From 10 to 12 November, Shanghai becomes a meeting place for the wine trade and producers: ProWine Shanghai opens at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), in halls W4 and W5. According to the German Wine Institute (DWI), 45 wineries and trading companies will exhibit in the German wine pavilion; more than ten of them are entering the Chinese market for the first time. The programme includes tastings and short seminars. For exhibitors, the fair is therefore both a showcase and a place to do business.
Yet a busy stand, new contacts and glasses poured do not in themselves constitute a reliable route to market. The crucial work begins once visitors have left: sorting contacts, assessing suitable import partners, clarifying terms and delivery capacity — and following through on agreed next steps.
Growth in a shrinking market
The wider picture is contradictory. According to the DWI, Germany exported five million litres of bottled wine to China in 2025, around ten per cent more than in the previous year. The value rose by 2.6 per cent to US$26.5 million, while the average price per litre fell by 6.8 per cent to US$5.30. This represents growth for German bottled wines, but is not evidence of a recovery in the Chinese market as a whole.
The OIV puts China’s wine imports in 2025 at 2.1 million hectolitres, a decline of 26.7 per cent compared with 2024. Import value fell by 14.6 per cent to €1.3 billion. Germany’s growing share of sales thus comes against a backdrop of a substantially smaller import market overall. For new market entrants, this increases the pressure to secure not just attention, but a viable market positioning and a distribution partner who can actually bring the wines to market.
Every contact needs a next step
Different business models come together in the German pavilion: family wineries from several wine-growing regions, cooperatives, larger wineries and companies with established export experience. Alongside wine producers, the German Pavilion’s exhibitor list also includes trading companies and importers. This creates opportunities for discussion, but says nothing yet about whether an encounter will lead to a working relationship.
That takes more than a business card. Is the potential partner a good fit for the range, price positioning and intended sales channel? Can they handle importing, storage and distribution? What volumes and delivery times are realistic? And who will take care of samples, product information, price lists and a firm response after the initial conversation? These are not outcomes of the fair, but questions against which its commercial impact can be measured.
Do not measure success at the stand
Thorough follow-up starts before exhibitors even arrive. Those who set specific objectives for discussions and identify suitable people to speak to can distinguish after the fair between casual interest, a qualified contact and an agreed next action. This might include a follow-up meeting, a sample assessment or a specific proposal for a range and terms. Subsequent performance indicators might include new import partnerships, orders actually placed and repeat business. The key is to define the timeframe and objective in advance — rather than simply reporting the number of conversations.
The DWI provides specialist support for Germany’s presence at the fair on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity. The joint presentation concentrates attention and raises the profile of the regions of origin. But whether this leads to lasting business relationships can only be determined after the fair. For exhibitors, Shanghai is therefore not the conclusion of an export project, but a potential beginning: with conversations that need to be continued, assessed and translated into practical distribution work.
Original reviewed by the editors · 6 November 2026
