pioneered the development of premium Chinese wines, merging
European winemaking expertise with Chinese terroir and innovation.
Since the Chinese market plays a crucial global role in luxury wines, Morgan wanted insights
from Lenz to understand how Chinese producers approach sustainability, waste valorization,
and brand-building — core themes of his thesis.
- Understanding Innovation and Sustainability Practices
Morgan’s research explores how production and consumption waste can be transformed into
value
—
both financially and in terms of brand equity.
Lenz Moser’s reputation for taking unconventional and forward-thinking approaches in
winemaking made him an ideal interviewee. Morgan wanted to learn how such innovative
thinking could apply to circular economy models in luxury wines.
- Building a Comprehensive, Global Perspective
Morgan aimed to include perspectives from all major wine markets in his study. China, as an
emerging luxury wine powerhouse, represents a key component of that global picture.
Interviewing Lenz allowed him to compare European and Asian market dynamics, sustainability
priorities, and business models.
- Alignment of Values and Curiosity
Finally, both Morgan and Lenz share a passion for pioneering new approaches to traditional
industries. Morgan’s own background in luxury brand strategy and his belief that sustainability
can be value-creating aligned with Lenz’s philosophy of smart, unconventional innovation in
wine.
The interview thus promised a rich exchange of ideas valuable for Morgan’s thesis and
potentially for future collaborations.
In summary, Morgan sought the interview with Lenz Moser because Lenz represents the
intersection of innovation, sustainability, and luxury brand leadership in one of the world’s
most influential wine markets — making his insights essential for a meaningful, well-rounded
academic study.