China’s traditional wine market is struggling. According to Chinese customs data, wine imports fell by 26.85% in volume and 10.90% in value in 2025. Domestic wine production dropped by 17.1%. Yet against this chilly backdrop, natural wine – low-intervention, often funky, and anything but mainstream – is quietly heating up.

The driving force? Young consumers. The so-called Generation Z (born 1995–2009) are turning away from heavy business banquets and status‑driven labels. Instead, they seek light, authentic, and photogenic drinking experiences. Global research from IWSR shows that drinking participation among legal‑age Gen Z rose from 66% to 73% between early 2023 and early 2025. Chinese data firm Endata confirms a similar trend, with wine ranking second only to beer among young drinkers.

Natural wine fits perfectly into this new mindset. It’s often easy‑drinking, additive‑free, and comes in eye‑catching bottles – instant social media fuel. As one observer puts it, young people are no longer drinking for “face” but for pleasure and self‑expression.

Shanghai has become the epicentre of this movement. Vinism, which opened in 2017, is widely seen as the city’s first natural‑wine bar. William Shen, who worked there, later co‑founded SOiF on Wuding Road in 2020, another beloved natural‑wine hangout. Today, searching “natural wine” on Shanghai’s Dianping app yields over 83,000 results – far more than “craft beer” (26,000). The trend has spread to Chengdu, Guangzhou, Changsha, and beyond, where young owners blend natural wine with local culture.

Events like Bunch, a biannual natural‑wine festival co‑founded by Franklin Chiang, have become cultural magnets. “People dress up for Bunch – you don’t see that at Vinexpo or ProWine,” Chiang told The Drinks Business. For many, natural wine is not just a drink; it’s a lifestyle badge tied to aesthetics, music, and community.

Challenges remain. Unstable quality and high costs make natural wine a poor fit for China’s huge e‑commerce platforms. Still, Chiang is unfazed: “Honestly, if no one shows up to Bunch, my friends and I will still have fun.”

That laid‑back optimism may be exactly why natural wine has found its groove among China’s new generation.