Chinese vineyard aims for global recognition

Master of Wine Michael Palij, speaks at a tasting session along with Song Yan, founder of Longting Vineyard, at the 2025 London Wine Fair, held at Olympia in west London on May 19. [Photo provided to China Daily]

She pointed out that China's wine industry lacks some of the coordinated support structures found in Europe. "We don't yet have a unified, professional export network," she said. "Most of us are small producers working independently. What we need is collective branding and distribution strategies that reflect our potential."

Still, the optimism remains strong. "The response here in London has been encouraging," said Song. "People are curious. And when they taste the wine, they're surprised — in a good way."

Song believes that collaboration will be key to the industry's future. "We need to build something bigger than any single vineyard," she said. "If we work together, we can put China on the global wine map."

Palij agreed. "If Chinese producers can unite — pooling their efforts like Australia once did — they'll go far. But right now, names like Yantai or Shandong are still unfamiliar to most. That's the gap they're trying to close."