Penfolds Putting Their Stamp Back On China's Wine Market
In December 2025, Penfolds brought its Post Office Without Borders pop-up to the Shenzhen Exhibition Center (Dec 12–18). The activation featured Bin 389 (Australia) and FWT 585 (France) and included a cultural collaboration with Chinese artist Hua Chenyu, bringing mainstream appeal, amplitude to the event.
Since working with Decanter and Sarah Kemp many years ago to help with Decanter's market planning for China, the wine market is near-and-dear to me.
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About the Campaign
To celebrate its global “Post Office Without Borders” concept, Penfolds launched an immersive postal-themed exhibition in Shenzhen. The space invites visitors to explore the emotional ritual of sending and receiving letters — reinterpreted through the brand’s heritage wines.
In an era of digital communication, positioning wine as a “letter across time and geography” reframes consumption into ritual and meaning — turning a product experience into an act of emotional storytelling.
The market challenge in China?
Since Chinese tariffs on Australian wine were lifted in 2024, Penfolds has consistently re-engaged the market, from high-profile tastings to localized collections. The deeper task remains securing premium brand awareness for its key mid-to-high-end labels - with brand recognition for its signature brand Penfolds being a core goal.
There are a number of competing dynamics in China's wine market in 2026:
- Overall growth of wine has slowed, post Covid
- Volumes for imports are still well below previous peaks
- The luxury market at-large, in China has become more modest
- On the premium end, Australian wines are still trying to recapture ground forfeit from 2020-2024
The activation by Penfolds blends together a number of these challenges AND is well timed, as prelude to CNY 2026 ...a period where family/friend celebrations and gifting are (hopefully) at a high point.