China’s Wine Market in 2026: What the Data Show for European and International Producers

China’s wine market imports fell again by volume in the first half of 2026, but their value held steady as importers traded up and sparkling and white wines gained ground. In the first of two articles, we look at the latest data, the origins of gaining and losing share, and how demand is changing.

China’s wine imports fell to 207 million litres worth US$1.42 billion in 2025, according to customs data compiled by industry outlet Wine Business Observer (WBO). That is about 72 percent below the 2017 volume peak and around half the 2018 value peak. Demand has not disappeared, however; it has become more selective.

H1 2026: Volume down, value steady

According to China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC), China imported about 101.4 million litres of wine in the first half of 2026, down 11 percent year-on-year. Import value edged up by around 0.8 percent to approximately US$716 million, lifting the average import price by 13.3 percent to US$7.07 per liter.

Note: The total includes a small volume of wine in 2–10 litre containers. Source: GAC data compiled by WBO; Yicai; Vino Joy News

Sparkling wine was the only category to grow in both volume and value. Bulk wine, the cheapest segment, made up more than a third of import volume but only about 3 percent of import value.

Higher import prices should not be read as consumers spending more. In H1 2026, the increase came mainly from importers cutting back on the cheapest wines, while shelf prices kept falling. Alcohol prices dropped 1.9 percent in 2025, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data reported by Vino Joy News, and discounting is widespread. Ahead of this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, merchants told Vino Joy News that customers were buying better bottles for roughly the same budget, while wine was losing its place as a festive gift.

The latest figures point to stabilisation rather than recovery. Imports jumped 31 percent in value in June, but for January to August, GAC data reported by Tencent News show volume down 8.1 percent to 139.1 million litres and value down 3.6 percent in RMB terms to RMB 6.99 billion (roughly US$1 billion).

A market reset since 2019

Note: The 2023 value is estimated from the 2022 value and the reported 2023 change; figures come from different data releases and may not chain exactly. Sources: GAC data via Vino Joy News (2019), Huaon (2021), NDRC (2022), WBO (2023–2025), Huaon (2024), and Yicai (H1 2026)

Three forces explain the decline:

• First, consumption is falling: according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), China’s wine consumption dropped 13 percent in 2025 to 4.8 million hectolitres.
• Second, trade policy distorted the numbers: China’s duties on Australian wine, in place from late 2020 to March 2024, pushed Australian wine out, and their removal triggered a restocking surge in 2024 and a hangover in 2025.
• Third, the wider alcohol market is weak, with baijiu output down 12.1 percent and domestic wine output down 17.1 percent in 2025, according to NBS data. IWSR expects wine consumption volumes to keep falling by around 3 percent a year to 2029, according to Vino Joy News.

Who is winning and losing?

Source: Chinese customs data

Australia is back on top, in a smaller market

Since China lifted its duties on Australian wine in March 2024, Australia has regained the lead, with 41 percent of China’s import value in 2025 and, by our calculation, around 44 percent in H1 2026. Australia’s own figures show a cooling, however: exports to mainland China fell 15 percent to AU$756 million in the year to June 2026, which Wine Australia calls “a more mature and demand-led phase.” Treasury Wine Estates has cut Penfolds’ distributor inventory by 200,000 cases and paused some orders to rebalance its channel, while Penfolds’ consumer sales in China rose 34.7 percent.

New Zealand is riding the shift to white wine

China’s imports of New Zealand wine, 88 percent of it white and mostly Sauvignon Blanc, rose 58.5 percent in volume in 2025 and 59.9 percent in H1 2026, according to Vino Joy News. Success has brought a price war, with some Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc now on promotion for as little as RMB 39.90 (US$5.60) a bottle.

Tariffs matter, but they are not decisive

China’s imports of duty-free Chilean wine fell 30.4 percent in value in 2025 as demand for entry-level and bulk wine collapsed, while retaliatory tariffs cut imports of US wine by 40.6 percent in value. Among smaller origins, China’s imports of duty-free Georgian wine rose 16 percent in volume in 2025, helped by approachable semi-sweet styles sold through e-commerce and livestreams, according to Vino Joy News.

European origins, which pay a 14 percent duty on bottled wine, are losing volume

China’s imports of French wine fell 18.8 percent in value, and 36.1 percent in volume in 2025, and imports of bottled wine from the EU fell another 16.6 percent in volume in H1 2026, according to Vinetur. Large volumes of European wine remain unsold, the South China Morning Post reports, and French wine exports to Hong Kong (EUR 313 million in 2025, up 9.2 percent) now exceed those to the mainland (EUR 266 million, down 19.5 percent), according to FEVS. Bright spots include Italian sparkling wine, whose imports more than doubled in volume in April 2026, and German Riesling.

How demand is changing

• Occasions: China’s May 2025 ban on alcohol at official meals and weaker business entertainment have eroded the banquet and gifting occasions that drove premium red wine. “Alcohol consumption in China is migrating away from obligation and gifting and towards personal enjoyment,” said Shirley Zhu, China Research Director at IWSR.
• Styles: Growth is concentrated in sparkling wine, led by sweet, low-alcohol styles; in fresh white wines; and in lighter, more approachable reds.
• Prices: Importers say wines retailing at RMB 50–200 (US$7–28) sell best, and only one of Sam’s Club’s ten best-selling wines in China costs more than RMB 100.
• Channels: Sales are moving to membership stores, instant-delivery platforms such as Meituan, and social commerce, while trade estimates suggest the number of wine importers has fallen by between 30 percent and close to half since 2019, according to Vino Joy News.

Outlook

China’s imported wine market is smaller and more selective than a decade ago, and it rewards the right styles, price points, and channel discipline rather than volume. In Part 2, we look at tariffs, registration and labelling requirements, and what these trends mean for European producers, from established exporters to smaller origins such as Bulgaria.

How Dezan Shira & Associates can help

Dezan Shira & Associates supports foreign companies entering and expanding in China’s food and beverage market, with advice spanning market entry, import and export compliance, product registration, customs requirements, and supply chain structuring.

For wine producers and distributors, our teams can help assess regulatory requirements, navigate China’s import procedures, and structure operations to support compliant market access. Contact our local team for further information.