Buying Chinese Wine in Europe: Where to Look and What to Choose

You have learned about Ningxia's buried vines, the Rothschilds' Marselan and the Tang poets' glowing cups. Now you want to taste. Here is the honest truth: finding Chinese wine in Europe is still an adventure. But it is getting easier, and knowing where to look makes all the difference.

Why is it so hard to find?

For most of its modern history, Chinese wine was made for China. The domestic market was huge and growing, and producers had little reason to export. Chinese wine has had several false starts in Europe: a supermarket listing here, a tasting there, then silence.

Two things have changed. Quality has risen dramatically, with international trophies and investment from the greatest names in wine. And the Chinese domestic market is shrinking, so the best producers are now actively looking abroad. Europe is one of their main targets.

Where to find it today

Specialist wine merchants

Independent merchants with an adventurous spirit are the best place to start. The UK leads the way: in London, for example, some merchants now stock a dedicated selection of Chinese wines with national delivery. Elsewhere in Europe, look for shops specialising in "new" or "unusual" wine countries.

Fine wine traders

The icons are sold through the fine wine trade. Since 2022, Ao Yun has been distributed through the négociants of Bordeaux, like the great châteaux, and fine wine merchants across Europe list it alongside Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Importers and distributors

Some Chinese estates have signed distribution deals in Europe, mostly in the UK so far. Following the estates you like on social media is often the quickest way to find out where their wines are sold.

Wine fairs

Major trade fairs like ProWein in Düsseldorf and Vinexpo Paris increasingly host Chinese producers. If you work in the trade, it is the best way to taste many wines in one day.

Our Wineries section

We track which Chinese estates are available in Europe. Use the "Available in Europe" filter to see them.

How to choose a bottle

Good Chinese wine is made in small quantities, and making it is hard work: the vines are buried by hand every winter, desert vineyards must be irrigated and many estates are still young. This is why the best bottles are not easy to find, and why it pays to know what you are looking for.

• Everyday wines from the big brands, such as Changyu and Great Wall, are the easiest to find and a simple way to start.
• Estate wines from Ningxia, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Hebei or Shandong are the heart of modern Chinese wine: look for the name of the estate and the region on the label.
• The icons, such as Ao Yun from Yunnan or Long Dai from Shandong, are rare collector's wines made in very small quantities.

The most rewarding discoveries are often the family estates: wines with real personality, still little known in Europe.

Five checks before you buy

1. A named estate. Look for 酒庄 (estate) or "Château" followed by a specific name. 2. A named region. Ningxia, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Shandong: the more precise, the better. 3. A vintage. Remember: the bottling date is not the vintage. 4. A European importer. Wines legally sold in Europe carry a back label with the importer's details. No European label, no guarantee. 5. The grape. Try a Marselan: it is the wine China does like nobody else.

Bringing wine home from China

Visiting China? Buying at the cellar door is the best way to taste wines you will never see in Europe. When you return to the European Union, you can bring home duty-free up to 4 litres of still wine per adult, plus smaller allowances for sparkling wine and spirits. Above that, you will have to declare and pay duties. Pack bottles in your checked luggage with protective sleeves, and check your airline's rules.

A word of warning on ordering online from China: many Chinese e-commerce platforms do not ship alcohol abroad, and those that do will add shipping, customs duties, excise and VAT. It rarely makes sense for a few bottles.

Our promise

Wine Silk Road exists because Chinese wine deserves a place on European tables, and today it is still too hard to find. We are building a curated selection of Chinese wines for Europe: estate wines, verified labels and clear information on every bottle. Join the waitlist and you will be the first to know.

In one sentence

Chinese wine is still rare in Europe, so buy from specialist and fine wine merchants, check for estate, region, vintage and a European importer, and look for quality, not novelty.