China’s Biggest Wine Influencer Stirs Controversy with New Wine Launch

China’s biggest wine influencer Wang Shenghan, better known as Lady Penguin, has again shook-up China’s wine industry last month with the launch of her long-anticipated wine brand Guanghanji (广寒记) or Moon Palace in English.

Touted as her “all-in” passion project to transform perceptions of Chinese wine after losing RMB 56 million (US$7.6 million), the launch instead has turned her boldest gamble into one of the most divisive wine debuts.

From emotional marketing tactics to high price points (RMB 268–1,088; US$36.71–149.05) and allegations of rushed production, the debut has drawn both fervent support and sharp criticism.

Wang began preparing for Moon Palace in October 2023, regularly updating followers on its progress through her WeChat account. Described as a deeply personal endeavor, the project aimed to challenge longstanding biases against Chinese wines.

“I wanted to prove that domestic wines can stand alongside the world’s best,” Wang said in earlier posts. She shared how she turned down opportunities to invest in foreign wineries, instead channeling all her resources into crafting Moon Palace.

Emotional Marketing: A Double-Edged Sword

Wang’s promotional campaign relied heavily on her personal narrative. In a December 28 article titled “After RMB 56 Million in Debt, My Comeback with Guanghanji” she revealed the financial struggles behind the project. A promotional video, A Late Love Letter, focused on her emotional journey in the wine industry—her passion for wine, her entrepreneurial drive, and the sacrifices she made, and the RMB 56 million in debt she has incurred in the past few years.

The campaign resonated with some fans, but it also drew backlash. Without naming Wang, fellow wine influencer Jayson accused her of over-dramatizing her story, writing in his post, “Your struggles are for yourself. If this is about making money, enduring hardship is part of the deal.”

Zhang Haixiao, founder of wine supply chain company Vin Maison, was also skeptical. “The claim of losing RMB 56 million feels exaggerated. Constantly appealing to emotion doesn’t earn respect,” he said.

Even some fans expressed fatigue. A commenter on China’s popular social media platform Xiaohongshu wrote, “At first, I felt connected to her story, but now the repeated emotional narratives are exhausting.” Another questioned, “What does this storytelling have to do with the wine’s quality?”

Not For the Masses

Despite the backlash, insiders believe Wang’s strategy was laser-focused on her loyal fan base. “Her fans are her first customers,” said Xiaopi, a leading wine influencer, educator and e-commerce operator. “They’ll buy her wines to support her, even if they aren’t wine connoisseurs.”

Yuan Xu, founder of Miss Yuan’s Sweet Wine Shop and one of China’s Top 50 Wine Importers, echoed this sentiment. “This kind of marketing works when you have a strong fan base. Loyal followers are the ones driving sales,” she said.

Too Expensive?

The initial four wines launched are made using grapes sourced from Ningxia’s renowned Helan Mountain vineyards though she did not disclose exact locations. The winemaker behind the label is Chinese winemaking consultant Deng Zhongxiang. Bottled in slender Riesling bottles, each of the wines come in unconventional 660ml bottles, instead of standard 750ml bottles:

• Bright Moon Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend): RMB 268 ($36.71)
• Purple Moon Red Wine (Marselan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot blend): RMB 268 ($36.71)
• Full Moon Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan blend): RMB 498 ($68.21)
• Bitten Moon Red Wine (Cabernet Franc): RMB 1,088 ($149.05)

While the pricing is in line with premium domestic wines, some lamented it’s too expensive. In the comment section of the Lady Penguin’s launch article, a user with the screen name “Dancing Sunlight~” wrote: “I truly admire your effort to create a wine brand for Chinese people, and I really want to support you. However, when I saw the pricing, it exceeded what I would normally spend on an everyday wine, so I decided not to make a purchase.”

One commenter asked: “Who is the target audience for this price range? In today’s economy, where consumption is declining, wine is one of the first expenses people cut. For business settings or social gatherings, there are many better-known options at this price point.”

Another user, 福禄flow, dismissed the marketing approach as overly idealistic: “With consumption declining, people are unlikely to pay for someone else’s dreams.”

Even the brand’s Chinese name, Guanghan (meaning “cold palace”), drew criticism. “In these challenging times, the name feels inauspicious. Words carry meaning, and a brand should convey positivity. I wouldn’t drink or gift a wine with such a name,” a commenter noted.

On Xiaohongshu, one commentator, PING CHANG YOU, questioned the entry-level price of RMB 268, writing: “This pricing is already above mid-tier supermarket wines. Isn’t the goal of a self-made brand to lower the entry barrier while improving quality?”

The post, which received 321 likes and 629 comments, further elaborated: “For RMB 268, imported wines often come from Bordeaux fourth or fifth growth estates. It’s hard to understand how a seasoned wine professional would set such prices, especially for wines at RMB 498 or 1,088.”

Sales Report

Within six days of its launch, the brand sold 67 bottles on Tmall, earning the 16th spot on the platform’s RMB 100–300 wine best-sellers list.

On Douyin, 236 bottles were sold, while her WeChat wine club proved to be the strongest sales channel, with 1,596 bottles purchased. Altogether, nearly 1,900 bottles were sold through retail channels in six days though far from her peak sales performance during Singles Day promotions. In 2019, it took her only 98 minutes to reach RMB 10 million (US$ 1.37 million) in sales revenue on Singles Day.

Rushed Launch?

As customers began receiving their Moon Palace orders, fresh concerns surfaced, casting doubt on the brand’s claims of meticulous craftsmanship and being an “all-in effort.”

On January 2, 2025, PING CHANG YOU wrote in Xiaohongshu and shared a critical post about the wines, describing the experience as “a major letdown.” One issue revolved around a card included with the wines, which warned of a three-month bottle shock period, affecting the wine’s taste.

“Why sell the wine before the bottle shock period has passed?” the post questioned, pointing to what many saw as a rushed release. The post also pointed out two glaring typos on the card. One typo used the word “received” (收到) instead of the correct term “affected” (受到). Another error claimed the wine had been bottled in “early December 2023,” which directly contradicted the product’s marketing materials stating December 2024.

Packaging Shortcomings Raise Questions About Quality Control

Customer complaints extended to the packaging, with reports of glue residue on bottlenecks, peeling labels, and bottles wrapped in basic plastic film. On Douyin, one buyer who works in the packaging industry criticized the poor standards, stating: “The factory or subcontractor clearly lacks proper equipment and quality control. For a food product, this is unacceptable.”

These production and packaging issues left many consumers disappointed. One commenter voiced their frustration: “I wanted to support Lady Penguin’s entrepreneurial spirit, but this feels like a careless cash grab. Did you even take product development seriously, or were you just focused on making promotional videos?”

A Hasty Launch Amid High Expectations

PING CHANG YOU speculated that its release may have been rushed due to financial or other pressures, resulting in incomplete preparations. Responding to Wang Shenghan’s claim of “going all-in” to create a premium domestic wine, the post expressed scepticism: “This is your all-in effort to save yourself? It doesn’t live up to the promise.”The growing frustration among buyers was perhaps best captured by a comment from a Xiaohongshu user on one of Wang’s posts: “At this rate, she’s probably going to lose even more money.”