Western Australian wines draw strong demand at Shanghai festival

Discover Western Australia Festival took place at Bridge 8 Art Space on 7–8 November. Nearly 600 wine enthusiasts, private clients and influencers attended the 1st ticketed consumer session, while almost 300 trade professionals came the next day despite persistent rain.¹

The event’s stated breakdown included 17 wineries from Margaret River and Great Southern, 2 food vendors and 2 travel booths associated with Tourism Western Australia and Chinese travel company CTRIP.¹

Consumer demand and on-site sales

Exhibitors described most consumer-session visitors as women in their early 30s and said white wines were generally the most popular. From the 10 a.m. opening, guests sampled Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Great Southern Riesling, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. Some award-winning or highly rated bottles cost at least 1,000 yuan, equivalent to about US$150, while chefs served Western Australian beef and lamb at 2 food stands.¹

Henry Xu, who manages the Chinese import and distribution business of Great Southern producer Ferngrove, said sales through Red Note included several flagship wines and exceeded expectations. Ferngrove’s Gurwutzraminer rosé and its white wines were particularly popular on 7 November. Sarah Date, co-owner of Great Southern’s Duke’s Vineyard, said it was encouraging to show the winery’s wines to many younger consumers; Duke’s Vineyard is known for its award-winning Rieslings.¹

Yuan Zhiqin, sales director of Guangzhou Qikai Trade Co. and Chinese agent for Subsea Estate, reported that 6 customers each bought 1 or 2 bottles, spending about 200 yuan per bottle on average. Lewis Liu, managing director of For U Global Pty Ltd and exclusive Chinese distributor for Willoughby Park, sold several cases but said limited stock prevented additional purchases; he planned to contact those prospective customers afterward.¹

Wayne Liu, Xanadu’s representative in China, said visitors explored almost the entire range and often remained at the stand for extended tastings. The festival also presented Western Australia as a destination: a prize draw offered wine, food, hotel accommodation and 2 return flights between Shanghai and Perth. A consumer said the tasting had prompted interest in visiting the region. Exhibitors regarded the sales as encouraging in a difficult market where distributors remained cautious, and saw direct consumer contact as another route to buyers.¹

Trade buyers broaden their interest

At the 8 November trade session, some merchants arrived before the official opening, and guests were still entering 1 hour before closing. Lewis Liu received interest from hospitality and retail buyers and intended to continue those discussions after returning to Australia.¹

Hong Boyong, CEO of Pran Wines, spent the session meeting customers on behalf of 4 participating producers: 3 Drops, Cullen Wines, L.A.S. Vino and Pierro. He said interest in the established Cullen, L.A.S. Vino and Pierro labels was expected, while the response to the less widely known 3 Drops was stronger than anticipated.¹

Several distributors considered buying and carrying 3 Drops because of its value, and a hotel customer in Suzhou requested a training session after tasting the wines. Hong said the event would give buyers more confidence to promote Margaret River Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and described it as an efficient way to connect his company with prospective customers.¹

Available stock and prospects for another edition

Most participating wineries already had an importer or stock in China. Consumers could therefore purchase wines after tasting them, while restaurants, hotels and distributors could discuss products already present in the market without first establishing a new import arrangement. The producers came from 2 leading Western Australian regions, and most held red 5-star winery ratings from the Halliday Wine Companion.¹

Xu described Ferngrove’s participation as a chance to understand Shanghai demand directly during what he said was Ferngrove’s 1st consumer event in Shanghai dedicated exclusively to Western Australian food and wine. The trade session also allowed him to reconnect with industry colleagues. For the following year, he hoped to bring a broader range of Western Australian wines back to Shanghai and introduce them to more people.¹