Vinexpo Asia Has A Choice To Make

After ten editions in Hong Kong, Vinexpo Asia is at a crossroads.

The exhibition, which concluded on May 28, once again drew international producers and buyers to the city and by most measures, held its ground. Organisers reported 14,273 trade visitors from 76 markets and exhibitors from 38 producing countries, up from 59 markets and 35 producing countries at the 2024 Hong Kong edition. Nine countries participated for the first time: Austria, Belgium, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, Tunisia and Uruguay.

But the show was also visibly smaller. Leading names were absent. For those who did attend, booths generally shrank. Bordeaux producers, long the backbone of such fairs, stayed home in greater numbers. Wu Xianghua, CEO of Fine West, one of China’s Top 100 Wine Importers, put it plainly: “In the early years, Vinexpo in Hong Kong occupied two floors. This year it was limited to one floor.” He estimated that 20 to 30% of the Bordeaux producers he knows did not exhibit this year. “The market is weak, and many companies are reducing their marketing budgets,” he said.

A growing number of producers however opted out of the exhibition altogether, wary of compounding osts of hotels, accommodations and exhibition space, and chose instead to host meetings on the sideline, as we learned. 

That tension between a city that still commands genuine influence and an industry pulling back on spending is precisely what makes Vinexpo’s next move so consequential.

Hong Kong’s Case

For now, Hong Kong remains firmly at the centre of the fair, and there are good reasons why.

The city of 7.4 million imported US$837 million worth of wine in 2025, roughly 59% of mainland China’s wine import value over the same period. Its re-export trade reached HK$1.52 billion (US$195 million), underscoring how deeply it functions as a regional trading hub. Since abolishing wine duties in 2008, Hong Kong has become the city through which merchants across neighbouring markets source fine wine.

Vinexpo’s numbers reflect that pull. Some 75% of visitors came from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Japan and South Korea. Participation from Southeast Asian markets such as Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam also increased. The exhibition hosted 28 local and regional trade associations, up from 19 in 2024. Among the attendees were some of the region’s largest and most influential importers, including Japan’s Enoteca, China’s Wajiu Group and ASC Fine Wines, Thailand’s IWS, Malaysia’s Mui Hua and the Philippines’ Bacchus.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Bernard Chan, Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong SAR Government, described the city as both a “super connector” and a “super value-adder.” Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse echoed that framing, calling Hong Kong a key gateway to Greater China, “a historic market for the wine and spirits industry and a key market for the future.”

The city itself, meanwhile, appears to have regained its footing. Pre-pandemic traveller numbers are back, and the food and beverage scene is humming again, a reminder that Hong Kong is not merely a logistics hub but a genuine consumption market and a place where the wine trade likes to do business.

What Buyers Said

Despite the thinner crowds, those who attended spoke encouragingly about the quality of engagement.

Pan Liu, Marketing Director at Shenzhen-based Wintek Import & Export Ltd., commuted from Shenzhen every day of the three-day exhibition. “Vinexpo is very different from many wine exhibitions in China,” she said. “Most exhibitors here are producers or represent the very top of the supply chain. Many domestic exhibitions are dominated by traders. The event is also much more professional overall. For Chinese importers looking to discover and source wines, it remains extremely valuable.”

Leading Bordeaux négociant Twins noted that while foot traffic was thinner, buyer intent was high. “The buyers who made the effort to come are serious ones looking to place orders,” a company representative said.

CVBG also spoke highly of buyer attendance, noting that Greater China is still the most important export market for the negociant. 

The rise of white wine was also in the front and center of market demand here. New Zealand’s pavilion was crowded by 10am on the first day. Close to 30 producers participated, more than double their presence two years ago, according to New Zealand Winegrowers, reflecting white wine’s rising profile at trade fairs. France’s pavilion, by comparison, drew scattered traffic on the first day. Penfolds, one of the region’s leading exporters, was notably absent. For most leading producers exhibiting at the fair, the booth size invariably shrank amid rising costs and tightened budget. 

A Broader Platform

Vinexpo is also quietly remaking itself into something wider than a wine fair.

This year marked the Hong Kong debut of Be Spirits,  covering spirits, beer, cider, sake and mixology with 105 exhibitors from 18 countries, up from 13 in 2024, including national pavilions from Australia, Japan and South Korea. The Be No section, dedicated to alcohol-free products, remains nascent but signals where consumer interest is heading; alcohol-free products accounted for roughly 10% of products showcased this year.

The Vinexpo Academy hosted 25 masterclasses and seminars. Vino Joy News organised two panel discussions on Asia’s travel retail market and emerging trends in China’s instant retail channels. Trade fairs, increasingly, are as much about reading the market as sourcing from it.

The Decision Ahead

All of this raises the question of where Vinexpo goes next literally.

The two-city rotating model, alternating between Hong Kong and Singapore, may end in 2027. The organiser is considering establishing a single, permanent Asian home to give the fair greater consistency and long-term value. Bangkok briefly entered the conversation as Thailand’s wine market gained prominence. Shanghai, long absent from the rotation, remains an open question.

Lameyse has been direct about the direction. “The market is calling for greater stability. From 2027, our ambition is to establish Vinexpo Asia as an annual event in a single Asian hub, in line with the needs of our clients and the long-term development of the industry,” he said.