Blank Canvas rides white wine wave as New Zealand wine sales soar in China
If you find a new consumer in a developed wine market, you are taking them from someone else, says Blank Canvas co-founder Sophie Parker-Thomson MW.
This upward trajectory has been largely driven by two varieties: German Riesling and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
In a landmark collaboration during the 2025 Chengdu Wine Fair in March, the wine associations of Germany and New Zealand joined forces to present the business forum "Riesling & Sauvignon Blanc - How Germany and New Zealand Are Leading China's White Wine Revolution."
The timing was strategic - as China's oldest and largest wine exhibition, the Chengdu Fair attracts the nation's entire wine trade ecosystem.
This unprecedented partnership between two national wine bodies created significant buzz, leveraging the complementary strengths to elevate awareness of premium white wines in China.
The forum featured six distinguished industry experts who delivered insightful analyses across all major channels - from on-trade and retail to e-commerce - while the tastings allowed attendees to experience the distinctive characteristics of benchmark Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs.
Vaness Wu is New Zealand Winegrowers China Market Manager.
