Inside the Nanjing International Expo Center, the buzz was unmistakable. At one wine booth, visitors clustered shoulder to shoulder, and by mid-afternoon the sales manager’s voice had nearly given out — a scene rarely seen in recent years at the Autumn edition of the China Food and Drinks Fair (CFDF), which had grown accustomed to empty aisles and muted chatter.
Although this year’s 113th National CFDF was shorter and smaller in scale, it drew an unexpectedly large crowd. The turnout lifted the spirits of some exhibitors but left others wondering whether the sudden surge of activity signalled a genuine rebound — or merely a brief flicker of optimism in a sluggish market.
Held in Nanjing this autumn, the fair — known locally as Qiutanghui — is the smaller counterpart to the larger Spring edition in Chengdu. Traditionally, the autumn event rotates among different host cities, and in recent years, its relevance has waned. The last two editions in Shenzhen were notably quiet, with few major exhibitors and thin foot traffic, prompting the trade to lower expectations for 2025.
That cautious sentiment was reflected in scaled-down preparations. Beyond the main show organised by the China National Sugar & Alcohol Group (CNSAG), many companies typically host parallel “hotel fairs” before the official opening. In past years, wine-focused hotel fairs ran for four to five days. This year, however, the exhibitions at the InterContinental Nanjing and Kempinski Hotel lasted just two days, from October 14 to 15.
“The effective business time was really short,” said Zhang Haixiao, co-founder of Vin Maison, in an interview with Vino Joy News. “The hotel shows lasted only about a day and a half, and even the main fair — though scheduled for three days — really peaks on the first day. After that, the visitor flow drops quickly. In total, we’re talking about maybe two and a half to three days of meaningful business.”
Vin Maison’s parent company, Nine Coast Network Technology Co., is one of China’s leading importers and bottlers of bulk wine. Zhang said the company chose to exhibit only at the main fair this year, skipping the hotel events altogether.
The wine pavilion itself also shrank in size, with fewer well-known names on display. Fan Jingrui, East China Sales Manager for Castel Group, noted: “The Kempinski fair had only one hall, about the scale of a roadshow, while the InterContinental’s was slightly bigger. But overall, there were definitely fewer big brands this year.” Castel skipped the show as well, with Fan attending primarily “to observe the market and see what’s changing.”
Yu Hongjie, founder of Sparkling World, one of China’s largest sparkling wine importers, said this was the smallest autumn fair he’d ever seen. “Both the main venue and the hotel fairs were very compact. Even combined, they were smaller than one full hall in past years. There were very few national pavilions, and most booths were small.”
A Surprising Return of Foot Traffic
Despite the smaller scale, nearly all exhibitors interviewed agreed on one thing — this year’s fair felt busier than anyone expected.
“I’ve been talking non-stop since morning; my voice is gone,” said the China Sales Director for Bel Eden, a Chinese-owned French wine group that operates Médoc Cru Bourgeois estates Château Bayat and Château Lafue. “The market is tough and there aren’t many brands here, but the visitors who came had a clear purpose. That actually helped — there’s less noise, so brands like ours stood out.”
Li Wei, chairman of Auswan Creek Winery, another Chinese-owned Australian producer, echoed that view. “Traffic was stronger than we expected, and we met a lot of serious buyers. Many came specifically looking for brands and products,” he said. “The spring fair has become more of a social event — people go to be seen — but the autumn fair attracts those with real purchasing needs.”
Interestingly, Li noted a role reversal this year. “The wine section was lively, while the baijiu area was quiet. I think people are looking for new opportunities in wine. Margins in baijiu have collapsed with prices falling below cost, but in wine, profits are still reasonable.”
Geography also played a role. Lei Yumeng, general manager of Zhejiang Xuanyi International Trade Co., said Nanjing’s location in the prosperous Yangtze River Delta helped attract better buyers. “Nanjing sits at the centre of an economically strong region with many major players. I saw procurement teams from Hema, JD.com, and Meituan. The visitor quality was noticeably higher.”
In contrast, he said, Shenzhen’s proximity to Hong Kong’s duty-free zone means local distributors there have better access to imports and are less dependent on the fair.
Still, some remained sceptical. Yu from Sparkling World observed that the smaller exhibition space made the fair appear more crowded. “I also heard some of the groups were local government procurement delegations,” he added. Fan from Castel agreed: “It looked lively, but it doesn’t necessarily mean people were buying. Market confidence is still low.”
Zhang from Vin Maison was more blunt: “This year’s buzz feels like a last spark before burnout. Traditional offline trade fairs are losing effectiveness. Some exhibitors spent heavily on booths only to livestream from inside them — one even hired Hong Kong actor Ray Lui for a live broadcast that drew big traffic. Others nearby watched, envious but confused. The old model just doesn’t work anymore, yet many still treat it like a lifeline.”
Fruit Wines and OEMs Take Centre Stage
The CFDF fair has long been an industry barometer — what’s trending on the show floor often reflects what’s moving in the market. This year, fruit-based wines and OEM (private-label) production services emerged as key themes.
“The biggest change this year is the explosion of fruit and tea-based wines,” said Fan from Castel. “In past fairs you’d see one or two exhibitors. This year I saw four or five just in the main hall.”
He attributed the shift to declining demand for business and gifting wines, while personal consumption remains resilient. “Younger consumers want attractive packaging, lower alcohol, and easy-drinking styles. Fruit and tea wines fit that perfectly.”
Yu from Sparkling World also noticed a sharp rise in exhibitors offering low-alcohol sweet wines. “It’s a good direction,” he said, “but we should be cautious about overcrowding. The market can only absorb so much.”
Fan added that the rise of OEM services reflects the growing influence of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer models. “Platforms need products that can be launched fast and adapted quickly — something traditional brand owners aren’t built for.”
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