Vino Joy News
Posts
Another Chinese Bordeaux Dream Ends in a Sale

Another Chinese Bordeaux Dream Ends in a Sale

China cracks US$515 million fake liquor for the elites/ Interview with India's Sonarys/ Japan's wine imports in H1 2025

Natalie Wang
August 11, 2025

From Japan’s latest wine import numbers to China’s underground liquor scams, here’s what’s making headlines this week.

Japan joins the data roll call — After covering H1 wine import trends for South Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand, we now have the numbers for Japan. See how the market compares — and why it might surprise you.

A Bordeaux château changes hands — Twelve years after a helicopter crash killed the Chinese tycoon who had just acquired Château de La Rivière, the Fronsac estate has quietly been sold to GFI. The sale price? Still under wraps.

Hema X hits the exit — Alibaba’s answer to Costco and Sam’s Club is shutting all its membership stores nationwide by month’s end. What went wrong for a concept meant to dominate China’s warehouse retail scene?

Liquor giant in trouble — In Chongqing, a regional alcohol distributor backed by supply-chain heavyweight Eternal Asia is teetering on the brink of collapse. Could this be the next major casualty in China’s slowing drinks market?

India’s fine wine reality check — In an eye-opening interview, Sonarys GM for Sales Vinodh explains why India isn’t for everyone, and why blind optimism built on misconceptions can sink even the best producers.

The ‘special supply liquor’ crackdown — Once a privilege of China’s revolutionary elite, this exclusive label has become a goldmine for counterfeiters. Police have just seized RMB 3.7 billion worth of fakes — and the scheme is wilder than you think.

For more on the wine industry in China and Asia, be sure to subscribe to our website to read more subscriber-only content.

Bordeaux Estate Tied to Fatal Helicopter Crash Sold as Chinese Capital Retreats

Château de La Rivière, a prominent Bordeaux wine estate linked to a fatal helicopter crash in 2013, has been sold by its Chinese owner to Luxembourg-based private equity firm GFI, marking the latest withdrawal of Chinese capital from France’s wine industry.

Cathay Pacific Showcases Chinese Terroir With New Inflight Wine Offerings

Cathay Pacific added five Chinese wines for first and business class, as part of the airline’s push to showcase emerging wine regions and elevate Chinese fine wines on the international stage.

French Wines Power Japan’s H1 Import Growth Despite Volume Dip

Japan’s wine imports edged higher in value during the first half of 2025, defying a marginal dip in volume thanks largely to robust demand for French wine led by Champagne.

Board Member Resigns Amid Executive Turnover at Diageo’s Chinese Baijiu Unit

Diageo’s Chinese Baijiu subsidiary Shui Jing Fang has announced the resignation of board director Sathish Krishnan, marking the latest in a series of senior leadership changes at the company.

“If You Don’t Have Patience, Don’t Come”: Sonarys’ Vinodh on Cracking India Market

India, a country of over 1.4 billion people, often draws wide-eyed optimism from international wine producers. But according to Vinodh Shankar, General Manager of Sales at Sonarys— India’s biggest fine wine importer and one of the country’s oldest —this enthusiasm is frequently built on dangerous misconceptions.

Alibaba’s Hema to Shutter All Membership Stores—What It Means for Wine Sales?

Hema (Freshippo), Alibaba’s supermarket chain, will shut down all of its paid membership stores by the end of August, ending its attempt to replicate the success of warehouse retail giants like Costco and Sam’s Club as it pivots back to core formats amid a protracted consumer slowdown.

China Busts $515 Million Fake ‘Special Supply Liquor’

Chinese police have busted more than 540 criminal cases involving counterfeit “special supply liquor,” seizing 260,000 bottles worth 3.7 billion yuan (US$515 million), the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday.

Debts and Dumping? Liquor Subsidiary of China’s ¥70 Billion Listed Giant Faces Financial Turmoil

A regional liquor distributor backed by Chinese supply chain giant Eternal Asia is teetering on the brink of collapse, as mounting debts, offloading of stock, and shifting retail dynamics expose deep cracks in its business model.

China’s Top 100 Importers

The 237-page report offers an in-depth analysis of regional dynamics and market opportunities across North China, Northeast China, East China, South Central, Southwest, and Northwest China. It identifies the top 100 wine importers currently operating in mainland China. This regional breakdown provides a clear picture of where market influence is concentrated—and how each part of the country is shaping the growth and transformation of wine consumption in China.