Since 2018, China Mainland’s wine imports have continued to slide. In 2025, import volume fell 26.85% to about 207 million litres, while import value dropped 10.9% to about US$ 1.418 billion. Against this backdrop, two categories stand out with strong growth: Moscato d’Asti and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. These wines are not merely surviving. They signal a deeper reset in the China Mainland market.
Moscato d’Asti roughly doubled in sales, rising from around one million to two million bottles. New Zealand wine exports to mainland China Mainland reached 5.36 million litres, up 58.5% year on year, with value increasing 31.5%. White wines now account for 88% of New Zealand exports to the market, with Sauvignon Blanc as the dominant driver. These results point to a clear consumer vote for genuine value for money.
The Value Equation: Why These Wines Succeed
The success of Moscato d’Asti and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc rests on a simple but powerful formula: clear flavour identity, immediate approachable drinking pleasure, ease of understanding and strong alignment with modern consumption habits.
In an exclusive interview with Drinks Times, New Zealand Winegrowers explains that Sauvignon Blanc’s aromatic clarity, with notes of passionfruit, lime and grapefruit, combined with its fresh, crisp palate, makes it immediately appealing even for consumers with limited wine knowledge. It is easy to understand and consistently delivers on taste. The wine also pairs well with a wide range of Chinese cuisines, from seafood and salads to hotpot and spicy regional dishes. Screwcap closures add practical convenience for everyday use.
Moscato d’Asti matches this profile with low alcohol content, fresh fruit aromas and gentle fizz. Giacomo Pondini, Direttore of the Consorzio per la Tutela dell’Asti, told Drinks Times in an exclusive interview that these characteristics fit perfectly with evolving consumption habits in China Mainland and worldwide. Consumers now favour less rigid pairing, clear flavour profiles, immediate drinking pleasure, low alcohol, genuine quality and fair pricing.
Both wines sit in the RMB 60-200 range. This is not the cheapest segment, but it offers a compelling “premium but not expensive” positioning. Consumers feel they receive reliable quality and enjoyable experience without overpaying. This perception drives repeat purchases and higher drinking frequency. The result is a virtuous cycle: better alignment with self-reward and casual occasions leads to more regular consumption, which in turn strengthens market presence.
Product attributes further reinforce this dynamic. Moscato d’Asti is best enjoyed within one to two years, while New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc relies on vibrant, fresh aromatics that fade over time. These traits make high turnover essential. Rather than fighting the constraints of traditional slow-moving distribution, these wines naturally thrive in faster channels.
What makes them stand out is the reliable consistency across producers. Consumers know that whether it is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough or Moscato d’Asti, the overall quality is generally solid, making it much easier and less risky to buy.
Channel Evolution: How New Retail Built the Market
The rise of these wines reflects a three-phase market formation process driven by new distribution models.
In the first phase, traditional multi-tier import and distribution struggled to build demand. High mark-ups and limited consumer understanding kept prices elevated and visibility low.
In the second phase, e-commerce platforms allowed direct connection with consumers. Brands and importers built awareness through reviews, promotions and consistent storytelling. New Zealand Winegrowers highlights strong e-commerce performance: sales on Taobao and Tmall reached RMB 68.08 million in 2025, up 19% year on year, with Sauvignon Blanc contributing approximately RMB 61 million. At the SKU level, it consistently ranks among top-selling dry whites, showing robust turnover and repeat behaviour.
The third phase brought new retail and instant delivery platforms such as Sam’s Club, Hema, Aldi, Meituan Flash Buy and others. These channels offer direct sourcing, transparent pricing, high turnover and rapid delivery. Instant retail reduces the gap between purchase and consumption, turning wine into a more spontaneous choice. During peak periods like the 2025 New Year, white wine sales on such platforms surged 103% year on year, with Sauvignon Blanc leading. For example, Babich’s Headwaters Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025 has performed strongly at Hema and recently won a Gold Medal at the Asia Wine Awards 2026.
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These new channels have also helped build lasting consumer trust. Pondini emphasises continuous efforts to highlight the higher quality standards of DOCG Moscato d’Asti, including strict production rules, natural sugar and carbon dioxide, grapes from a specific UNESCO-protected area, and controlled yields. This collective brand recognition helps differentiate authentic products from generic alternatives.
Together, these channels have established clear price anchors and style expectations. Traditional trade is now under pressure to adapt, either by lowering mark-ups or improving relevance.
Market Polarisation: The Barbell Structure
This evolution is producing a barbell market structure in China Mainland. Growth concentrates at the accessible value-driven end and the luxury segment, while the middle tier faces increasing pressure.
Wines in the RMB 200-800 range often struggle with blurred value signals and higher education costs. Many consumers find it difficult to justify the price when clearer, more approachable options already deliver strong everyday enjoyment. Information transparency through e-commerce and new retail further accelerates this shift, while self-drinking and lifestyle consumption are replacing status-driven banquets as the main occasion.
This trend also highlights the contrast between democratised, approachable wines and those requiring deeper wine knowledge. Moscato d’Asti and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc exemplify the popularisation trend with low entry barriers and immediate pleasure. In contrast, many middle-tier wines rely more on intricate tasting notes and status signalling, which can create greater friction in today’s self-drinking era. This mirrors broader patterns observed in Australia and the United States.
The pattern is not unique to China Mainland. Similar polarisation appears in other markets, reflecting a broader move away from passive, distribution-led growth toward consumer-driven restructuring.
Global Implications
The Chinese experience offers clear lessons for the global wine industry. New Zealand Winegrowers sees the trend as part of a wider shift from status-driven to value-driven consumption. Across markets, consumers increasingly prioritise approachable, consistent wines that deliver on experience rather than prestige alone.
From a headquarters perspective, this reinforces New Zealand’s focus on premium yet relevant wines, consistency, authenticity and strong value propositions. The emphasis is on high-value growth rather than volume. Sauvignon Blanc success also creates a platform for other varieties such as Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. All share fresh acidity and distinctive aromatics that align with evolving preferences for lighter, food-friendly styles.
For Asti, the China Mainland results carry strategic weight. Asia now represents 18% of international sales, and the two million bottles shipped to China Mainland account for about 7% of 2025 Moscato d’Asti exports. Pondini notes that producers can build on this positive momentum through wine fairs, professional events and strategic social media.
More broadly, the trend highlights the growing importance of genuine quality combined with fair pricing. In a world of rising input costs and competition from flavoured drinks, wines that offer immediate pleasure and rational pricing stand a better chance of increasing frequency and rebuilding consumer enthusiasm. In many cases, new channel efficiency proves more decisive than traditional brand heritage.
Reset and Opportunity
China Mainland’s wine market is not simply declining. It is resetting around genuine value. Moscato d’Asti and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc demonstrate that wines delivering clear flavour, immediate drinking pleasure and rational pricing (RMB 60-200) can significantly boost consumption frequency and rebuild consumer interest. This is a structural signal with global relevance.
In today’s rational, lifestyle-driven environment, the future belongs to wines that combine real quality with accessibility. For both China Mainland and the global wine industry, this shift from passive growth to value-driven restructuring opens new opportunities, proving that when wine makes sense to drink, consumers will drink more.
