Prosecco Doc export to China grows: +30% in 2026. And Gen Z reinterprets the brand

China is proving to be a strategic market and one with steady growth potential for Prosecco DOC, bucking the trend seen across much of the wine sector. The denomination, which spans Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia and includes 12,322 winegrowers, 1,110 wineries and 350 sparkling wine producers, recorded export growth of more than 30% to China in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period the previous year. This increase amounts to 1 million bottles annually, representing 0.2% of the denomination total exports. Against this backdrop of growth, the Prosecco DOC Consortium, in collaboration with the University of International Business and Economics (Uibe) and Beijing Language and Culture University (Blcu), recently organized two masterclasses in Beijing. Led by Ais (Italian Sommelier Association) sommelier David Cheng, the sessions introduced more than 100 Chinese students to the history of the denomination, Metodo Martinotti, wine tasting, and mixology with the classic Spritz.
Among the event activities, in addition to tastings featuring wines from 13 wineries representing the DOC (Borgo Molino, Bosco del Merlo, Bottega, Brilla!, Cantina Trevigiana, De Stefani, La Gioiosa, Masottina, Martellozzo, Paladin, Piera 1899, Tenuta Sant’Anna and Valdo), the Chinese students also took part in a series of brand reinterpretation exercises. These ranged from creating evocative Chinese translations of the name, with proposed characters inspired by concepts such as joy, effervescence and conviviality, to developing promotional strategies involving collaborations with television programs focused on wellness and “slow” living, the engagement of local brand ambassadors, and co-branding projects inspired by the “guochao” phenomenon (the trend of celebrating products and cultural expressions that reinterpret Chinese identity in a contemporary way), extending even to positioning Prosecco DOC as a beverage for relaxing afternoon occasions.
“Today, Prosecco DOC is an ambassador of the Italian lifestyle around the world, and the success of these masterclasses is further confirmation of that. The Chinese market, which recorded an excellent +30% performance in the first half of 2026, offers us a fresh perspective on a context where our denomination aims to grow with respect, curiosity and a long-term vision - commented Consortium president Giancarlo Guidolin - Prosecco DOC speaks a universal language of joy and conviviality. Seeing it reinterpreted so creatively by young Chinese consumers confirms that cultural dialogue is the right path forward. Wine, when authentic and deeply rooted in its territory, has the power to build bridges between cultures. These results provide a concrete stimulus for our future promotional strategies, and we thank Uibe, Blcu and David Cheng for making this dialogue possible”.
Once again, this dialogue has demonstrated how Italian aesthetics and food and wine culture can bring together different worlds, while also providing the Prosecco DOC Consortium with concrete insights for its future positioning campaigns in China.