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Jorge Gomez
Professor Crosby
English Composition 3
23 February 2018
“Made in China”
Three words are enough to paint an image, an expectation of what a product can be
before you use it, taste it, buy it: made in China. Tony Perrottet, a writer for the Wall Street
Journal, wrote the article “Fine Wine and Caviar-Made in China?”, published in December 2014,
in which he blatantly points out the preconceived ideas that Americans have of Chinese products
and quality. Perrottet addresses the stereotype that Americans have through the production of the
Chinese delicacies, wine and caviar, by using realism through his own anecdotes, introducing the Commented [JG1]: This was modified from prior drafts to
state that the author is using the rhetorical device of realism
through personal stories, not alongside them as a separate
history of the delicacies, and using quotes of senior figures in the respective industries in China
entity.
in an attempt to dispel the stereotypes. Through this article, Perrottet demonstrates to a wide Commented [JG2]: This is a clarification that although
one can change the views on a stereotype, it will never be
completely eradicated
range of Americans that China is improving the quality of their products in hopes of persuading
them to reevaluate their own manner of thinking and view of Chinese products.
In this article, Tony Perrottet tackles the American stereotype that anything made in Commented [JG3]: The beginning of paragraph originally
had a different sentence, however, the paragraph would
already focus on the ide that the sentence blatantly stated
China is of poor quality. In 2009, “… recent scandals about poisoned baby milk, contaminated
pet food and dangerous toys from China” (Economist, 2009) only gave fuel to the fire of the Commented [JG4]: this quote from a reliable source was
used to introduce and to reinforce the claim that most
Americans and the general public have the same view of
stereotype and increased distrust in Chinese made products. Although there is a reasonable
China partly because of the scandals
explanation and a defense for the errors made in China, Americans are not so quick to trust or let
go of the mistake made by the mass producer. Within the article, Perrottet makes it known that
he had reservations of the Chinese delicacies that were being served to him. For example, while
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speaking anecdotally he states, “…like many uninformed outsiders, when I was first offered a
glass of Chinese grape wine…the first sip is a surprise-crisp and bright, with subtle nectarine
flavors.” Through this, he represents a grand majority of Americans who have the preconditioned
negative response to Chinese cuisine. He also explicitly includes the words “many uninformed
outsiders” as if to clarify that he only knows what is told or expressed in the news outside of the
actual nation of China, not what truly occurs within. After trying the wine that was offered to
him, he was pleasantly surprised by the taste which is due to his expectation that the wine was
not going to live up to the quality of wine that is presented in the United States or Europe. Not
only does Perrottet express his own biased views of Chinese products but he blatantly says, “The
main hurdle is convincing consumers to give Chinese products a chance-a problem that is
particularly acute with wine.” He points out the issue that the Chinese must make an active effort
in convincing consumers to try their products, especially in the industry of wine due to its young
age in the nation and the world. Perrottet then proceeds to use the history of now family business
CEO Judy Chan to walk the reader through the process and development of the wine industry,
disproving the belief that everything in China is mass produced and has no sense of originality or
emotion in the making. The wine industry is not the only industry that Perrottet mentions; he
references the delicacy of caviar and its introduction to the country. He speaks of the Chinese
scandals with their products as an infection moving from one product to the next and states that Commented [JG5]: comparing the spread of the
stereotype (because of scandals) to an infection-moving
through any product or god coming from China
the caviar industry is not yet affected by it; however, the stereotype still spreads simply because
the delicacy is from China, even though it may not be made there and may be imported from
another country or location. The author proceeds to include a story told to him by Swiss-born
chef Florian Trento of Hong Kong’s Peninsula hotel in which he was offered Chinese caviar and
claimed to be apprehensive toward the idea. He proceeds to quote Trento saying, “Often we do
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blind tastings because Chinese products have such a bad rap.” Perrottet continues to state
through the article that the stereotype is prevalent in Americans but also in other cultures around
the world. The stereotype is so deeply rooted in the minds that businesses must use different
tactics in order to get customers to try the caviar. Tony Perrottet makes it very clear to any reader
that the issue of the stereotype that most cultures and people in the world have of Chinese
products affects businesses and the Chinese economy; however, his article also makes a very
strong attempt at dispelling the stereotype and showing that the nation of China has very
In the article, Perrottet uses the rhetorical devices of realism through anecdotes, the
history of both delicacies in the nation of China, and ethos from reliable figures in the wine
industry to confront the stereotype. Perrottet uses the beauty and grandness of China with the Commented [JG6]: outlining what the next paragraph(s)
will be about as well as explaining very briefly the form of
rhetorical devices used
“ugly” reality to prove to the reader that although the country has multiple areas which are
Commented [JG7]: Different than prior drafts, contrast in
underdeveloped, in regard to certain industries, such as wine, they guarantee the use of proper scenery was used to support claim and to show that both
sides of the story are being looked at
resources to produce a quality product. He refers to what one expects a typical vineyard to look Commented [JG8]: different from the previous draft, this
was added to clarify what aspects of the nation are being
targeted/focused on
like and says, “The balcony of the Italianate mansion overlooks lush rows of grapevines
stretching to the horizon, where low mountains hover in the haze. Picnic tables sit scattered in a
garden beneath slender trees that rustle in the dry wind.” He paints a very vivid image of the
beauty and serenity of the vineyard and China and the similarities between it and one in Europe;
however, he also uses the converse to convey the idea that although China has areas of beauty,
grand parts of the nation are still underdeveloped, and citizens are still in poor living conditions.
In using this style of presenting information, showing both the good and the bad of the nation’s
landscape and the conditions in which Chinese citizens live and work in, he effectively translates
his message and may even amplify it due to the reader having a realization that they are not only
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being sold on only the good details. It is as if they are being taught about a foreign nation and its
ways through a reality check and that may lead to an established sense of trust and a newfound
expectation.
Alongside realism, Perrottet goes on to explain the history of the wine industry in China Commented [JG9]: A new paragraph was formed
because of the beginning of a new topic, or a new aspect of
Perrottet’s writing. Separating the ideas may help the
and mention some of the recognition they have received over the years. He mentions, “In fact,
reader better keep track of the claims and the evidence.
grape wine was first grown commercially in China in 1892… It was a strong beginning: In 1915,
the winery, Changyu, won a string of gold medals at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition
in San Francisco.” In the context of history, Perrottet uses his own anecdotes and details of his
travels to properly convey his message that China is increasing the quality of their products and
attempting to stray from the well-known stereotype. The author himself wished to see a winery
in China and made the “pilgrimage” to a winery “located in a rural district an hour-and-a-half
drive northeast of Beijing.” He described the location as “a faux European village complete with
medieval church, a store where Chinese newlyweds are having their photos printed on wine
labels…” To assist the reader in properly envisioning the scenery of the winery and its whimsical
atmosphere, he compares vivid imagery of the complex to the well-known location and franchise
of a “Disney fantasy” in which one envisions happiness, sunshine, pristine locations and people,
Boyce, who has a history with the local wine industry and is a consistent advocate for the
boutique wines of Shanxi and Ningxi. Perrottet strategically uses quotes from Boyce that make
the wine from China look of poor quality, but later fixes the damage done by including another
quote in which he contradicts his opinion; Boyce first mentions President Obama being served
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Changyu wines and proceeds to compare the serving of the wine to an assassination attempt.
Conversely, he slightly retracts his statement by saying that “A few years ago, Chinese wine was
terrible. Now it’s not. But the industry is still in its infancy,” meaning that although Chinese
wine had poor quality in the past, there is room for improvement and there are signs of
improvement. He includes the history that Boyce has with Beijing in order to establish ethos and
In addition to Boyce, he uses a quote from the head of wine at Christie’s in China, Simon Commented [JG12]: Same paragraph break technique in
order to separate ideas/claims. In previous drafts all ideas
were combined into one and may have been difficult to
Tam. Tam had said that although China started late in the wine industry, they are catching up
follow
quickly in quality and improving as time goes on. Perrottet also chooses to include “The speed of
change depends largely on the Chinese economy,” and in 2014, according to the Huffington
Post, “Wine sales increased 37% over 2014, with sales in the $2.5 billion range.” Wine has made Commented [JG13]: I researched the sales of wines from
a reliable source at the time this was written in order to
support not only my claim of what I believed Perrottet was
a sizeable contribution to the Chinese economy and may lead to a greater development and
conveying but also supporting Perrottet’s claim
Tony Perrottet’s purpose for writing the article is to not only change the minds of
Americans, but the minds of people everywhere along with persuading the readers to reevaluate
their image of China and the products coming from them. He has made it clear in his article that
the stereotype regarding Chinese products is widespread not only in the United States but also in
Europe and most likely exists in other cultures and nations. He blatantly states the issue that
China constantly faces in his article, mentioning the reasons why public distrust runs deep due
to: baby formula tainted with toxic melamine, a fear of bird flu outbreak leading to the slaughter
of tens of thousands of chickens, a crime ring passing off rat and mink meat as lamb. Perrottet Commented [JG14]: Reiterating a point made earlier so
as to support his reason for writing the article. The reader
may comprehend the issue by now and see it in accordance
even goes as far as to mention the tactics restaurant owners must use in order for customers to try
with the author
the delicacies or anything imported China, “Often we do blind tastings because Chinese products
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have such a bad rap”, said by Florian Trento of Hong Kong’s Peninsula hotel. Through
anecdotes, the history of the delicacies in China, and realism, Perrottet attempts to build trust
with the reader and China without the reader realistically trying a Chinese product or visiting
themselves. Through realism and brief history lessons of boutique wineries and the introduction
of delicacies into the nation, it is as if he is walking the reader through the industry and
producer and the consumer and increase the chances a reader to not only question their view of
Chinese products, but to also look past them and purchase the product themselves and try it.
Ending the article, Perrottet includes a quote by David Shoemaker, an American-born head
sommelier at Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai, “But very soon, I think, we will be able to taste
a wine and say, ‘Ahhh, that’s a classic Shanxi.’” Perrottet shares this vision of the future with
Shoemaker and adds it to show the reader what the future can hold for the nation of China and its
products if consumers go against the stereotype that is strongly engraved in their minds and open
it to change. Giving the reader what the future could hold for the nation of China and its products
may make the reader want to lean towards that possibility and begin to read back at certain
points in Perrottet’s article which made them question their image of China and where they may
have adopted it from and possibly challenge it and begin to change it. Being a plausible future or
conversation can make one envision it in much more detail and in real time, not a hypothetical
Focusing on the future may have weighed heavily on Perrottet’s mind. This article was Commented [JG15]: In previous drafts, this paragraph
was not there, however it was added to partially give the
reader context as to who he may be addressing at this
released in 2014, a time in which most of “Generation Z”, those born 1995-2012, were at an age
specific point in time (2014)
of sufficient maturity to be aware of and understand the dynamics of the world powers, and he Commented [JG16]: Pointing out a potential audience
which may end up reading this article
may have been appealing to them in order to “invest” in the mentality of the future. The author
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realizes that both millennials, mostly middle-aged adults, and Generation Z are distinct members
in manner of thinking, “Attitudes on social issues have shifted [in Generation Z], in some cases
seismically, in the decade since millennials were teenagers.” (Williams, 2015) Perrottet creating Commented [JG17]: I explained the reasoning behind my
claim of the potential audience using a relevant piece of
information and from a reliable source.
and publishing this article in 2014 may be an attempt to target the younger audience and appeal
to their sense of malleability in the predetermined views that they were raised with and hopefully
leave a more accepting and optimistic view of China and its products within the younger
generation.
Using the rhetorical devices of ethos, realism, anecdotes, and quotes from senior figures, Commented [JG18]: Reiterating the devices used by the
auther and claims mad
Tony Perrottet attempts to get his readers to reevaluate their manner of thinking and their image
of the nation of China and the products it produces. The author tackles the stereotype in which
most Americans, Europeans, and most likely other cultures and areas around the world believe
that anything made in China is produced by the masses and is of cheap quality. In “Made in
China” Perrottet brings all elements together to properly convey his message that China is
improving in quality and as a whole which can further persuade the reader to challenge their
Bibliography
Perrottet, Tony. “Fine Wine and Caviar – Made in China?” Wall Street Journal, 3 Dec 2014,
www.wsj.com/articles/fine-wine-and-caviarmade-in-china-1417628285. Accessed 1 Feb 2018.
Radic, Randy. “China’s Wine Market Is Growing,” The Huffington Post, 4 Feb 2017,
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chinas-wine-market-is-
growing_us_58965452e4b061551b3dff72. Accessed 15 Feb 2018.
Williams, Alex. “Move Over, Millenials, Here Comes Generation Z” The New York Times, 18 Sep 2015,
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/fashion/move-over-millennials-here-comes-generation-
z.html. Accessed 17 Feb 2018.