Italian wine aims to win China’s heart again: spotlight on “Vinitaly China Roadshow”

The potentialities are enormous, even though, after the record-breaking year of 2017, China, a country with a population of over 1.4 billion, has gradually cooled its enthusiasm for wine and for the major producing “superpowers”, including Italy. The latest Istat data for the first half of 2025, analyzed by WineNews, shows exports to the Dragon Country stopped at 33.6 million euros, marking a sharp -21.7% drop compared to the same period in 2024, in which a significant slowdown in orders occurred, stopping at 89.5 million euros, with a drop of -10.2% compared to 2023. Still, many analysts believe it’s right to persist in the Asian market, where China represents the largest share. Also because, after years of significant decline, mainly due to tariff disputes with neighboring Australia, China saw a rebound in overall wine imports in 2024, reaching 11,477.4 billion Yuan (around 1.4 billion euros, ed), with an increase by 39.6% compared to 2023, with 283.1 million liters imported (+13.7%), according to Chinese customs data analyzed by the Organización Interprofesional del Vino de España (Oive). This growth was driven entirely by the return of Australian wine, but it nonetheless demonstrated that the passion for wine is far from extinguished. There is still room to penetrate this vast market, and Italian wine is betting on it, returning as a key player in the Country of the Dragon and the Far East with the “Vinitaly China Roadshow”, an itinerant promotional format organized by Veronafiere in collaboration with Ita - Italian Trade Agency, and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, scheduled from September, 15th to 19th.
Among the cities which have been selected to host the edition No. 8 of the event, which will kick off in Beijing, in northern, on September, 15th, to then move to Wuhan, a central hub city of connection (September, 17th), and, in the end, in Chengdu (September, 19th): an user base of over 50 million inhabitants concentrated within just over 2,000 kilometers from the capital to central China, with two of the most visited cities by Chinese tourists, with the highest growth rates for new businesses in food and entertainment.
At each stop of the Vinitaly China wine tour, 31 companies representing Italian wine offerings and Consorzio Vini d’Abruzzo will participate in a business agenda with 16 leading Asian importers, already accredited. Also Consorzio del Grana Padano joins the tour, among others.
“We aim to further strengthen our presence in this region - underlines the president of Veronafiere Federico Bricolo - although strategic, especially in a context where diversification is key, this market has yet to fully express its potential. We are aware that the goals for positioning Italian wine are still distant, and that efforts must be intensified to support companies and facilitate their commercial entry”.
The schedule in the three cities includes a series of masterclasses for trade professionals, starting with “North to heart: Friuli to Tuscany with Frescobaldi”, a tasting led by the company vcepresident Stefano Benini, in Beijing, in addition to the sessions on iconic Italian wines under the project “Taste the difference: quality wines from the heart of Europe”, and a focus on Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. While, in Wuhan (September, 16th), Ita - Italian Trade Agency will promote a special edition of “Italian Wines & Spirits” course. But, that’s not all. From tomorrow until September, 19th, Beijing, Wuhan, and Chengdu will simultaneously host the “Italian Wine Week”, an initiative for wine lovers created by Veronafiere and Ita - Italian Trade Agency, in collaboration with the most trendy Chinese bistros, bars, wine shops, and venues.
“After the growing success of previous editions, this year we’re involving over a hundred venues across the three Chinese cities. With this widespread format, we reach consumers directly, telling the story of Italian excellence through wine, not just its quality, but also its culture and extraordinary diversity - explains Adolfo Rebughini, dg Veronafiere - Vinitaly is not just a trade fair, but an international platform that promotes the uniqueness of Italian wine worldwide, and facilitates its connection with strategic markets like China, a dynamic context with much potential which still need to be expressed. This journey strengthens our mission: to support businesses and spread the culture of Italian wine, a globally unmatched heritage”.
After China, Veronafiere’s international wine promotion calendar continues in the United States with the second edition of “Vinitaly.USA” (Chicago, October 5th - 6th), which, this year also includes the debut of the “wine2wine Vinitaly Business Forum” in the U.S. Then, “Vinitaly Japan Roadshow” (Tokyo, November 17th - 18th) and “Vinitaly @ Wine Vision by Open Balkan” (Belgrade, November 22th - 25th) come. In 2026, the “Vinitaly India Roadshow” is already scheduled for Mumbai (January 16th) and Panaji/Goa (January 18th).