Those trying to sell wine in China face (among other challenges):

Linguistic difficulties:

The word wine has no direct translation except hong jiu (red alcohol) or bai jiu (white alcohol), which usually means spirits, but can also mean white wine. Hardly anyone uses the more precise term, putao jiu (grape alcohol) for wine. Even ‘winery’ translates into the very unglamorous ‘grape production factory’.

Political Challenges:

This close link between the producer and the communist party is significant. It is a theme found among nearly all the successful domestic wineries, many of which, like Changyu, are closely allied with the local government. Vini Suntime, one of the fastest growing wineries in China, was established by the national People’s Liberation Army. The local Yantai government has substantial shares in Changyu, with foreign partners such as Illva Saronno from Italy and France’s Castel group investing huge sums to ensure the company’s continuing success. Currently, Changyu is the largest producer by value and enjoys 18% of total wine sales. The Great Wall group, the largest producer by volume, is 100% owned by one of the national government’s largest import and export companies.

Jeannie Cho Lee writes in Wine Business Journal