Is Lafite’s First Chinese White Wine on the Way?

DBR Lafite Group has imported 20,000 grapevine cuttings from France to its Chinese winery in Shandong, including three white wine varietals, marking a strategic push into the country’s growing white wine market.

The vines, which include Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Viognier among eight total varieties, were delivered to Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport and cleared customs before being transported to the group’s Domaine de Long Dai in Penglai, according to local media outlet Guanhai News, affiliated with the official Shandong Daily. 

The move signals the first expansion beyond red wines for Lafite’s China estate, which currently releases only two labels — Long Dai and Hu Yue, both dry reds.

“Penglai has an unparalleled geographic advantage, but quality wine also depends on the right grape varieties,” said Song Jianru from Long Dai. “These new vines will diversify our plantings and help improve both the quality and volume of our wines.”

The investment comes as white wine consumption in China continues to rise, driven by younger and female consumers who favour its crisp, fresh profile over the fuller-bodied reds traditionally consumed in business settings. The broader growth in casual wine consumption has accelerated this trend in recent years.

Till now, Long Dai has not yet publicly released a white wine, even though LVMH’s Ao Yun in Yunnan has released a Chardonnay. 

Lafite has been expanding its white wine offerings globally. In 2024 n recent years, the group has acquired Chablis producer William Fèvre, and it has also released a white label under Château Duhart-Milon, and plans to debut a new white wine from Château Rieussec in Bordeaux’s Entre-Deux-Mers later this year.

In an interview with Vino Joy News earlier this year, DBR Lafite’s international commercial director Antoine Granger said China’s white wine market is evolving rapidly.

“Globally, white wine demand is increasing significantly,” he said. “China started later, but it’s catching up fast. Our sales data shows that consumer interest and purchasing power for white wine in China are rising steadily.”

China’s white wine imports have reflected this shift. From January to April, imports from New Zealand — largely Sauvignon Blanc — rose 52.8% in volume and 39.5% in value year-on-year. German white wines, especially Riesling, also gained traction, becoming top-sellers at retailers such as Sam’s Club and Aldi.

Domestic producers are responding to the trend. At the China Food and Drinks Fair in March, a representative from Shandong’s Longting Winery told Vino Joy News that about one-third of trade buyers were focused solely on white wines. 

Chateau Nine Peaks in Shandong also revealed to us that it is using red grapes to produce white wine due to surging demand and limited amount of white grape varietals. In some regions such as Ningxia, prices for white grapes have already surpassed those of traditional red varieties.