Chinese investment in Bordeaux vineyards is on the rise, and could signal changes to the way wine is distributed in the future, according to one commentator.

In the Drinks Business, Alan Lodge said this year's sales of estates to Asian investors, including the purchase of Chateau Latour-Leguens and Chateau Chenu Lafitte, is indicative of a desire by Chinese businesses to shorten the supply chain, reducing the possibility of forgeries in the process.

"We have a strategy for constructing a complete chain from production to consumption to guard against forgeries and to reassure our clients," Chi Jingtao, vice-chairman of Lalande-de-Pomerol owner Cofco, told the publication.

"Being involved from the vineyard upwards in Bordeaux helps to strengthen this commitment."

However, Bordeaux-based wine merchant Francis Anson added that the majority of foreign investors are following the local model of exporting to multiple markets, with very few restricting distribution to their native land.

According to Financier Worldwide, China imported 33.5 million bottles of Bordeaux wines, worth $475 million (£296 million), in 2010.