As the Lunar New Year approaches, the Chinese zodiac once again takes centre stage—reshaping how time, hope and renewal are imagined. This year, it is the Horse that leads the way, a symbol of speed, strength and forward motion.
Across China’s festive landscape, galloping horses are appearing everywhere: on red paper cuttings, lanterns and gift boxes, carrying with them expectations of momentum and progress. In the world of wine, that symbolism is being reinterpreted in strikingly different ways. From limited-edition labels to themed dining experiences, producers are using the zodiac not just as decoration, but as a way to connect wine more deeply with the rhythms and rituals of the holiday.
Scroll through the pages below to read them all.
Penfolds
At the eighth China International Import Expo, Penfolds unveiled its Year of the Horse limited edition wine—the Penfolds Bin 389 Limited Release Lunar New Year Horse Edition—in a global debut.
As with previous zodiac releases, the wine is based on Bin 389 in a 750ml format, with an official retail price of RMB 718 per bottle. The front label draws on Eastern cultural references, using traditional Chinese paper-cutting art to depict a galloping horse. Penfolds’ signature red dominates the background, while gold detailing across the horse’s body lends the image a sense of energy and strength.
Beyond the Bin 389 Horse Year edition, Penfolds has also released a limited-edition Horse Year gift box, bringing together a selection of mid- to high-end wines—including Grange, FWT 585, Bin 389, Bin 707 and St Henri—to offer a range of gifting options across different price tiers.
To amplify the zodiac release and capitalise on China’s peak wine consumption season, Treasury Wine Estates has rolled out a series of on-the-ground marketing initiatives. These include a Lunar New Year pop-up titled “Chinese New Year · Gallop with Penfolds,” created in partnership with premium supermarket Ole’ at MixC Shenzhen Bay, and featuring brand ambassador Tong Liya.
Auswan Creek
For Auswan Creek, zodiac wines have become a cornerstone of its annual marketing strategy. Led by Chinese-Australian entrepreneur Li Wei, the winery places strong emphasis on localisation in its China operations. With Lunar New Year remaining the country’s most important gifting occasion, Auswan Creek has developed zodiac wines tailored specifically to this context.
Its Year of the Horse release is titled “Ma Shang Fa Cai” (The Fortune Horse), a play on words that uses the homophonic association of “horse” to convey wishes of immediate prosperity. The message is direct and unmistakable, with a strong emphasis on wealth and success, clearly positioning the wine for business gifting.
The front of the gift box features a golden horse carrying a large gold ingot, offering a bold and literal interpretation of the theme. Set against a red background, the design incorporates five auspicious Chinese motifs—swallows, peonies, dragonflies, koi carp and butterflies—symbolising the arrival of good fortune.
Continuing the winery’s established zodiac style, the 1.5-litre large-format bottle is a South Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, delivering a rich, full-bodied profile. The wine is priced at RMB 699 per bottle.
Roche Mazet
Jointly operated by the Castel Group and China’s state-owned company C&D Wines & Spirits, Roche Mazet is a long-standing player in the zodiac wine segment. Now in its tenth year of releasing zodiac editions, the Roche Mazet Limited Edition Year of the Horse wine opened for pre-sale in June.
The Chinese character for “horse” shares a similar pronunciation with the first character in Roche Mazet’s Chinese name. The label places the zodiac horse at the centre, set against a dominant Chinese red backdrop. It also incorporates the three terroir colours of the Pays d’Oc region—ocean blue, sunlight gold and earth black—rendered in an expressive ink-splash style to depict a horse charging forward.
The wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan from the Pays d’Oc appellation. Roche Mazet remains one of the few large-volume French wine brands in China, with C&D reporting cumulative sales exceeding 50 million bottles as of 2024.
Domaine de Chevalier
In France, a classified Bordeaux estate has also embraced horse symbolism, lending it a deeper artistic and cultural resonance.
Domaine de Chevalier, a classified growth in Pessac-Léognan, has featured a distinctly Chinese-style horse on the main label of its 2022 grand vin. The image is taken from Galloping Horse, a celebrated work by renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong. The estate obtained permission from Xu’s descendants to use the artwork as the artistic label for both its red and white 2022 grand vins.
The 2022 vintage marks the 40th anniversary of Olivier Bernard’s stewardship of Domaine de Chevalier. It was also a year of significant progress in terroir management, organic certification and the transition toward biodynamic practices, with vineyard conditions reaching an exceptional level of maturity and expression.
The estate and its winemaking team consider the vintage outstanding in terms of body, colour, aromatics and structure—potentially one of the greatest in the château’s history.
In Chinese culture, the horse symbolises strength, speed, vitality and freedom. Domaine de Chevalier interprets the galloping horse on its label as a reflection of its pursuit of quality, respect for nature and commitment to continuous progress.
As the 2022 classified growths reach the market in 2025—coinciding with the Year of the Horse—the wine takes on added commemorative and gifting significance.
Masi
Italian producer Masi has launched a new collectible version of its flagship Amarone: Costasera Lunar Amarone 2020 Limited Edition. A stylised golden horse dominates the label, symbolising strength and prosperity, set against a red background that echoes both the wine’s colour and the festive spirit of Lunar New Year.
The horse represents courage and dynamism—qualities Masi sees reflected in the wine itself, which is vibrant and layered, with a firm structure balanced by elegance.
Made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes using the traditional appassimento method, the wine delivers a classic and mature Amarone profile.
This marks the fourth release in the Costasera Lunar series, following the Dragon, Snake and Rabbit editions. Once complete, the collection will comprise 12 limited releases, each corresponding to one of the Chinese zodiac signs.
Black Stallion Estate
Some wineries have an inherent connection to horses, making zodiac storytelling a natural fit. Black Stallion, located in Napa Valley on the site of a former equestrian centre, is rolling out a series of Year of the Horse themed activations. Rather than releasing a special wine, the estate has introduced refined horse-head pourers and premium gift boxes.
In the on-trade channel, Black Stallion will partner regionally with Morton’s of Chicago across key Asian cities including Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei. Activations will include consumer promotions, themed events and food-and-wine pairing menus.
In Hong Kong, local importer ASC Fine Wines will support high-visibility promotions with custom pairing menus at leading restaurants. Digital activations will run in parallel, with My Cellar launching online promotions focused on Horse Year gift sets and pourers.
Retail is another key pillar. In Hong Kong, City’Super will run gondola displays featuring Horse Year gift boxes, in-store video playback and purchase-with-gift horse-head pourers. In Singapore, FairPrice will roll out similar promotions across 20 stores. In Taiwan, retailer Drinks will execute gift-box campaigns in 33 outlets and host a VIP consumer event in January.
Comparable retail promotions are also under way across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Xige Estate
Among China’s domestic producers, zodiac wines are common, particularly for estates with a strong local focus. Xige Estate, a leading winery from the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains in Ningxia, is one such example.
The 2026 Xige Year of the Horse Limited Edition (2021 vintage) was released in November 2025. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Gernischt, aged for 12 months in oak, with a limited production of 6,000 cases.
The design draws inspiration from the bold spirit of Li Bai’s poem Bring in the Wine, using the image of the “five famous horses” to symbolise ambition and forward momentum. Floral elements such as dahlias and gladioli evoke prosperity and optimism at the start of the year, reflecting Xige’s proactive stance amid industry transformation.
The wine is bottled at 750ml and priced at RMB 328 per bottle.
Longting Vineyard
Located in Yantai, Shandong, Longting Vineyard has released two Year of the Horse wines: Longting Reserve Cabernet Franc Horse Year Label and Longting Lan Marselan Horse Year Label.
The Cabernet Franc embraces a distinctly Chinese aesthetic, drawing on mythical horse imagery from Qin and Han dynasty patterns. The horse stands proudly, symbolising fearless progress, while the red-and-gold colour palette reinforces a sense of festivity and refinement.
By contrast, the Marselan expression leans toward a more Western artistic language. While inspired by Peking Opera masks, the label presents an abstract, stylised horse profile, blending traditional cultural references with contemporary design.
The two wines are clearly differentiated in positioning. The Cabernet Franc is priced at RMB 1,599 per bottle and limited to 500 bottles, while the Marselan is priced at RMB 599, covering both premium gifting and high-quality everyday consumption.
Niya
Xinjiang producer Niya has taken a different approach by focusing on large-format bottles for its Year of the Horse release.
On Oct. 20, the Niya Year of the Horse commemorative wine went on sale in a 3-litre gift box—equivalent to four standard bottles—targeting family gatherings, gifting and collectors.
The label features a leaping red horse, while the wine itself is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. It shows a ruby hue, concentrated fruit and soft tannins.
Notably, the wine avoids premium inflation despite its festive positioning. Public pricing places the 3-litre bottle at RMB 198, equivalent to around RMB 49.5 per 750ml bottle.
In recent years, China’s gifting market has moved away from excessive packaging and inflated premiums, a shift already visible in categories such as mooncakes and zongzi. The wine sector is following suit, with Niya offering one of the clearest expressions of this trend.
