Why Wine is in Fashion in China ? Interview of the French Cellar

Wine in China has moved from curiosity to category. When we first published this interview with The French Cellar in 2015, wine was still a marker of cosmopolitan aspiration in Shanghai. A decade later, it is a mature consumer habit for China’s urban middle class — and a growing business opportunity for international brands that understand the market shift. We are revisiting this piece with 2026 data and current context.

Interview: The French Cellar China (original, 2015)

Can you introduce The French Cellar and your expansion in Asia?

The French Cellar is a wine club focusing on artisanal organic French wines selected exclusively by 3-star Michelin sommelier Nicolas Rebut. Founded in Singapore in 2013, expanded to Hong Kong in 2014, then Shanghai in 2015. Our monthly subscription model lets customers experience authentic wines picked directly from French vineyards.

Why are more and more Chinese consumers drinking wine?

The market is more open, western culture is more accepted among young generations who are better educated and willing to try new things. Distribution has improved dramatically — people can access wine far more easily than before. Society has also recognised wine as a health-conscious lifestyle choice, reinforced by media and communities.

Why is wine becoming fashion in China?

People care more about what they drink. Wine brings culture, stories, and a lifestyle image. A photo holding a glass of wine on WeChat Moments signals a modern, cosmopolitan identity. The accessibility has increased, but the aspiration attached to the product has not diminished.

What kind of wine do Chinese women prefer?

More varied than expected. Many Chinese women are highly capable wine tasters with refined preferences. A good wine at a moderate price — not too tannic or acidic — is broadly appreciated. The assumption that women only want light, easy-going styles was consistently wrong in our experience.

Are you surprised by the development of wine bars in China?

Definitely. Wine bars and artisanal beer bars became popular very quickly in Shanghai. People spend an evening and several hundred RMB on a wine experience with friends. The professional, serious wine bar segment was still underdeveloped compared to Singapore or Japan in 2015 — that has changed significantly since.

What is your perception of French wine among Chinese consumers?

French wine has the highest name recognition, particularly at premium levels. But Australian, Spanish, Italian, and South American wines have a strong reputation in the medium-price range. The opportunity is in educating consumers on the quality of French entry- and medium-range selections, which are less known than the prestige labels.

Wine in China 2026: What Has Changed

The wine market in China went through a major contraction between 2018 and 2022. Total wine consumption fell from a peak of around 1.9 billion litres in 2017 to approximately 1.1 billion litres by 2023, driven by shifting consumer preferences toward baijiu, craft beer, and domestic alternatives, combined with broader economic caution among middle-class consumers.

The 2025-2026 picture is more nuanced. Volume consumption has stabilised but not recovered to 2017 levels. What has grown is the premium and ultra-premium segment: Chinese consumers who drink wine drink less of it but spend more per bottle. The average bottle price purchased by urban Chinese consumers aged 25-40 has risen from approximately RMB 80 in 2018 to RMB 160-220 in 2026, depending on city tier and channel.

Where Wine Is Sold in China in 2026

The channel structure has shifted substantially from 2015. The three dominant purchase channels for wine in China today are:

• Tmall and JD.com: still the primary volume channel. Both platforms have developed dedicated wine verticals with temperature-controlled logistics. Tmall Wine has specific brand store templates and a strong buyer base in the RMB 150-500 range per bottle.
• Douyin e-commerce: the fastest-growing channel for wine in 2025-2026, particularly for brands with strong visual storytelling. Wine content on Douyin generates billions of views annually. Brands that invest in Douyin short-form content and live commerce see 30-50% of their China revenue through the platform.
• Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book): the authority-building platform for wine positioning. Wine education content, tasting notes, pairing guides, and sommelier endorsements on Xiaohongshu drive premium brand perception. This is where the French Cellar’s original positioning — curated, artisanal, expert-selected — would perform very well today.

What Foreign Wine Brands Need in 2026

The wine brands succeeding in China in 2026 have three things in common: a clear story told in Chinese (not translated English), a digital presence that prioritises Douyin and Xiaohongshu over static e-commerce listings, and a pricing strategy that positions them cleanly either below RMB 200 (accessible premium) or above RMB 500 (gift and prestige tier). The middle ground is increasingly difficult.

The subscription model that The French Cellar pioneered in 2015 has evolved. Direct-to-consumer wine subscriptions on WeChat mini-programs are an active channel for brands with a loyal following. The mechanics are more sophisticated today — personalised curation, live wine education sessions via mini-program streaming, and community-building in private WeChat groups remain relevant for premium wine positioning.

Our China e-commerce team works with wine and beverage brands entering or scaling in the Chinese market. For community discussion, r/Marketing_China has active threads on food and beverage entry strategy. Our partners at Ecommerce China Agency publish annual F&B e-commerce benchmarks. Follow our LinkedIn for wine brand case studies from our portfolio.

About Fashion China Agency

Fashion China Agency is a Shanghai-based digital marketing agency specialising in fashion, luxury, and lifestyle brand entry into the Chinese market. We help international brands build awareness, drive e-commerce revenue, and build communities on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, WeChat, and Tmall. Our team of 40+ China market specialists covers content strategy, KOL management, paid media, e-commerce operations, and live commerce. From market entry audits to full-service channel management, we work with brands at every stage of their China journey. Founded by Philip Chen and Olivier Verot, with offices in Shanghai and Paris.

Philip Chen is co-founder of GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency), one of China’s leading independent digital marketing agencies. Over 12 years working with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands on China market entry. Connect on LinkedIn.