The surge in white wine consumption in China has not only benefited traditional white wine-producing countries such as New Zealand and Germany but has also prompted some brands long associated with red wine to pivot.
The latest to join the trend is Knock Knock (奥兰小红帽), one of China’s most recognized “internet-famous” wine brands. Known for its affordable reds, the brand has just launched a white wine, which officially hit the market in September.
The new product, Knock Knock ONE Sauvignon Blanc, is made from 40-year-old vines in Spain’s Jumilla region. Priced at RMB 114 (US$15.98) on the brand’s Tmall flagship store, it sits well above the price point of its best-known Knock Knock red wines in China.
Since entering the Chinese market in 2012, Knock Knock gained rapid popularity with its inexpensive red wines. With a simple, memorable name and highly recognizable label design, the brand was able to appeal directly to young, mass-market drinkers, especially through e-commerce. From online, it quickly penetrated offline supermarkets and liquor stores, even reaching county-level markets. In recent years, the brand has also expanded into instant retail platforms such as Meituan and Ele.me. The red wine has been sold at some outlets for under RMB 30 (US$4.21) a bottle.
Public data shows that in 2021, sales for Oria China (the brand’s parent company) reached RMB 460 million (US$64.48 million), with Knock Knock selling 7 million bottles — at one point driving a significant boost in Spain’s wine exports to China.
The new white wine signals a shift upmarket. According to Wang Yutian, head of marketing and O2O instant retail at Orlando Wines China, the Sauvignon Blanc is part of the brand’s “3.0 Strategy,” which focuses on delivering “premium value-for-money.” The wine is still aimed at young consumers but emphasizes “distinct fruit aromas and a refreshing palate.”
“This Sauvignon Blanc comes from Jumilla’s high-altitude vineyards at 800 meters, grown using a high-density planting model inspired by Burgundy Premier Crus. Each vine produces only 200–250 grams to ensure flavor concentration,” said Wang when interviewed by Vino Joy News.
We’ve also introduced an AI winemaker system that optimizes fermentation in real time through machine learning. At a RMB 100 price point, we aim to achieve the quality of a RMB 1,000 wine. Our goal is to make wine an everyday, approachable drink for young people and break down the barriers of traditional wine culture,” he added.
Despite the higher pricing, Knock Knock ONE is distributed much like its red predecessor: available on JD.com, Tmall, and Douyin online; sold through liquor chains and major supermarkets offline; and deeply integrated into instant retail platforms such as Meituan and Ele.me. According to Wang, it is now available at more than 100,000 retail endpoints across China.
TURNING WHITE
Knock Knock is the latest brand to “turn white” in China. White wines have become increasingly popular among younger consumers, encouraging more producers to move into the space.
At the start of the year, DBR Lafite’s international business director, Antoine Granger, told Vino Joy News in Shanghai that the group’s key promotional focus in China was white wines. At the China Food and Drinks Fair spring edition in Chengdu, DBR Lafite hosted a masterclass dedicated to white wine. In June, the company’s Long Dai estate imported 20,000 French grapevines, including several white varieties, signaling expansion plans.
Chinese producers are also joining in. Leading domestic winery Changyu launched a dry white series this year called “Long Tail Cat” at the CFDF, aiming to create the first stand-alone dry white brand dedicated to young consumers and targeting sales of more than RMB 1 billion ($138 million).
Knock Knock’s Sauvignon Blanc now joins the race, with ambitions to carve out a leading role in this fast-growing category. Wang Yutian said the company intends to make Knock Knock ONE a benchmark product in China’s white wine sector, leading consumer trends and becoming the go-to choice for young people’s social and casual drinking occasions.
“Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are plentiful on the market and stylistically similar. Our Sauvignon Blanc leans toward an Old World profile to create differentiation,” Wang said. He added that Orlando Wines China will build recognition for the product through “scenario-based marketing” and “blind tasting comparison campaigns.”
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