Years of discounting and tepid En Primeur campaign have discouraged importers from buying Bordeaux. Now, with the Mid-Autumn gifting season under way, merchants are struggling to find the 2023 Carruades de Lafite. Read More
China
The importer’s new Beijing and Shanghai venues put tastings and service at the centre of its strategy following the St. Pierre family’s buyback.
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Two of China’s publicly traded drinks retailers, VATS Liquor and Liquor Easy, reported first-half losses as weaker spending and falling prices for major spirits brands put pressure on sales, prompting efforts to cut costs and reduce inventory. Read More
Chinese baijiu producer Guotai has launched two whiskies made using traditional baijiu fermentation methods and matured in bourbon casks, joining a growing number of domestic spirits companies seeking growth beyond a pressured baijiu market. Read More
Wang He’s HK$11.26 million offer would make him the Chinese wine producer’s largest shareholder as it expands into an already troubled spirits market. Read More
Once a lucrative gateway for moving Bordeaux into mainland China, the cross-border trade is being squeezed by big-data surveillance, weak demand and evaporating margins.
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International science helped Canaan find its terroir and earn global recognition. Now the Hebei estate is turning to tourism, education and jazz to tackle a harder challenge: creating China’s next generation of wine drinkers. Read More
Evidence from trade associations, exhibition organisers and wine merchants points to the same conclusion: China’s wine trade is undergoing a prolonged and increasingly unforgiving shakeout. Read More
The Chinese brewing giant has struck a long-term partnership with Ireland’s Great Northern Distillery, giving it an immediate route into imported whisky while laying the groundwork for something more ambitious - its own whisky distillery in China. Read More
Alibaba’s Tmall and JD.com are offering classified growths at prices approaching - and in some cases potentially below - merchants’ sourcing costs, adding fresh pressure to a Bordeaux market already struggling with weak demand and excess inventory. Read More