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Survey Finds Optimism in China Wine Market

Survey Finds Optimism in China Wine Market

Opus One Caught in China Smuggling Crackdown/ LVMH to Cut 1,200 Jobs at Moët Hennessy/ ProWine Hong Kong Returns

Natalie Wang
May 09, 2025

This week’s digest kicks off in China, where ProWine’s first joint survey with Geisenheim University uncovers surprising confidence in a market still finding its feet. Next week, Hong Kong’s trading status will be put to the test when ProWine Hong Kong returns with its most expansive edition yet.

Trade tensions also dominate this week’s headlines: Brussels has green-lit a €5 billion export stimulus for wine and spirits ahead of looming tariffs, and LVMH will cut 1,200 jobs at Moët Hennessy amid slumping sales and tariff pressures in the U.S. and China. Meanwhile, steep duties on American wine have stoked fears of cross-border smuggling, underscored by the recent Opus One bust.

On the merger front, Accolade and Pernod Ricard have toasted to Vinarchy even as they phase out 50 brands. For fine wine collectors, prolific collector Koch’s “once-in-a-generation” cellar will go under the hammer for US$15 million.

For wineries and export managers looking for a roadmap into Asia and China, don’t miss our Asia’s Top 50 Wine Importers report and our most recently launched China’s Top 100 Wine Importers.

Stay on top of Asia’s fast-moving wine industry with our exclusive stories, and don’t forget to subscribe for premium insights and content.

New ProWine Survey Reveals Industry Optimism for China’s Wine Market

Commissioned by ProWine China and produced in partnership with Geisenheim University – publisher of the ProWein Business Report for over eight years – this marks the first survey to capture both domestic trade professionals’ and international producers’ perspectives on China’s wine market.

ProWine Hong Kong 2025 Sees Spirits Boost Amid Expanded Global Lineup

This year’s fair will feature broadened international participation, an expanded wine and spirits showcase, and the debut release of its China market report.

Tariffs Spark Underground Trade: Opus One Caught in China Smuggling Crackdown

China’s sweeping new tariffs on American goods are already having unintended consequences—driving up smuggling activity as premium wine labels like California’s Opus One become increasingly lucrative targets for illicit trade.

LVMH to Cut 1,200 Jobs at Moët Hennessy

LVMH will cut 1,200 jobs—about 12% of its global workforce—at its wine and spirits division Moët Hennessy, as the luxury giant grapples with slumping sales and growing trade tensions in key export markets in China and US, according to an internal company memo.

Accolade, Pernod Ricard Form Vinarchy, Cut 50 Wine Brands

Accolade Wines has completed its merger with Pernod Ricard’s wine business to form a new global wine company named Vinarchy and will begin phasing out around 50 brands over the next two years, the company confirmed.

China’s Non-Alcoholic Wine Booms Is All Business

While Gen Z consumers in the West are ditching booze for wellness and health, sipping non-alcoholic wines at bars and restaurants, in China, the trend is unfolding in boardrooms and banquet halls. Here, non-alcoholic wine isn’t solely about wellness — it’s about necessity, reflecting a distinctly Chinese style of consumption.

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.

Billionaire Bill Koch to Sell $15M Collection in ‘Landmark’ Auction

Billionaire William I. Koch, one of America’s most prolific—and most litigious—wine collectors, will auction off 1,500 lots from his prized cellar next month in what Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation” sale expected to fetch US$15 million.

EU Approves €5 Billion Stimulus to Boost Wine Exports to US

The European Commission approved a €5 billion (US$5.6 billion) French scheme Thursday to help wine and spirits exporters accelerate shipments to the US before a 90-day tariff truce expires July 8.