(Barrons) - Most fine wine lovers may not think of China when it comes to premier wine. But luxury French brands Möet Hennessy and Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite), owner of Château Lafite, are hoping to change perceptions with ambitious efforts aimed at China’s increasingly sophisticated consumers as well as a global audience.

Möet Hennessy, a subsidiary of the global luxury company LVMH, is first out of the gate with Ao Yun, a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a hint of Cabernet Franc, that’s produced in four villages in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains near the Mekong River in Yunnan, a four-and-a-half hour drive from the town of Shangri-La.