White Wine Booms in China as Summer Heat Fuels a Refreshing Shift in Tastes

White wine is gaining popularity in China this summer, despite an overall contraction in wine consumption in a country that has traditionally been dominated by red wine.

Research jointly published by Vinexpo and International Wine & Spirits Research (IWSR) reveals that in 2016, red wine accounted for 88.8% of wine consumption in China, while white wine only made up 10.6%. Recently, however, this pattern has changed, with a rising trend in white wine consumption.

Official data indicates that more white wines were imported to China during the summer (from June to August) compared to the previous year, while imports of red wine decreased. According to the General Administration of Customs, China’s national customs authority, the volume of bottled wine imports from New Zealand and Germany — two countries that primarily export white wine to China — increased by 30.54% and 24.75%, respectively, on a year-on-year basis.

Imports from countries that predominantly export red wine to China, on the other hand, decreased on a year-on-year basis. Bottled wines imported from Spain declined by 24.22% this year, while imports from France and Italy fell by 25.19% and 21.34%, respectively.

Increased imports of white wines have translated into higher sales in China’s market. Sales of white wine at Wanguo Jiulian (Beijing) International Wine Limited (万国酒联（北京）国际酒业股份有限公司), an imported wine distributor in Beijing, increased by at least 30% this year, with a substantial rise in German Riesling and Argentinian Torrontés, according to Song Ji, the chairman of the company, who spoke to local media outlet China Food Newspaper. 

Guo Rong, the person in charge of Chengdu Huanyin Import and Export Trade Limited (成都欢饮进出口贸易有限公司), an international wine trader in the Southwestern city of Chengdu, also revealed that white wine sales increased by 10% to 20% this year due to the hot weather.

The growing preference for white wine comes mainly from the younger generation. Instead of the traditional Chinese wine consumption scenario of gifting and business dinners, young people are more likely to choose white wine for relaxation, such as solo drinking and gatherings with friends. The refreshing fruity scents of white wine, therefore, meet the demand for casual consumption.

Since the anti-corruption campaign over the past decade, gifting and banquets have seen a notable decline in China. Therefore, trends in personal consumption, which have emerged as a main focus, are particularly noteworthy for businesses. 

However, the emergence of personal consumption of white wine among young people is confined to seasoned wine drinkers, who make up only a small proportion of Chinese youth. According to a survey conducted by China’s official drinks trade body earlier this year, a quarter of Chinese university students never drink wine. Only 3% of the 8,116 students involved in the survey identify as frequent wine drinkers, while more than 70% drink wine “rarely or occasionally”.