Selling wine in China’s restaurant sector often requires unlearning what works in the West, says one of the country’s leading wine importers in Shanghai.
Forget thick wine lists. Forget lengthy explanations of food and wine pairing. In China, some of the most effective strategies for selling wine are, on the surface, counterintuitive: fewer choices, simpler messaging, and lower barriers to entry.
At this year’s China Food and Drinks Fair in Chengdu, Hong Boyong, CEO of Pran Cellar, laid out his playbook for breaking into the on-trade. Drawing on his experience across multiple regions, he spoke candidly about how restaurants can rethink wine lists, navigate China’s deeply rooted BYO culture, and adapt to the rise of instant retail.
Pran Cellar entered the on-trade during the pandemic—a relative latecomer—but has since expanded into Shanghai, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Henan. That trajectory, Hong suggests, has forced the company to learn quickly—and pragmatically.
Why less is more
The numbers tell part of the story.
According to the 2024 China Catering Industry Report, beverages—including alcohol—account for a median of just 3.0% of restaurant revenue. Wine’s share is even smaller: opening rates remain below 30% across both Chinese and Western dining settings, far behind baijiu and beer.
Against this backdrop, it becomes clear why the Western model of expansive wine lists struggles to take hold.
“One of the biggest differences with overseas markets is that most Chinese restaurants don’t have—and don’t need—a thick wine list,” Hong said.
In Europe or the US, it is common to see multiple vintages of the same wine listed side by side. In China, that is far harder to replicate. Older vintages are more difficult to import, and more importantly, demand simply does not justify the complexity.
“Wine sales in restaurants are still relatively limited,” Hong said. “Even a list of 200 labels would already be considered very large in China.”
Instead, he argues, restaurants should embrace radical simplicity.
A five-wine list
Hong points to a Fujian restaurant in Shanghai as an example. Its entire wine offering fits into a few lines: French Chardonnay, German Riesling, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Shiraz, and French Pinot Noir—priced at RMB 48 per glass and around RMB 200 per bottle. No regions, no vintages, no tasting notes.
The logic is straightforward: remove friction.
For restaurants that are not built around alcohol—particularly Chinese restaurants—this stripped-back format makes wine easier to understand and easier to sell. Familiar grape varieties and classic regions reduce the risk of a bad choice, while approachable pricing encourages trial.
Even experienced wine drinkers, Hong notes, are willing to buy into the simplicity.
“I really like this kind of minimalist but high-quality selection,” he said. “From a distributor’s perspective, we’re also more willing to support these customers—because it actually helps restaurants sell wine.”
Playing both ends: safe bets or strong brands
When it comes to sourcing, many restaurants follow a similar pattern: they either opt for dependable, entry-level wines from well-known regions, or lean into recognisable brands.
“Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a good example,” Hong said. “The quality is generally consistent—you rarely go wrong. So a cheaper option works.”
The alternative is to go with brands that consumers already know, such as Cloudy Bay, Oyster Bay or Greywacke, lowering the cognitive barrier to purchase.
This approach is especially visible in Japanese restaurants, where wine lists are often reduced to just two choices: one sparkling, one white.
“The logic is similar,” Hong said. “Either a premium product like Champagne, or a classic, affordable option like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a structure that doesn’t go wrong.”
More niche wines, by contrast, tend to struggle in mainstream restaurants. They are better suited to wine bars or more specialised dining environments, where sommeliers can engage directly with customers and guide their choices.
The reality of BYO
If simplicity reflects consumer behaviour, it also reflects structural constraints.
Compared with baijiu and beer, wine remains a slow-moving category in restaurants. For many operators, it is neither essential nor efficient enough to justify a complex offering.
At the same time, China’s long-standing BYO culture continues to undermine on-premise sales. Customers are legally allowed to bring their own alcohol, often without paying corkage.
“If someone complains, the restaurant almost always loses,” Hong said. “So instead of fighting it, it’s better to accept it.”
The solution, he argues, is not to compete on rules, but on appeal.
“If your wine is good and affordable, customers will choose it,” he said. “We need to think about how to offer wines that are enjoyable without being expensive.”
Rethinking “pairing”
Rather than promoting traditional food and wine pairing, Hong suggests embedding wine more naturally into the dining experience.
“Food and wine pairing has been talked about in China for years, but it hasn’t really taken off,” he said. “So why keep pushing it?”
He recalls a restaurant in Guangzhou where the owner offers just two wines: a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a Bordeaux AOC. The Sauvignon Blanc is placed directly in the seafood display fridge, making it visible at the moment of ordering.
“When customers choose their fish, the owner recommends the wine—and sometimes offers a complimentary glass,” Hong said.
The result is subtle but effective.
“In some cases, customers who brought Maotai end up starting with a bottle of white wine, before switching back.”
Not competition, but coexistence
The rise of instant retail has added another layer of complexity—but Hong does not see it as a threat.
“Instead of resisting it, it’s better to join it,” he said.
Some restaurants are already doing so, listing wines on delivery platforms alongside their food offerings. Lower online pricing, in turn, requires adjustments upstream, including negotiating better wholesale terms.
In Hong’s view, the on-trade and instant retail are not competitors, but complementary.
“The real issue in China is not that wine is too expensive, or that consumers don’t understand it,” he said. “It’s that there are too few occasions to drink, and too few people drinking wine.”
For the industry, the priority is clear.
“We need to grow the overall market,” he said. “Only when more people are drinking—whether it’s affordable, premium or luxury—can everyone benefit.”
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