French imported wines at Metro, one of China’s top 10 supermarkets, surged as the Olympics approached.

Metro, the German supermarket brand, opened its first store in China in Shanghai in 1996. In 2020, Wumei Technology Group acquired 80% of Metro China’s shares. In 2023, Wumart and Metro’s combined sales revenue was RMB 56.562 billion, with 1,122 stores.

Hong Kong’s wine market continues to buckle under sluggish retail, weak tourism and exodus of locals wining and dining across the border, as shown by the city’s wine imports data. However, a leading wine importer in the city expects a turnaround by end of the year.

American wines are quietly expanding their market in China despite heavy tariffs, thanks to a little-known tax reprieve that allows importers and wineries to slash punitive tariffs by nearly half.

Australian wine’s re-entry into China has bouyed the whole country’s wine exports to a record level in recent years, according to the latest data from Wine Australia. However, the industry association cautions depletion in the Chinese market due to decreased wine consumption.

Treasury Wine Estates, the parent company of Penfolds, is looking to sell off its lower-end wine range including Wolf Blass, Lindenman’s amid declining global wine consumption.

Les Jamelles, the acclaimed French winery known for its single varietal wines from the South of France, is partnering with Hong Kong’s oldest wine and spirits educator, Asia Wine Service & Education Centre (AWSEC), to bring a unique blind tasting challenge on grape varietals.