Alipay x U'wine partnership

A strategic partnership to promote French wine

This collaboration represents much more than a simple commercial agreement. First and foremost, it is a consecration for our Chinese subsidiary, established in Shanghai in January 2020. Secondly, it's an opportunity to consolidate our position as a major player in the distribution of fine wines, particularly to the younger generation. Opening up to the Chinese market means we can look forward to selling over 1 million bottles and confirming the sustainability of our business model based on buying, storing and reselling bottles, with privileged access to the top 1% of the world's terroirs.

A shared vision: making wine accessible to all 

"This is the most innovative and impactful project in wine promotion and distribution," says Thomas Hébrard, founder and CEO of U'wine. "The showcase for France and its wines will be extraordinary, with record sales". 

By partnering with Alipay, we aim to make great wines accessible to all wine lovers. "Alipay and U'wine are targeting high-end wine consumers in the Chinese market, so this partnership will bring many mutual benefits. We are very excited and optimistic to start this collaboration", PENG Weigang, General Manager of Alipay Live Steaming E-Commerce. 

An official signature to match our ambitions 

To make this agreement official, Thomas Hébrard was invited by Alipay to attend "The Conference of Young Owners of Chinese Wineries" in China on 27 January, which was attended by nearly 300 of the most influential people in the world of Chinese wine and Baiju, including Mr Ji Keliang, Chairman of Moutai. Invited as a representative of international wine, Thomas had the honour of sharing his story, our Bordeaux wine heritage and our vision of tomorrow's wine, focused on the younger generation.

A new era of acquisition: Live Streaming 

The expression of this strategic collaboration is the broadcasting of live streaming* videos on the Alipay channel. 

In the coming weeks, the U'wine and Alipay teams will be visiting several Bordeaux vineyards to prepare the first live streaming. This immersive experience will give Chinese consumers the chance to experience U'wine live, with the chance to buy the wines presented in real time. This opportunity represents a potential of several million visitors and sales. 

Thomas was able to take part in the very first live streaming showcasing Baijiu** during his visit to China on 27 January, with resounding success. The event, which was screened on the Alipay platform, attracted more than 750,000 unique visitors and generated an impressive 32.5 million RMB (4.2 million euros) in sales!

Discovering the world's best wines 

After Bordeaux, we want to extend this adventure with an immersion in Burgundy, Italy, the Rhône Valley, Spain... and many other destinations. The discovery of the top 1% of wines from the finest terroirs, carefully selected by U'wine, has only just begun. 

In this year marking 60 years of Franco-Chinese friendship, the partnership with Alipay is a perfect illustration of the spirit of innovation and collaboration between our two cultures. Together, we are determined to revolutionise the world of wine and make the experience more accessible. Stay tuned for more on this exciting adventure!   

* Refers to the live broadcasting of audiovisual content over the Internet, enabling Internet users to watch in real time from any connected device.
** Traditional Chinese strong spirit, distilled from fermented grains such as sorghum, wheat, rice or maize.