"Wine is clearly not alien to Chinese tastes," he said.

Gago, on his second visit to China, was in Shanghai to launch two Penfolds super-premium wines from Australia.

The flagship red 1995 Penfolds Grange and white 1997 Yattarna Chardonnay are being marketed for the first time in China. Special dinners featuring the Penfolds range of wines and special tastings for the local wine trade and five-star hotels have been held.

"Penfolds wines are already well known among Chinese wine lovers, especially the Grange," Gago said.

The Grange has been vintaged for 45 years and was created by winemaker the late Max Schubert. The 1955 Grange has been included by international winemaking industry magazine "Wine Spectator" as one of the 12 wines of the 20th century among wines from France, Spain and Italy.

"It was a particular honour for a wine from the New World to be chosen along with the top wines of the Old World," Gago said.

The 1990 Grange has again been honoured as a wine of the year and has become a highly valuable collector's item.

Other premium reds such as Penfolds 1997 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon and 1996 St Henri Shiraz offer benchmark quality without the exclusive price tag of Grange. As well there are the Rawson's Retreat Red, Ruby Cabernet and Rawson's Retreat Semillon Chardonnay at everyday prices, Gago said.

Born in Newcastle in the industrial north of England, his family emigrated to Australia when he was very young. They lived in Melbourne for nearly 30 years where Gago graduated from the University of Melbourne, before moving to Adelaide, the capital of the state of South Australia whose winemaking district, the Barossa Valley, is nestled in the Adelaide Foothills.

Gago attended the Roseworthy campus of the University of Adelaide where he obtained a degree in oenology - the science of wine and winemaking.

He now spends up to four months every year in the United States, Canada, Britain and Europe, and Japan as the company's wines' popularity has grown, conducting tastings, training and attending major wine shows.

"I am coming more frequently to Asia now, including Hong Kong, Singapore and India. After Shanghai, I go to Beijing for another series of tastings and then to Tokyo for their big wine exposition."

Penfolds began making wine in 1844 and is now part of the Southcorp Wines group. Penfolds has appointed Montrose Wines to handle its wine distribution in Shanghai and Beijing.

"I'm very excited about introducing our flagship products to this exciting new market," Gago said.

"China has a culture of loving good food and it deserves good wine to go with it. I hope that the Chinese will grow to love our good wine."