Beijing Court Seeks to Enforce $16.6 Million Claim Against Lady Penguin Wines

A Beijing court is pursuing enforcement of more than RMB111.3 million, or about US$16.6 million, against Lady Penguin Wines & Spirits Co., a company behind one of China’s best-known online wine brands, according to public corporate records reviewed this week.

The enforcement case was recorded on Oct. 14 by Qichacha, a Chinese corporate information platform. The record shows that the Beijing Fourth Intermediate People’s Court is handling the matter and names both the company and Li Baolong as parties in the case.

The filing adds new legal pressure on a business that had already come under scrutiny in a separate criminal matter. Earlier notices for the same court identified Lady Penguin Wines & Spirits and Li as defendants in a September hearing on charges of smuggling ordinary goods and articles. The overlap in parties and venue suggests the two matters may be related, but no court judgment or later procedural documents had been released publicly to confirm that link.

Under China’s legal system, an enforcement proceeding is used to compel a person or company to carry out obligations set out in an enforceable legal document. In this case, the available public record shows the amount subject to enforcement, but it does not clarify whether the RMB111.3 million represents a court fine, unpaid taxes or another liability.

That lack of detail leaves important questions unanswered for a company that became a prominent example of how internet personalities in China could turn a large social media following into a wine retail business. Lady Penguin is the brand associated with Wang Shenghan, a wine influencer who built a wide audience by presenting wine education in a more accessible style for Chinese consumers.

Wang first gained attention through self-produced video content and later studied wine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 2013. After returning to China, she developed Lady Penguin as a digital media brand and then expanded into wine sales. Public accounts have put the business’s annual sales at its peak at about RMB350 million, making it one of the more visible online-led wine operations in the Chinese market.

For the drinks business, the case could matter beyond one company. A legal enforcement action of this size may increase perceived commercial risk for suppliers, importers, logistics partners and other businesses tied to a major online wine seller in China. It could also add to concerns among beverage companies that rely on influencer-driven sales models, especially in a market where brand reputation, compliance and cash flow can quickly affect trading relationships.

Public company records reviewed by Vino Joy News show that Lady Penguin Wines & Spirits remains an active business. Qichacha lists Chen Dan as the company’s legal representative. The same records show that Liao Xiaoyi, Wang’s mother, is the company’s largest shareholder with a 49.1886% stake and is identified as its actual controller and ultimate beneficial owner. Wang is listed in the corporate role of supervisor.

Those records do not, by themselves, establish Wang’s personal legal or financial responsibility for the enforcement amount or for the smuggling case. Corporate titles, family ownership links and public association with a brand are not enough on their own to determine criminal liability or personal payment obligations. Any such finding would depend on the evidence, the company’s internal roles, the conduct at issue and the court’s legal conclusions.

The company also still appears to have some visible online presence. Livestream-related videos linked to the business remain available on Douyin, the Chinese short-video platform. At the same time, Wang has been less visible in public. The latest short video on the Lady Penguin Douyin account was posted on Sept. 27, 2025, according to the report, and showed her promoting a Chinese wine label.

The court action comes at a time when China’s wine market has already been under pressure from weak consumer demand, shifting sales channels and tighter competition. Against that backdrop, any legal uncertainty surrounding a high-profile online wine merchant can affect confidence among trading partners and investors, even before a final legal outcome is known.

For now, the central facts remain limited but significant: a Beijing court is seeking enforcement of RMB111.3 million against Lady Penguin Wines & Spirits and Li Baolong; the same court previously heard a smuggling-related case involving the same defendants; and no public judgment has yet clarified whether the enforcement amount is tied to fines, taxes or another obligation. Until more court documents are released, the scale of the claim is clear, but the precise basis for it is not.