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Vinexpo Mumbai Cancelled

Vinexpo Mumbai Cancelled

India-EU trade deal nears/ Interview with EMW CEO/ One Chinese city is paying diners to drink

Natalie Wang
September 29, 2025

The landscape for wine trade fairs is changing rapidly. With global wine sales under pressure, producers are becoming far more selective about where they show their wines. At the same time, the costs of participation keep climbing, putting additional strain on wineries. Against this backdrop, one of our most-read stories this week was Vinexposium’s decision to cancel Vinexpo India – Mumbai.

Elsewhere in India, trade talks with the EU are entering the final stretch, with Brussels pushing New Delhi to slash wine and spirits tariffs by as much as 100%—a potential game-changer for European producers. At the same time, India’s duty-free wine and spirits sales are soaring, according to the latest data.

In Europe, the Poland–Belarus border closure has left hundreds of freight trains stranded, including containers of European wine bound for China. Even after traffic resumes, the backlog is expected to take at least a week to clear. We spoke with Hillebrand Gori and wine merchants about the fallout.

Back in China, one city is experimenting with an unusual remedy for the government’s alcohol ban: paying diners to host banquets. Could this model spread nationwide?

China’s internet-famous wine brand Knock Knock has rolled out a Sauvignon Blanc, while snack giant Three Squirrels is making its own move into the drinks sector.

On the awards front, Margaret River dazzled IWSC judges with more than 30 gold medals this year. Meanwhile, Wine Australia’s data shows Chinese visitors are once again Australia’s biggest spenders in wine tourism sector —welcome news for the wine sector.

Finally, don’t miss our exclusive interview with Oscar Nagore, the newly appointed CEO of EMW Fine Wines, who shares his perspective on today’s Chinese wine consumers, shifting trends, and where he sees growth opportunities ahead.

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Vinexpo Mumbai Cancelled Weeks Before Opening

Vinexposium has abruptly cancelled its Vinexpo Mumbai trade show less than a month before it was scheduled to open.

India-EU Free Trade Talks Enter Final Stretch: Wine Tariffs Could See Major Cuts

For the wine industry, the stakes are particularly high: if India’s steep tariffs of up to 150% are lowered, the emerging market of 1.4 billion people could quickly unlock its potential.

India Duty-Free Liquor Sales Jump 13% in 2024; Whisky Takes 74% Share

In the first seven months of the year, India’s whisky imports rose 16% in volume and 12.2% in value, reinforcing the country’s emergence as a priority battleground for global whisky brands.

If you are looking for importers in China, reach out to us at [email protected]

The Big Interview with EMW CEO Oscar Nagore

China’s wine drinkers are getting younger, more adventurous, and more diverse — and they’re pushing white wines to 39% of EMW’s sales. CEO Oscar Nagore shares with us how instant retail, BYOB culture, and new consumer habits are reshaping the future of wine.

In the Shadow of an Alcohol Ban, a Chinese City Pays People to Drink

Officials are trying something unusual to warm things up: paying people to throw banquets - the latest attempt to revive an ailing food-and-beverage industry battered by the policy’s spillover effects.

Chinese Visitors Top Global Spending in Australia’s Wine Tourism

Chinese visitors delivered the highest per-capita spending in Australia’s wine tourism sector in 2024, averaging A$12,568 each—well above other markets.

Poland-Belarus Border Closure Stalls China-Europe Rail Freight, Disrupts Wine Shipments

Hundreds of freight trains were held up at the Brest crossing, including containers of European wine destined for China, with backlogs expected to take at least a week to clear even after traffic resumes. We talked to Hillebrand Gori and wine merchants to unpack the impacts.

China’s ‘Internet-Famous’ Wine Brand Launches Sauvignon Blanc Amid White Wine Boom

The surge in white wine consumption in China has not only benefited traditional white wine-producing countries such as New Zealand and Germany but has also prompted some brands long associated with red wine to pivot.

Margaret River Stuns at IWSC With Record-Breaking Golds and a Near-Perfect Cabernet

Western Australia’s Margaret River walked away with 39 gold medals at IWSC, led by a Cabernet Sauvignon that scored an extraordinary 98 points, the highest of the entire event.

China’s Snack Giant Expands into Alcohol with Own Wine Brand

Chinese snack giant Three Squirrels has moved into the alcoholic drinks sector, launching three beverage brands this summer in a push to tap into the country’s fast-growing low-alcohol market.

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.