Penfolds wins court action against Chinese copycat brand

Treasury Wine Estates has secured a major intellectual property court victory in China against copycat wine operator Rush Rich.

 
TWE won more than US $10 million in damages after a long fight against the wine brand accused of trying to pass its wines off as Penfolds releases.

A Chinese court of appeal ordered the defendants behind the Rush Rich brand - branded in Chinese as “奔富酒园” - damages, a statement from the Australian wine company said.

The first two Chinese characters in the name are identical to Penfolds’ Chinese brand name “奔富,” (or Ben Fu) and the English name Rush Rich is widely seen as a literal translation of those characters, Chinese wine website Vino Joy said.

The copycat bottles also featured white labels with bold red lettering and numeric product names - hallmarks of Penfolds’ signature look.

The long-running dispute traces back to 2012, when the company behind Rush Rich applied to register the “奔富酒园” trademark and began selling wines under the name.

By 2016, the brand had established a major presence on the Chinese wine scene.

In its statement, Treasury Wine Estates said the use of the similar name and branding was likely to mislead consumers and undermine the Penfolds brand.

"TWE takes intellectual property protection extremely seriously," the company statement said.

"Protecting our brands safeguards consumers, preserves the integrity of our portfolio and defends the Penfolds heritage and reputation built over generations.

"Our approach is deliberate and sustained, combining legal enforcement, regulatory engagement, technology enabled authentication and consumer education."

Meet Australia's first sake-infused wines

What are your thoughts on sake-infused Australian wines - made by a Bulgarian winemaker with a label evoking Chinese mythology?

Meet Sun Monkey - the latest brainchild of Australia's biggest premium wine company.

Treasury Wine Estates is home to iconic wine brands including Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Seppelt.

Sun Monkey - billed as "a world-first sake-infused wine collection" certainly challenges convention.

Treasury says the new wine range - featuring a white and a red - "caters to the next generation looking for unique taste experiences while still delivering premium quality from globally renowned wine regions in South Australia.

"Inspired by the Monkey King, a symbol of freedom in Chinese folklore, Sun Monkey embodies rebellion and self-expression, captured in what is certainly a striking label design by Shanghai tattoo artist and illustrator JAX."

The Sun Monkey Shiraz Grenache and White Blend are now available across Australia should cross-cultural drinking be your thing.

"With so many different wines on the market it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd, so we are proud to introduce a world first, sake flavour-infused wine to allow emerging wine consumers, an opportunity to enter the market without needing to know all the stuffy wine details," said Kjetil Undhjem, Treasury Premium Brands' Chief Marketing Officer.

So what, exactly, will you be supping?

“The white blend is a delightful fusion of chardonnay, traminer and riesling, offering a fresh and fruity flavour profile that challenges traditional expectations," says winemaker Iskra Varbanova.

"The Shiraz Grenache, on the other hand, introduces bright and fruity notes, all infused with the essence of sake, creating a truly distinctive taste experience.”

The wines will retail for around $20.  

I haven't tried them yet, so have no tasting notes to offer.