As Chinese wine imports weaken, falling by 10.6% in the first quarter of 2026, according to customs data, opportunities open for Chinese wineries crafting a new definition of luxury wine. With China’s wine consumer base increasingly veering younger, according to IWSR research, this is paramount. But when winemakers make a luxury brand, one thing matters more than anything else – a sense of exclusivity. In this way, aiming to define ‘luxury Chinese wine’ is almost a moot point, with the country’s wine regions crafting their identities from what sets them apart from one another. Mahota’s Jia is the voice of the chorus when she says: “We believe that the future of Chinese luxury wine lies not in imitating Bordeaux or Napa, but in having the confidence to tell our own story.