Chinese investors continue to show interest in buying up vineyards in the French region of Bordeaux.

Demand for Bordeaux wine from Chinese drinkers has increased sharply in the last few years, with the country's affluent middle classes buying up large quantities of First Growths such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux.

The natural progression, it seems, is to purchase land in this renowned region to get directly involved in the winemaking process.

Chateau Latour-Leguens was the first estate to go into to Chinese ownership, closely followed by Chateau Chenu Lafitte.

Some suggested that these two estates were targeted because their names are similar to First Growth wines popular in China, but this is disputed by Philippe Darricarrere, who sold the name Chenu Lafitte.

He told the Drinks Business: "I believe it was the location of the estate, next to the Dordogne river, and its wonderful old park and building, that first attracted them, and I know they are hoping to develop wine tourism on the estate. But of course this is also a wonderful brand name."

Other experts agree that Chinese interest in Bordeaux estates is not simply a marketing gimmick - investors genuinely want to be involved with the industry.

"These are businessmen who believe in their investment, who are opening doors to a new market and ploughing money into properties to make great wine," explained Bernard Farges, president of the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB).

Recent data from the CIVB has underlined the important that China now plays in the wine industry - particularly in Bordeaux.

China has now surpassed Germany to become the world biggest importer of Bordeaux wine by volume. Furthermore, China and Hong Kong now account for 60 per cent of all the wine exported from Bordeaux.