Wine to Asia. My favorite trade show. Just one week away. From May 14 to May 16 in Shenzhen.
I love this show’s spirit—its quirkiness—and how the organizers connect the trade to the community, including local wine bars, restaurants and consumers.
And, for the first time, those consumers can join, on May 15 and May 16, for RMB88 / USD12 per day and explore hundreds of wines and spirits from dozens of nations.
Here are eight things I’ll be checking out, from the debut of RAW Wine in Shenzhen to some intriguing wines / spirits to plenty of post-fair fun. You can also check out highlights of the 2025 edition here.
Parties! Fun!
No exhibition connects with the wine community like Wine to Asia. The most visible evidence: the simultaneous Greater Bay Area Wine Week, featuring 100-plus wine-centric venues across the region, including from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Foshan and more.
But it goes beyond that. There are also plenty of tastings, dinners and parties each night. I’ve helped host a few of my own with Wine to Asia, including two Grace Vineyard wine dinners, one with Interprocom and featuring Italian grape varieties, the other with Hunan restaurant Xiang Jiao and focused on Marselan.
Then there was last year: instead of leaving the semi-full bottles from our Marselan tasting to be discarded, Wine to Asia sent them to Otheroof bar for an impromptu evening tasting that reached even more consumers.
RAW Wine
This global force makes its Shenzhen debut on May 15 and 16, with more than 70 producers from a dozen countries. Founder Isabelle Legeron will deliver a keynote speech and co-host a Franciacorta class.
RAW attendees include Das Juice / Australia, Gloriville / China, Roxanich / Croatia, Pepin / France, DAO Wines / Italy, Powicana / United States, and many more. See this list of vendors posted on April 23.
China Whisky
I’m helping with a panel / tasting with Bastien Ciocca of arguably China’s best bar group, Hope & Sesame, plus James Liao of Guqi, a partnership of Cognac maker Camus and baijiu producer Gujingjong, and Ashley Lin of Laizhou, which boasts some 600,000 casks in maturation.
The theme: “Global Spirit, Local Flavor.” We’ll sample whisky that leverages baijiu techniques, that uses Mongolian oak, that is aged in yellow wine-seasoned barrels, and more. Should be an eye-opener!
Country Pavilions
As with most wine fairs, there are brands from around the globe. My favorite stop is QL, China’s biggest Slovenian wine importer, including producersEdi Simcic, Steyer and Scurek.
I’m also looking forward to trying new Greek, Serbian, Portuguese and—for the first time—San Marino wines. Plus, a major turnout of Italian wineries given Wine to Asia is backed by Veronafiere.
Beyond Wine
This show continues to broaden its scope. That means cocktail sessions with tea (Bar Choice) and olive oil (SOL Expo). A special focus on China’s most traditional alcohol—huangjiu. And the first agave spirits pavilion in Wine to Asia’s history. Among other highlights.
Chinese Wine
Along with individual booths, like for Domaine Franco-Chinois and Canaan, there is the Yantai region pavilion, featuring China’s biggest producer, Changyu, and one its smallest, Jiangyu, side by side.
Plus YGCW—Young Generation Creative Winemakers. This is the best bet for finding local blanc de noirs, quirky varietals, pet-nats and skin contact wines alongside more traditional reds. Look for Si Mang (Sichuan), Petit Mont (multiple regions), Chanson and DEVO (Ningxia), Shofang (Hebei) and many more.
Plus…
Marselan!
I’ll help with a Marselan tasting on May 16, featuring the 35-plus wineries that supported our World Marselan Day parties last month. Some 10 regions / sub-regions will be represented, giving people a chance to compare terroirs.
And More
Finally, checking the vendor lineup, there are booths here and there catching my eye. KC Wines always has a nice range of natural options. There are high-altitude options from La Cafeyete in Argentina and Shangri-la in China, including premium producer Xiaoling. Plus, EVO, the biggest importer of US wine in China. A Chinese rice wine pavilion. And more.
There are also a slew of master classes, featuring local and international speakers. I don’t tend to join those: I feel I get more done visiting vendors for 90 minutes than sitting down, but that’s just me. For those seeking more formal education, check out this link.
Whew, that’s enough to fill three days for me!
To sign up for Wine to Asia, either as a trade member or as a consumer, check the QR codes / info below. Hope to see you there!
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