Winery blooms with Chinese equity Mike Brown, at his McLaren Vale winery yesterday, south of Adelaide, says production has tripled with a $30m injection from China. Picture: Kelly Barnes Source: News Limited INVESTMENT from China - $30 million of it - has rapidly transformed the family-owned Gemtree winery in McLaren Vale. It is already pouring exports into Australia's biggest trading partner. "Our business has changed very dramatically in the past 12 months," Gemtree winemaker Mike Brown said. We have gone from being a family operation employing six or seven people, into a business currently employing 30 people here (and) 300 full-time sales representatives in China. It has freaked us all out, to be honest. Chinese property developer and investor Song Yuangang became a minority shareholder in Gemtree Vineyard earlier this year, after committing $30m of working capital to the business over the next five years. The joint venture has resulted in a tripling of production at the winery south of Adelaide, and a more than doubling of company turnover. Exports account for 60 per cent of the company's sales, from 5 per cent in 2011. Gemtree sells directly to Mr Song's distribution network in five Chinese cities and nine provinces, targeting the country's growing middle class. There are plans to develop 200 more stores across China, and the company is forecasting employment to again double by the end of next year. Mr Brown, who is co-director of Gemtree with his brother-in-law Andrew Buttery, said the growing demand for premium Australian produce had prompted Gemtree to become the first Australian winery to achieve Chinese organic certification status. Mr Brown said he understood why some people might be fearful of Chinese investment, but said it should be approached as any other deal. The lovely thing about it is he has (not only) allowed our business to . . . grow, but to stick to the thing that we are really good at . . . super premium table wine.