China Wins 2026 World Wine Congress

China will host the 47th World Congress of Vine and Wine in Yinchuan, in the Ningxia region, from Oct. 12 to Oct. 16, 2026, bringing one of the wine industry’s main international gatherings to a country that has become a growing force in grape growing and wine production.

The congress will be held alongside the 24th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, known as the OIV, at the invitation of the government of the People’s Republic of China. Organizers said the meeting will focus on scientific, technical and economic issues facing the global vine and wine sector, with an emphasis on how producers, researchers and regulators can respond to climate pressure, market shifts and changing consumer expectations.

The theme of the congress is “Shaping new paradigms for the global Vine and Wine sector: transforming to meet challenges, innovating to ignite vitality, and sustaining to anchor a shared future.” The OIV said the event is intended as a platform for international experts to discuss the future of viticulture and winemaking across four sessions covering grape production, oenology, economics and law, and safety and health.

The call for papers is now open. Researchers and professionals are being invited to submit abstracts on integrated approaches to resilient and sustainable grape production; technical innovation and adapting oenology to the future of wine; resilient legal and economic models in a changing market; and better production and better consumption, with health and social sustainability at the center of the vitivinicultural chain. The deadline for abstract submissions is May 31, 2026. Final papers for accepted presentations are due Sept. 30, 2026.

For China, the congress marks a notable step in its rise within the global wine world. The country joined the OIV in 2024, making it the organization’s newest member and its first new member in its second century. The OIV said China has the world’s third-largest planted vineyard area. It is also among the largest wine consumers and importers, while remaining the world’s leading producer of table grapes, accounting for 43% of global output.

China has also expanded its wine industry over recent decades, with producers in regions such as Ningxia developing wines that reflect a range of local growing conditions. Yinchuan’s selection as host city places that development before an international audience at a time when Chinese wine is seeking greater recognition abroad and when global producers are looking more closely at Asia’s role in shaping demand, trade and research in the sector.