New Buyers Flock to ProWine Shanghai 2024 Despite Market Downturn

Despite a prolonged slump in China’s wine market, ProWine Shanghai 2024 is set to open on November 12 with a robust lineup, matching last year’s scale and drawing national pavilions from around the world, including the long-awaited return of Australia’s wine exhibitors. This turnout underscores the importance of the Chinese market, as wineries and trade organizations signal confidence in its potential for recovery and growth.

This year the three-day trade show at Shanghai New International Expo Center in Pudong will host over 650 exhibitors from 32 countries and regionsincluding 19 international pavilions. Originating from Düsseldorf, Germany, the German pavilion will be the largest, with 28 wineries and importers exhibiting. The Australian national pavilion, returning to ProWine Shanghai after a hiatus since 2020, will showcase over 30 exhibitors from 20 wine regions. Other major pavilions include Business France, Wines of Southern France, Wines of California, New Zealand Winegrowersand Rioja Wines.

Josh Gu, project director of ProWine Shanghai, noted, “In its 11 years in China, ProWine Shanghai has grown alongside the wine and spirits market here, aiming to provide a professional trade platform that strengthens upstream and downstream resources and supports industry education to drive sustainable growth.”

International exhibitors make up over 80% of this year’s event, indicating that most exhibitors are wineries rather than importers or distributors, distinguishing it from other Chinese wine fairs and giving buyers direct access to better resources and pricing.

China will also have three pavilions: Yinchuan Wine Association (Yinchuan Helan Mountain East Foot Wine Industry Alliance), Up-Chinese Wine (UCW, UP China Wine), and Yong Generation China Wine (YGCW, China New Power Winemakers Alliance),

In addition to the trade fair, ProWine Shanghai will feature 59 eventsincluding masterclasses, industry forums, and exhibitor workshops. WSET will host a seminar titled “Update and Opportunities for the Chinese Wine Market,” featuring speakers such as Johnny Jiang, Senior Marketing Manager for Penfolds at Treasury Wine Estates (China); Delphin Duan, Head of Wine Purchasing at Metro; Xiaopi, wine influencer; Dorian Tang, National Training Director at ASC Fine Wines; He Jiakui, Deputy General Manager at COFCO Great Wall Wine Sales Management Center; and Qu Yiming, Secretary General of Shanghai Association for Liquor and Spirits Circulation (上海市酒类流通行业协会).

ProWine will also partner with the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting to bring the “Meet the MWs in ProWine” series from Düsseldorf to Asia for the first time, with four Masters of Wine leading a seminar on “Becoming a Master of Wine: From Tasting to Mindset.” Additionally, there will be workshops on wine regions from around the world.

The event is expected to attract 25,000 professional buyers from various sectors, including importers, distributors, hotels, and restaurants. As of November 7, pre-registrations indicate that 52.6% of attendees are from outside Shanghai, and 60% of buyers are new to the past two editions. This aligns with observations by Vino Joy News that, while the industry remains stagnant, there are emerging businesses, new retail outlets, and a younger generation of knowledgeable buyers entering the market, making professional wine fairs like ProWine appealing to them.

Notably, even though China’s wine market has seen a steady decline, ProWine Shanghai’s scale has held steady, with regular pavilions from France, Germany, Spain, and the U.S. Based on our observations, while importers in China are more cautious with stock levels and some have exited the wine sector, professional buyers continue to replenish popular items. In general, Chinese buyers are cautious yet enthusiastic about discovering new products, and China remains one of Asia’s most important export markets, drawing sustained attention from wineries worldwide.