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This study aims to explore the nature of Chinese young adults' (CYAs) wine drinking behaviour. It also aims to examine CYAs' wine knowledge and establish whether there are positive relationships between wine knowledge and wine drinking behaviour variables.

Information was obtained from a convenience sample of 414 university students in China using the self‐administration data collection method. The nature of CYAs' basic wine knowledge and wine drinking behaviour including wine drinking frequency, venue, and purpose of wine drinking were examined in the survey.

The majority of CYAs lack even the most basic wine knowledge. Generally, they drink wine infrequently. A large proportion of CYAs prefer red wine (92 per cent) to white wine (7 per cent). Most (60 per cent) CYAs like to drink wine at home, followed by hotels (21 per cent) and restaurants (15 per cent). About 60 per cent of CYAs drink wine for social communication while 27 per cent drink for body health reasons. A high 96 per cent of CYAs consider themselves likely to drink wine in the future. Significant differences exist between the genders in wine knowledge and likelihood of future wine drinking. Strong correlations were found between consumer wine knowledge and frequency and likelihood of future wine drinking.

The paper provides an overview of CYAs' wine drinking behaviour by a convenience sample investigation, which could not elude generalization and simplification. Considerable regional diversity in China compels differentiated regional studies in terms of wine purchasing, wine culture and wine marketing.

The paper contributes a baseline study on CYAs' wine knowledge and wine drinking behaviour. It also gives some managerial implications for wineries and wine marketers that will be helpful to wine companies in understanding the emerging Chinese wine market and in enacting wine marketing strategies more effectively.