In Made in China, Tony Perrottet describes the drastically changing landscape of

Chinese culture through the lens of Western dining. He contributes his own opinion on products

he has tried on his trips in China and reassures his audience of the quality and safety of Chinese

products. He also uses comparisons between Western cultures and modern Chinese culture to

disprove current misconceptions or stereotypes about Chinese products. Through this contrast,

he encourages his Western audience to try Chinese novelties, perhaps even Chinese products in

general.

Perrottet explores wines, cheeses, and caviar in China to ensure the quality of Chinese

products to his audience. He proclaims that the quality of the boutique wines is now

undeniablethe country has the soil, the climate and an aptitude for the technical aspects of

productionand the range of domestic wines is expanding, like so much in China, at an

accelerating pace. The author is explaining that the Chinese market for boutique wines is

growing, especially because it has optimal conditions for vineyards. He is recommending

Chinese wines by citing their improving variety, ensuring his audience that this wine is truly

remarkable by calling its quality undeniable. Perrottet emphatically endorses Chinese wine,

claiming that many believe that for local winemakers in this near-virgin territory, the prospects

[for the market] can only improve and that it has a lot of growing room. By stating his firm

position and recommending the Chinese wines, he encourages his audience to go and try out

Chinese wine on their own. He leaves with his audience the impression that Chinese wine will

become as great as other wines (or even better), persuading his audience to try the wine in the

future.

Perrottet also explains that Chinese wines are more readily available to consumers in

terms of cost and production. He writes that the initial appeal [of Chinese wine] was to
foreigners who enjoyed the novelty, but the new wave of Chinese middle-class diners has now

become the majority of the market. He notes that though the main consumers of Chinese wine

were foreigners in China, the new consumers are part of the Chinese middle class. He intends to

convince the reader that Chinese wine is becoming less expensive and is becoming more popular

among the Chinese population, informing the reader of the growing popularity of Chinese wine

and its increasing availability for consumption.

Perrottet speaks to his Western audience by appealing to their generally pro-capitalist

views. When discussing the beginnings of mass-produced wine in China, he mentions how

production of wine began expanding after the countrys embrace of capitalism in the 1980s,

which occurred after a long period of stagnation following the Communist Revolution. The

author is saying that Chinas production of wine has been expanding in recent decades, due to

the advent of Chinese capitalism. He pairs the words stagnation and Communist together

while pairing expanding and capitalism together in order to appeal to his Western audience.

Perrottets audience is composed of readers of WSJ. Magazine, who generally lean towards

capitalist views. By promoting capitalism in his article, he appeals to their economic views, thus

amplifying his message. This way, his audience is more inclined to embrace Chinese wine

because they are more receptive to capitalism than they are to communism.

Additionally, Perrottet disproves the misconception that Chinese consumables are unsafe,

addressing the readers concerns regarding quality control regulations. In China, there exists
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case, reporting that the small producers of artisanal Western delicacies are so far untouched by

such scandals. Perrottet is saying that currently, the Chinese market on Western artisanal foods

has been clean of health-related scandals, apart from the ones that have dominated the media in

the past few years. He informs his audience that there have been no reasonable health concerns

regarding these Chinese novelties, debunking the stereotype that China only produces

unregulated, cheap goods, and therefore giving his audience a green light on these products.

Perrottet constantly compares the new Chinese novelties to their traditional origins, such

as France or Italy. He opens his piece, mentioning Grace Vineyard, 310 miles southwest of

Beijing, might be mistaken for a winery in Tuscany. He immediately begins with a comparison

between a traditional Italian winery and China, which introduces the audience to the theme. He

continues, The conventional wisdomor clichis that China can reproduce Western

manufacturing or technology overnight, but European artisanal culinary delicacies that have

evolved over generations are all but impossible to replicate. Chinese products are repeatedly

matched up with their Western counterparts in order to drive home his point that China is

beginning to compete with the West in this manner. His comparison levels Chinese wine, as

well as cheese and caviar, with French and Italian foods. By doing so, he attempts to convince

his audience to judge Chinese products on their own.

Perrottet shares his optimistic view on Chinese products and ensures his audience they

will be as good or even better than their Western counterparts. He highlights in his article that a

chef with whom he discussed food claimed, Chinese produce does not have to be inferior; it can

be better.An American sommelier from the article shares the same perspective: Its true that

Chinese wine doesnt have a recognizable identity yet...But very soon, I think, we will be able to
taste a wine and say, Ahhh, thats a classic Shanxi. By mentioning multiple shared views on

the same Chinese wines, Perrottet confirms from credible sources that he is not the only one who

has this view. From this, he reinforces the strength of his argument.

Finally, Perrottet tops his article with the title Fine Wine and CaviarMade in China?,

which provides his readers with an appeal to logos. Made in China is a label often seen on

products and is a stereotype of being a mark of low quality. Through the article, the author

strives to disprove the negative connotations associated with this label. The title juxtaposes two

seemingly conflicting ideas and questions the validity of aforementioned stereotypes through

irony, as described in the article. At first glance, the audience might find humor in the title and

guess that the author is poking fun at Chinese products by belittling them; after reading the text,

the audience may notice how the title is ironic. By allowing the audience to see the apparent

irony in the title, the author reinforces and strengthens his articles message, further

accomplishing his purpose.

In summary, Perrottets Made in China successfully encourages his audience to try the

products mentioned by shedding a positive light on Chinese products. He gives the reader an

optimistic outlook for the future of the Chinese market on so-called Western food and drink.

His comparisons provide the reader with insight into the quality of Chinese products, informing

the reader of a Western opinion on these consumables, which they trust as similar to his or her

own opinion.