As China enters its summer high season, sparkling wine imports are surging, bucking the downward trend in the overall wine market.
According to data released by China’s General Administration of Customs, sparkling wine imports rose in both volume and value in May, with Australian sparkling wine recording the most dramatic gains—tripling year-on-year.
China imported 859,694 litres of sparkling wine in May, worth US$ 6.79 million—an increase of 18.33% in volume and 3.44% in value compared to the same period last year. In contrast, still bottled wine (in containers under two litres) continued to struggle, with imports down 18.66% in volume and 11.94% in value, falling to 13.44 million litres and US$ 122.82 million respectively.
Among the top five sparkling wine sources, all but France saw growth. Australia stood out with a 322.48% increase in volume and a 329.79% rise in value. Notably, this sharp growth came despite May 2024 already being the second month since Australian wine regained access to the Chinese market, making this year’s performance well above expectations.
Among the top five sparkling wine sources, all but France saw growth. Australia stood out with a 322.48% increase in volume and a 329.79% rise in value.
Australia’s cool-climate regions—such as Tasmania, Adelaide Hills, and Yarra Valley—have long been known for producing high-quality sparkling wines. Yet historically, the country’s wine exports to China have been dominated by bold, fruit-forward reds. So what explains the sudden boom in sparkling wine?
According to Hong Boyong, CEO of Pran Cellar—a leading Australian wine importer and one of China’s Top 100 Wine Importers named by Vino Joy News—the growth can be attributed to new entrants and strategic investments.
“In recent years, brands like Brown Brothers have established a steady presence in China’s sparkling wine market, with import volumes rising consistently,” said Hong. “Also, Handpicked Wines’ acquisition of House of Arras, one of Australia’s most iconic traditional method sparkling producers, has enabled them to bring more premium sparkling offerings into China.”
Another importer specialising in sparkling wine noted that Brown Brothers has recently expanded aggressively across various retail channels, further fuelling growth. “Brown Brothers has a competitive edge in the lightly sparkling segment, and they’ve recently partnered with Freshippo. Large platforms like Freshippo place bulk orders, and once volume scales up, it’s immediately reflected in customs data,” the importer said.
In December 2024, Freshippo, or Hema, the Alibaba owned supermarket chain, signed a partnership agreement with the Victorian Government Trade and Investment Offices and Wine Victoria. Since then, products from Brown Brothers and Fowles Wine have launched on the retail platform.
Handpicked Wines’ parent company, DMG Fine Wine Group, acquired House of Arras from Accolade Wines in late 2023. Ahead of China’s removal of punitive tariffs on Australian wine in March 2024, DMG began recruiting distributors. The multinational group owns seven wineries across Australia and also serves as the exclusive distributor for Kweichow Moutai in Australia and New Zealand.
While the year-on-year growth for Australian sparkling wine is striking, its total value in May still accounted for just 3.83% of France’s. The relatively low base means even moderate bulk orders from a single importer can significantly distort growth figures, and the numbers should be viewed in context.
That said, Hong noted that the rise of Australian sparkling wine reflects a broader trend: growing demand for sparkling wines in China, particularly in the mid-to-premium segment.
With Champagne losing its stronghold in formal banquets and official spending, Chinese consumers are gravitating towards more value-driven sparkling wines. Prosecco, Cava, and Asti have increasingly appeared in nightclubs, while these and other sparkling wines are gaining traction on mainstream retail platforms like Sam’s Club, Freshippo, and Waima—suggesting a clear shift in consumer preference.
The spike in May imports, just ahead of the summer season, underscores rising demand and growing confidence among importers, many of whom are stocking up in anticipation of brisk sales.
Outside of Australia, other major suppliers also saw strong performance. Imports from Italy rose 19.78% in volume and 17.68% in value, Spain climbed 28.57% and 34.81% respectively, while German sparkling wine imports jumped 34.70% in volume and a staggering 111.93% in value.
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