ProWein Goes Asia: Savoring Connections Worldwide

“She must be crazy!” – That’s what a lot of people thought when Wang Fang started cultivating Riesling in the Ningxia region of China more than ten years ago. But she stood her ground, even boldly naming her Riesling “Crazy Fang.” The winemaker, who fell in love with the grape variety during a stay in Germany, is convinced that “Riesling is the perfect match for Chinese cuisine.” Her success – supported by the trade shows in the ProWein portfolio – proves her right. After initially using ProWine Hong Kong and ProWine Shanghai to tap the Chinese market, she then launched her global expansion at ProWein in Düsseldorf. This year marked her second time at the show. Next up in her journey will be ProWine Tokyo and the Japanese market.

From ProWein to ProWine: First Tokyo, then Hong Kong
The international ProWein trade show in Düsseldorf barely wrapped up in mid-March, but there’s no time to rest as the two Asian trade shows in the ProWein portfolio are fast approaching: ProWine Tokyo from April 15 to 17, 2025, followed by ProWine Hong Kong from May 14 to 16, 2025. Both are part of a strong international network that currently totals six leading regional trade shows, with São Paulo, Mumbai, Singapore and Shanghai being the other locations. This combination enables a targeted approach to local markets – while at the same time creating a global stage for producers and retailers.

Benefiting from this setup as well are Asian producers, who are attracting more and more attention internationally: “The Chinese wine market is maturing and evolving towards the premium segment,” says Chinese wine influencer Shawn Jia. “Consumers are getting more demanding while constantly expanding their wine knowledge.” Wang Fang, who has long been in the top tier of the Chinese wine scene, looks forward to ProWine Tokyo: “If I’m successful in the sophisticated Japanese market, it’s a testament to one thing above all: the quality of my wine.”

A Global Stage for Local Expertise
ProWine Tokyo is the gateway to the attractive but selective Japanese market, which values premium indulgences as well as – especially in business – trust and long-term personal relationships. The leading regional ProWine trade shows and the global industry get-together in Düsseldorf both deliver on these points. “We’re pleased that people from around the world discover Japanese sake and shochu at ProWein,” says Hitoshi Utsonomiya, the director of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association. Miho Komatsu from Akashi Sake Brewery adds, “At ProWein in Düsseldorf, we encounter people from around the globe, people I would never meet if I only exhibited in my own country.”

A Trade Show Brand With a Global Community
ProWein is uniquely international: 60% of the attending trade professionals travel from outside Germany – with a total of 128 countries represented. On the exhibitor side, all the major wine regions are on hand with key market players – hailing from 65 countries at the most recent event. ProWine Hong Kong in May, meanwhile, is the ideal springboard to the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. A hub for global trade, the city boasts a highly developed wine scene and a broad network of premium wine merchants from the entire region. As a result, each trade show and each location in the network becomes empowered to play to its individual strengths.

Our video “Voices of ProWein – From Düsseldorf to Tokyo and Hong Kong” presents insights and perspectives that animate the ProWein community. Watch now and get to know the people behind the global network.