Hong Kong is back. On 30 October the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Vinexposium signed a five-year memorandum of understanding that makes the city the only host of Vinexpo Asia from 2027 to 2031. The fair becomes an annual fixture, and the next one runs from 8 to 10 June 2027 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

We have a soft spot for this one, so let’s say it upfront. I was at the last edition, in Hong Kong in May 2026, and it was amazing.

What it looked like from the floor

We recorded at the show. Christopher Beros of the California Wine Institute brought 30 California wineries and nine from Oregon, and told us it was the best edition since Covid. On the last afternoon we were still at it, sitting down with Antoine Veiry of Château Montus while the booths came down around us.

That is what a good wine fair gives you. Not just tastings, but the people who make the wine and the people who sell it, all in one building and in the mood to talk.

Why Singapore never quite worked

Since 2023 the fair had alternated: Hong Kong in even years, Singapore in odd ones. Vinexposium already announced the return to a single, annual Hong Kong show in June. What is new is the five-year commitment.

The trade saw this coming. When Vino Joy News asked around in June, Wu Xianghua of the importer Fine West said fewer professional visitors from Hong Kong and mainland China made the trip to Singapore, and Gu Yuping of Henkell Freixenet said client dinners and side events cost a lot more there. For a fair whose visitors come overwhelmingly from Greater China, that matters. About three quarters of this year’s visitors came from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.

Hong Kong also has an old argument in its favour. It scrapped its wine duty in February 2008, which still sets it apart in much of the region, and it is a short trip from the mainland buyers everyone came to see.

Now the sober part

“Hong Kong is back” is about the fair. It is not a claim that the market is booming, and the numbers would not support one.

  • Visitors were flat, not surging. The 2026 show drew 14,273 trade visitors, against 14,203 in 2024. The range widened, though, from about 60 markets to 76.
  • The show may have got smaller. The fair had 1,032 exhibitors in 2024. We could not find a total for 2026, and trade press reported a smaller floor, with some big names missing. Vinexposium prefers to talk about new countries and more associations.
  • Hong Kong is importing less wine. Vino Joy’s analysis of trade data puts 2025 imports at 27.2 million litres, down almost 7%. Value was roughly flat, with reports ranging from about 1% up to about 3% down.
  • The big prize is shrinking. China’s wine imports have fallen by volume for years, and Japan has now overtaken it as Asia’s biggest buyer.

There is also the small print. This is a memorandum of understanding between a tourism board and a trade fair organiser, and neither side has disclosed any money or targets. The tourism board and the organiser talk about growing the event, but have not said by how much.

Still, we like the bet. When a market gets harder, you want to see the same people in the same place every year, rather than asking them to change city and budget every other year. Certainty is what exhibitors have been asking for.

What it means if you just drink wine

Vinexpo is a trade fair, so it will not change what you pay for a bottle next June. The interesting part is what happens outside the halls. The tourism board plans tastings, pairings and events around the city alongside the fair, linked to its Wine and Dine Festival. No programme is out yet, so we will believe it when we can book it.

If you are a producer wondering whether to come: yes. Book the hotel early and bring the person who actually makes the wine. And if you spot us with a microphone, come and say hello.

Sources: Vino Joy News on the five-year deal, The Standard, China Daily, Vino Joy News on the end of the rotation, Gilbert & Gaillard on the 2026 show, Vinexposium on the 2024 figures, Meininger’s, Vinetur and Meininger’s on 2025 imports, Hong Kong government on wine duty

Hero photo: Hong Kong Island and Victoria Harbour at night, by Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.