Why Chinese Importers Want Georgian Wine, and What It Teaches Winemakers

Georgia, the country, not the American state, makes some of the oldest wine in the world, and Chinese importers have developed a real appetite for it. That surprises people who assume Chinese wine drinkers only want French bottles, but it points to something important about the Chinese wine market: there is room for distinctive, well-told wine stories beyond the obvious big names. Whether you make wine in Georgia, or anywhere else outside the famous French regions, the lesson is the same. China is a huge and growing wine market, but winning a place on the importer’s list and in the drinker’s glass takes more than a good product. It takes understanding why importers choose what they choose, and how Chinese wine buyers actually decide. Here is what the Georgian wine story teaches any foreign winemaker eyeing China. The numbers back this up. In 2025 China imported about 2.95 million litres of Georgian wine, up nearly 16% on the year, making Georgia the country’s ninth-largest wine supplier, and the first two months of 2026 saw imports jump another 46.7% by volume.

Why Georgian wine found a place in China

Georgian wine offers Chinese importers something valuable: a genuine, ancient story, a distinctive style, and a price-to-quality position that works. China’s wine market grew fast and the early years were dominated by French bottles bought as much for status as for taste, but the market matured, drinkers grew more curious and knowledgeable, and importers started looking for wines that stood out and offered good value. Georgia, with thousands of years of winemaking heritage and a real, different identity, fit that need. It is not trying to out-Bordeaux Bordeaux, it offers its own thing, and that distinctiveness plus a sensible price made it attractive to importers wanting to offer something fresh to an evolving market.

The lesson for any foreign winemaker is that you do not need to be from the most famous region to succeed in China. You need a genuine story, a clear identity, and a value proposition that gives importers and drinkers a reason to choose you over the crowded field of familiar names. Distinctiveness is an asset, not a handicap.

What Chinese wine importers actually want

Importers are businesses, and they choose wines they believe they can sell, so understanding their thinking is the first step to winning their orders.

• A sellable story. A clear, genuine origin and identity that gives them something to market to their buyers.
• Value that works. A price-to-quality balance that leaves room for everyone in the chain to make money.
• Brand support. Evidence that you will help build demand, not just ship bottles and disappear.
• Reliability and trust. Confidence that you are a serious, consistent partner who will deliver quality every time.

How do Chinese consumers choose wine now?

With more knowledge and confidence than in the early status-buying days, which changes what wins. As drinkers learned more, the pure prestige game softened and genuine interest in taste, story, food pairing, and discovery grew. Many Chinese wine buyers now research, read reviews, and look for recommendations before choosing, especially for anything beyond the safe famous labels. This is where content and social proof matter: real people sharing wines they enjoyed, pairing ideas, and the story behind a bottle on Xiaohongshu, where lifestyle and food discovery happen, help a less-famous wine find curious drinkers. A distinctive wine with a good story is exactly the kind of thing this research-driven, discovery-led buyer loves to find and share.

Does a foreign winery need to build a brand, or just sell to importers?

Both, and the smartest winemakers understand that helping build consumer demand makes them far more attractive to importers. An importer is much more willing to take on your wine if they can see that drinkers want it or could be made to want it, rather than having to create all the demand themselves. So even though you sell to importers and distributors, investing in your brand’s story and presence in China helps the whole chain. When importers, distributors, and curious drinkers look you up to judge whether you are credible and worth stocking, your presence on Baidu shapes that judgement. A winery that shows up as a real, credible brand with a genuine story is a far easier yes than one that is invisible.

Can a small or unknown winery succeed in China?

Yes, precisely because the market has matured beyond just the big famous names. A small winery with a genuine identity, a distinctive style, and a sensible value position can find its place with importers serving curious, knowledgeable drinkers, and with consumers who enjoy discovering something different. You will not win by competing head-on with the giant famous regions on their terms, and you should not try. You win by being authentically yourself, telling your story well, offering real value, and being visible and credible when importers and drinkers check you. The Georgian example proves the point: an ancient, distinctive, well-positioned wine from outside the obvious regions can earn real demand in China. Your job is to give the market a reason to choose you and the proof that you are genuine.

Where we come in

We are a team of 15 in Shanghai who help foreign wineries win in China without a famous-region name: a story that sells, the content and social proof that build consumer demand, and a credible presence on Baidu when importers and drinkers check you. If you make wine and want a real place in China, tell us about your winery.

Jon Wang is a pragmatic, results-driven business man with deep experience in Chinese ecommerce and distribution, always focused on solutions that work.