As one of China’s most exciting emerging professions, the sommelier role was officially recognized in 2022 when it was added to the Chinese Occupational Classification Encyclopedia. Despite the challenges of the pandemic and a struggling post-Covid economy, which forced some to leave the industry, a new wave of passionate sommeliers continues to rise, reshaping the country’s wine scene.
In this story, we spotlight 10 standout sommeliers making their mark in China. From international award-winners to fresh talents, with special attention to young and female professionals. These sommeliers are shaping the future of wine in China and are definitely worth watching.
The ten sommeliers are ranked in alphabetical order. Click through the pages to explore their career trajectories and read our interviews.
Arneis Wu
Named after the delicate and floral Italian white grape Arneis, Wu’s passion with wine can be traced back to his college age, when he was studying Vin and Wine Engineering at Shandong Agricultural University in Northern China, one of the 19 universities in China providing a degree in wine.
Currently serving as the wine director of Sheng Yong Xing and Ting Group in Shanghai, Wu was previously the head sommelier of the now-closed Joel Robuchon China Group in the same city.
His career in wine, particularly as a sommelier, has been transformative, boosting his confidence in self-expression. “I was kind of introverted before,” Wu said, “I remember my voice was shaking when giving my graduation speech.”
“Treating different new customers everyday helped me a lot in personal growth,” Wu said.
The year 2017 was a turning point for Wu.. He became an Advanced Sommelier of the Court of Master Sommelier and won the championship of the 9th China National Sommelier Competition. The same year, he was awarded the Best Sommelier by Wine Australia. The following year, the wine list of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Shanghai, a Michelin 2-star restaurant Wu worked for, won China’s Wine List of the Year (mainland China), and Wu was recognized as China’s Outstanding Sommelier of the Year (mainland China).
Reflecting on the challenges facing fine dining restaurants, Wu notes that while more affordable eateries have attracted more traffic after Covid-19, fine dining has struggled during the economic slowdown. To cope with the new economic condition, Wu decided to give up some profits by lowering the price, especially for expensive wines.
“You cannot change the environment, but only yourself,” Wu concluded.
Champagne plays an important role in Wu’s work and personal life. When Wu was dating his current wife, she agreed to enter a relationship with him after finishing 12 bottles of champagne – it ultimately took 18 bottles to seal the deal.
Christian Zhang
Christian Zhang started his sommelier career in 2012 and has since established himself as an accomplished sommelier winning numerous awards. Zhang was crowned the champion of the 2015 China National Sommelier Competition and the 2016 China’s Best Sommelier Competition of French Wine.
Before taking on his current position as a consultant and wine educator in Shanghai, he worked for years as the chief sommelier at the now-closed Yacht Club On the Bund. Currently, Zhang provides wine selection and training consultancy for several restaurants. He is also a lecturer of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WEST) program.
Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic, Zhang sees it as a “catalyst” that has transformed the wine industry. “The economy, once soaring, has gradually slowed down, much like the bursting of a bubble. We must go through a period of adjustment, returning to a more rational perspective. Wine should be viewed as a flavorful beverage with alcohol, rather than something overly embellished with various attributes. I believe this is the direction we should take, similar to how tea fits into our daily lives.”
As a wine educator, Zhang aims to make wine more accessible to Chinese customers by breaking down the cultural biases associated with wine. The perceived prestige of wine linked to Western culture, in his opinion, can be a barrier to new wine enthusiasts in China.
“For the average consumer, wine feels distant and foreign. It lacks a place in our cultural context, and many concepts, such as tannins or body, can be confusing without a background in overseas study,” he explains.
Zhang also points out that certain so-called wine culture classes and etiquette lessons—focusing on the right glasses or decanting techniques—can deepen this divide, making wine more esoteric and distant.
“We need more professionals in the industry to clearly and thoroughly communicate the essence of wine, rather than using flashy, irrelevant jargon,” he stresses.
Della Tang
At age 30, Della Tang was appointed as the wine director of Hong Kong’s newly opened private membership wine club, Club Batard. Prior to this, Tang was the wine director of the Savor Group in Shenzhen, where she was responsible for the wine list of four restaurants, including Ensue led by chef Christopher Kostow.
In 2019, Tang returned to Shenzhen and joined Savor Group after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Only one year after she joined, Ensue under the Savor Group won the title of China’s Wine List of the Year (mainland China), and Tang was awarded the Outstanding Sommelier of the Year.
In 2023, Tang took home Beronia Asia’s Best Sommelier Award and Ensue was recognized the Best Sparkling Wine List by Star Wine List.
Born and raised in the dynamic young city of Shenzhen, Tang has a worldwide education profile. While studying for a degree in psychology in Los Angeles, Tang developped her interest in dining. After completing her degree, Tang travelled to France to study wine in Le Cordon Bleu. In Paris, Tang gained hands-on experience of wine service during internship in Yam’Tcha and Le Taillevent, two Michelin-starred restaurants.
Felix Zhang
Born in December 1992, 32-year-old Felix Zhang has spent nine years building a career as a sommelier since graduating from Shandong Agricultural University with a degree in Viticulture and Wine Engineering.
His career began at Hakkasan Shanghai, where he joined in 2015 and quickly rose to the position of head sommelier in 2018. Currently, Zhang serves as the head sommelier of Vivant Shanghai, a fine-dining French restaurant.
Felix is actively involved in sommelier competitions, both as a candidate and a judge. In 2018, Zhang won the championship of the China National Sommelier Competition. In 2019, Zhang was a judge of the China Wine Competition. In 2023, his wine list was recognized as the Best Medium Sized Wine List in Asia by Star Wine List.
The pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to China’s dining industry, but he stressed the importance of personal growth in challenging times. “During tough times, I’ve come to realise the significance of enhancing my skills and knowledge to strengthen my core competitiveness,” he shares. He emphasizes the need to collaborate with restaurants to improve service, attract more patrons, and boost revenue.
Zhang is heartened to see growing enthusiasm for wine among customers in recent years.
“It is important for a sommelier to make customers accept and enjoy wines through your communication,” Zhang said, “and to deliver accurate knowledge and information to the customers and foster their consumption habits for wine. I believe things will be better.”
James Teng
James Teng is the head sommelier at Middle House Shanghai,located in the bustling Jing’an district.The hotel, part of Swire Hotels, offers guests elegant atmosphere and delicate dining experiences.
Graduated with a degree in landscape and urbanism, Teng’s sommelier career started in the Hakkasan Group in London before eventually relocating to Shanghai. By the time he moved to the Middle House in 2019, Teng was head of wine for Asia at the Hakkasan Group.
In 2023, the wine list Teng curated for Frasca, a restaurant of the Middle House, won China’s Wine List of the Year Awards (mainland China), and he was honoured with the Outstanding Sommelier Awards (mainland China). This recognition was not new to Teng; in 2016, his wine list for Hakkasan won China’s Wine List of the Year, and Teng was recognized as the outstanding sommelier of the year for mainland China.
Li Xiaolong
Early in September, Li Xiaolong took the crown of the 2024 China’s Best Sommelier Competition of French Wine. By the end of 2023, Li was recognized by the 2024 Michelin Guide Beijing as the Michelin Sommelier Award winner.
In June 2024, he founded his own sommelier studio XIAOLI Wine & Service (晓礼·侍酒工作室) in Beijing, providing sommelier services to restaurants and banquets, as well as offering wine training and consultancy services.
This endeavour emerged at a challenging time when the wine industry was still grappling with the lingering effects of the pandemic and subdued consumer sentiment. Speaking of the challenges, he said: “I strive to maintain personal growth. I often engage with industry veterans and peers to stay informed about the latest market dynamics, including consumer purchasing power and preferences. By gathering this information, I can make informed judgments”
Prior to starting his own studio, Li was the sommelier director of DrinkArts Studio founded by Li Meiyu, China’s first female advanced sommelier. Inspired by his wife who worked for the wine industry, Li’s journey as a sommelier started in 2019, when he returned to China after obtaining a postgraduate degree in hospitality management from the University of Houston and earning some experience in the hospitality business.
For Li, time management is the key to balance personal development with late-night working schedule. “I need to utilise my fragmented time and day-offs to learn wine knowledge,” Li said. He always keeps himself in tone with the latest local and international market trends, both from the customer side and the vineyards.
Li has observed that restaurants are becoming more conservative in their decisions regarding the scale and pricing of wine lists, as well as inventory management, largely due to the current economic climate.
As a consultant, he believes that maintaining open communication with restaurants is essential. He noted, “Restaurants are tending to be more cautious about the size of their wine lists and inventory, which is influenced by the economic environment. As a consultant, it’s vital to understand their concerns while fostering positive discussions to develop strategies that minimize inventory pressure while still introducing exciting new wines to customers.”
Sol Yang
Sol Yang is the owner of Les Cinq Wutian Cellar (Les Cinq 伍田酒窖), a wine retailer in Shenzhen. Cooperated with another sommelier, Yang also co-founded Wine Universe by Little Somm, where he worked as the sommelier before starting his retail business. Wine Universe is a trendy bar brand with branches in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
In recent years, Yang kept honing his skills – and his effort got rewarded by better competition results. In 2021, Yang won the championship in China’s Best Sommelier Competition of French Wine, a remarkable achievement following his third place finish the previous year. He also took home the third prize in the 2019 China’s Best Sommelier Competition of German Wine.
Facing economic slowdown challenges, Yang believes that the key is enhancing customer service through personal and thoughtful communication. .
“We need to handle the requests of customers better,” Yang said, “and at the same time, provide more emotional values.”
Stephen Yang
Entering Hō Wine Bar & Eatery in Chengdu, a southwestern city of China, the wine list will greet you with a psychological test: you will choose your preference based on your five senses, and Stephen Yang, the director and sommelier, will find the right wine for you. Yang designed the test to help customers with different levels of familiarity with wine to explore the one for them in the Sichuan bistro, providing local cuisine featuring spicy and numbing flavours.
Yang nicely demonstrates his expertise in Champagne. In 2022, Hō Wine Bar & Eatery won five awards in the China Best Champagne List, and Yang was crowned the best Champagne sommelier.
His passion for wine is palpable, and he believes in the power of resilience, especially in challenging times. “Strong individuals never complain about their circumstances,” he asserts, reflecting on the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn. “While consumer desires and spending power may have diminished, many establishments continue to thrive. By maintaining an optimistic mindset and creating fresh styles and methods, we can draw guests in and offer them a drinking experience that’s distinct from enjoying wine at home.”
To bring this vision to life, Yang developed the “Five Senses Wine Selection System”, an engaging method that analyzes customers’ visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory preferences to help them choose the right wine. “Using these innovative ideas, we aim to attract more patrons to enjoy wine in our space,” he explains.
Yang’s fascination with wine began in 2009 during his college years, when he was studying broadcasting and hosting. At that time, the role of a sommelier was still relatively unknown in China, but young Yang found it to be “cool, hip, and new.”
Prior to founding Hō Wine Bar & Eatery, Yang honed his skills as a sommelier at several restaurants and bars in Chengdu, including The Bridge, Sarment and Mumashan La Cadiere Clubhouse.
Walter Liu
Working as the head sommelier of Kiina, a restaurant launched in Shanghai during the COVID days in 2021, Walter Liu was crowned the champion of the 2022 China National Sommelier Competition, one year after joining the new restaurant. Liu competed in the competition several times before finally winning the championship. He finished third place in 2021 and was a finalist in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
Liu learned about wine during his internship in Shanghai Shangri-La. Prior to joining Kiina, Liu was a sommelier in Wine Universe by Little Somms and the Hakkasan Group in Shanghai.
Windy Zhang
In 2020, Windy Zhang made her mark as the only female finalist in the China’s Best Sommelier Competition of French Wine. Beating everyone’s expectation, she ultimately claimed the championship title.
Born in Sichuan, a southwestern province famous for spicy cuisine, Zhang is sommelier of Ritz-Carlton hotel in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan. Her wine career began in 2015, when she learned about wine during her internship. The same year, she joined Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Throughout her career, she has drawn inspiration from pioneering female sommeliers like Liu Feifei and Cassie Hu, who mentored her in both professional skills and customer relations, helping her cultivate a strong team-oriented mindset.
“Wine is a medium that constantly encourages me to learn and brings new experiences,” Zhang reflects. “It pushes me to explore further, whether it’s visiting vineyards or deepening my knowledge about related topics like cheese, tea, cocktails, and dining.”
When it comes to pairing wine with the fiery and complex flavors of Sichuan cuisine, Zhang notes, “Given the bold tastes of our local dishes—sweet and sour, spicy—most diners tend to prefer fuller-bodied wines with a touch of residual sugar. For whites, a slightly sweet Riesling works well, while for reds, juicy Malbecs are very popular. Interestingly, data shows that wine enthusiasts still lean towards white wines.”
Zhang also acknowledges the challenges the industry faces in the wake of the pandemic. “Price is a critical concern for consumers,” she explains. “We must focus on offering diverse and interesting selections while ensuring our pricing is accessible. Transparency in pricing and avoiding product uniformity are significant challenges we need to address, along with placing more emphasis on boutique and lesser-known regions.”