As United States winemakers continue to seek a share of the vast Chinese market, Chinese baijiu producers are themselves looking across the Pacific.

Baijiu, a distilled spirit made from sorghum that can be 80 to 120 proof, is the most popular liquor in China.

Sales in China reached 11 billion liters in 2012, accounting for more than one-third of all spirits consumed in the world, according to International Wine and Spirit Research.