Chinese consumers shifting towards 'mainstream' wines says new Wine Intelligence study

According to a new Wine Intelligence China Portraits 2015 report, the "traditional" Chinese wine consumer is evolving away from just drinking the top end Bordeaux wines and  "a new generation of wine drinkers who are drinking more frequently and seeking value in the category" are emerging.

Economists brace for China's slowing economy

China has reported a 15% fall in exports and a 12% fall in imports for the month of March 2015, which has increased concerns that the Chinese economy is slowing down.

David Furer discovers much to admire in Ningxia - China's arguably best quality wine region

Oliver Zhou on the likely impact of Coravin's launch in China

I am sure as an industry professional, you have heard quite a bit about Coravin. Yes, I am talking about that state-of-art, revolutionary device that can draw the wine out of a bottle without pulling out the cork while replacing the missing wine with Argon gas. The Coravin system has been adopted by many top-notch restaurant and celebrity sommeliers around the globe and it has significantly changed many high-end venues' wine by-the-glass offer.

Oliver Zhou's personal tips on how to enter the Chinese wine market

As someone who has been working in the Chinese wine industry for quite some time, it is not uncommon to meet winery owner/export manager/brand manager who are desperately talking about trying to enter Chinese market and get on track with this fast growing industry. But like the old saying, it is always easier saying(in this case, planning) than doing. Chinese market is more sophisticated than other market in many ways, and spending days reading marketing research material simply won't cut it. I would like a share some Chinese insight into entering the Chinese market which many wineries might neglect one thing or two.

Chinese importer Summergate bought by Australia's Woolworths Liquor Company

Woolworths Liquor Group has bought Summergate, one of the China's most influential wine importers, in a move that considerably strengthens the Australian retail drinks giant's position in the country.

UK wine trade slow to react to Millennials' sweet tooth, says Mintel

The 18 to 34 year-old age group is partial to sweeter wines, with 44% of wine buyers believing they're better quality than drier ones, but few UK brands have "attacked this space", says Mintel.

Mintel's Jonny Forsyth: Evolving tastes among global wine drinkers

Wine tastes are evolving but is the industry agile enough to take advantage? Mintel's research clearly illustrates how different the coveted Millennials are to previous generations, global drinks analyst Jonny Forsyth told Wine Vision.

Australia's free trade agreement with China would see wine tariffs gone by 2019

Australia has signed a declaration of intent for a free trade agreement with China today after 10 years of talks between the two countries which is set to benefit Australian farm exporters, including wine producers.

China's Singles Day online spend surpasses $2 billion in first hour

China's Singles Day is the world's largest online shopping day of the year and today it smashed online spending records yet again hitting more than $2 billion spent online in the first hour.

China's Singles Day is huge opportunity for online wine retailers

Wine retailers looking to crack the Chinese market should get ready for next week's Singles Day, when China is expected to set a record for the most money spent online in one day.  

Armagnac Academies expands to China

French brandy Armagnac is setting its sights on China with the launch of its Armagnac Acadamies there later this month. 

Decline in Far East and Europe hits global Cognac sales but US rallies

The clampdown on luxury goods gifting in China continues to hit the global spirits industry with Cognac announcing total exports are down both in volume and value for the year to July 2014.

Wine & Spirit Education Trust boosts student numbers by 16%

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust attracted 16% more students in the past year as the importance of education in the wine industry globally continues to grow.

Wine must adapt its branding for China or face failure

Wine firms that do not adapt their brands for the Chinese market - such as by having a Chinese brand name - face "immediate disadvantage" and possible failure.

Major wine companies should not pin their futures on China, warns Krug chief

The wine world needs to let go of its obsession with China, and stop believing that the market can solve all its problems, according to Margareth Henriquez., chief executive of Krug, the top branded Champagne house.

Chinese crackdown on gifting expected to hit Diageo's full year results

The crackdown in China on luxury products and gifting continues to hit major drinks players with Diageo expected to announce a further drop in sales in the country in its full year results this week including another hit on its premium baijiu brand, Shui Jing Fang.

Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2014 expecting record breaking visitors

The eighth Vinexpo Asia-Pacific kicked off yesterday with 1,300 exhibitors - making it the largest exhibition of its kind in Asia, say organisers - who hope to welcome more than 17,000 visitors to the three-day show.

Rémy Cointreau warns profits may slump by 40%

Rémy Cointreau has warned that full year profits may plummet by 35 to 40%, thanks to a fall in Chinese sales.

ProWein visitors up 7% to 48,000

Visitors to Dusseldorf's international wine fair ProWein have jumped 7% on last year to 48,000, with twice as many Chinese and Hong Kong visitors compared to last year.