Why young Chinese travellers will fall in love with local wine culture abroad

Life in China has changed so much over the years. As more people pursue their happiness with their rising standard of living, they start to have an urge for new experiences. One of those experiences that has become a trend in China is wine tasting.

Previously, older generations of Chinese people were more used to drinking different types of rice wine, with baijiu being perhaps the most common drink. Now, the younger generation has opened up to wine culture hailing from abroad. Not only because it is a drink that symbolizes social status but also because it plays a role in understanding how to do business with some major European nations. And, of course, it is also about enjoying life, too.

In this article, I share with you some of my own experiences and how I view wine as a Chinese independent traveller, entrepreneur and business woman. You can also get a broader perspective on how wine drinking culture in China spills into how they travel on the Shake to Win blog. 

My wine journeyOddly enough, my first experience with a western alcoholic beverage was not wine. In fact, it was whiskey, and it ended with me getting drunk for the first time. But wine soon followed, and it was quite different.

When I was still in University in Hong Kong, around the age of 21, I had my first wine experience. It was part of a training program to teach us how to pair wines and drink wine in a business setting. Initially, I was not really into wine. I, like any recent graduate in Hong Kong and now also in mainland China, started my journey with cocktails because it was lighter and seemed more festive at the time. After a few years, my sweet tooth had been satisfied and as I matured I began to realize why the experience of wine culture was so enriching.

Until the age of 25 I had not really felt much for wines since alcohol was a way to have fun. It was only after I started enjoying calmer social moments with a group of close friends, like just sharing a meal or simply talking about life, that I decided to have wine tastings with them. Perhaps, it was the trend at the time to drink cocktails more than wine and as I matured in my working environment, I also felt the need to slow down and relax. And my friends and wine were perfect company.

We started by tasting French wines as they were well established for their quality and image. From French wines, we moved onto Spanish, Argentine, and Chilean wines. My interest then grew, maybe hand-in-hand with my natural love for travel. Then I thought, as I travel, why not go see for myself how wine is made.

I recall visiting a vineyard in Vigo, Spain. Our business partner took us by boat to a cliff where the vines grew. Watching how the people climbed the cliff to pick the grapes and learning about how they have been doing this for over 100 years really amazed me. It was a very rare moment for me; everything was unique—the place, the process, the history, the brand and, of course, the taste. These were wines sold exclusively in that region of Spain, unheard of in China.

I think that I am not alone in this. Most Chinese people always start with French wine, because that is the country and culture that wine is usually associated with. If you are going to try something you don’t really know, something very different from your culture that your parents never or hardly ever drank, I guess it is normal you go for what is reputed to be the best. But if you like it and it becomes a part of your lifestyle, you eventually want to try something new.

In China, people know wine is not traditionally a local drink. Things are changing quite fast, but most young adults are not wine specialists and are not drinking it based on grape types, for example. It’s about culture, about a certain lifestyle.

This is why I think wine tours will be a big draw for many Chinese independent travellers. In one trip to a vineyard abroad, they get to experience a part of the local culture, enjoy the scenery, learn a bit of history, meet local people, and take home two things that they can share with friends and family they cannot get in China: a bottle of an authentic wine and unique travel stories.

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