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Asia’s Top Wine Markets Show Diverging Paths in H1 Imports

Asia’s Top Wine Markets Show Diverging Paths in H1 Imports

Wine and spirits snubbed in Hainan/ C&D sales revenue/ whisky bootlegger with a PhD

Natalie Wang
July 28, 2025

If you care about data as much as we do, this week we have three important markets’ official imports data for the first half of the year: South Korea, Mainland China and Taiwan. And the results paint a mixed picture for Asia’s top wine markets. China posted a double-digit volume decline but held steady on value, while South Korea and Taiwan continue to cool from their post-pandemic highs. Interestingly, there are similarities in trends seen across the three markets.

LVMH has just released their H1 report, and wine and spirits division saw the steepest drop in profits, outpacing other divisions. What does this mean going forward for this luxury giant?

Diageo’s CEO is out. The sudden leadership shake-up at the world’s leading spirits company has industry watchers speculating. What happened behind the scenes?

In a highly unusual public disclosure, state-owned C&D Inc. shared its 2024 revenue figures for its wine and spirits logistics subsidiary. The data — revealed during a live industry forum — surprised even its listed parent company, which later asked media (including us) to scrub the numbers.

No wine. No spirits. That’s the reality of Hainan’s upcoming free port initiative, which excluded alcohol from its list of 6,660 eligible imported goods. A baffling move for a tourism hub — and one that one industry leader is calling "simply confusing."

And finally, a smuggling saga with academic flair: a Germany-educated Chinese PhD holder turned whisky bootlegger is now serving time after masterminding a multimillion-yuan tax evasion ring using fake receipts and WeChat networks. We unpack the bizarre but telling tale.

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A Wine Market in Decline? Not for These Two Categories in China

China's wine imports data for the first half of 2025 is out, and despite a drop in overall volume, these two categories are defying the downturn.

South Korea’s Wine Imports Rebound as Consumers Favour Budget Bottles

The rebound in Korea's wine imports marks a turning point following sharp declines in 2023 and 2024, when the market cooled after a pandemic-driven boom. White wine again is gaining momentum.

Taiwan’s Wine Imports Slide in H1 2025

Taiwan’s wine imports are shrinking—but not for everyone. Find out which country defied the downturn with a 52% surge and why French wines still reign supreme in value.

Wine and Spirits Left Off Hainan’s Duty-Free List

The Chinese government has announced that Hainan Province will officially launch independent customs operations on Dec. 18, 2025, as part of its push to transform the tropical island into an international tourism and consumption hub. However, wine and spirits are conspicuously snubbed.

State-Owned C&D Discloses Rare Revenue Figures for Wine and Spirits Arm

Xiamen C&D Happy Wine Liquor Co., a liquor supply chain firm under the state-owned conglomerate C&D Inc., posted sales of around RMB 800 million (USD 110 million) in 2024, according to its general manager Chen Weizhong. The disclosure, made during an industry forum on July 20, marks a rare public reveal of operating figures from the group’s beverage arm.

Diageo Announces Sudden CEO Departure, Appoints Interim Chief

Diageo, the global spirits giant behind brands like Johnnie Walker and Guinness, announced on July 16 that CEO and board director Debra Crew has stepped down from her role with immediate effect.

Rothschild’s First Single-Vineyard Champagne Fetches £16,120 at Debut Auction

Champagne Barons de Rothschild has launched its first-ever single-vineyard cuvée, Le Grand Clos, with a global debut through an exclusive auction at Bonhams. The inaugural three bottles sold for a total of £16,120, setting a new record for the house.

LVMH Reports Steepest Profit Drop in Wine and Spirits Unit

LVMH’s Wines & Spirits division recorded the sharpest decline in recurring operating profit among all its business units in the first half of 2025, as cognac sales slumped in key markets despite a modest rebound in champagne and still wine.

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.

An Enterprising PhD Gets Five Years For Smuggling Whisky into China

For a man with a doctorate and overseas education, Gong Yimin’s downfall was surprisingly pedestrian: whisky. Not just any whisky, but thousands of bottles of premium Scotch, slipped past Chinese customs under the radar — and vastly undervalued.