When Konstantinos Liakos arrived in China in 2014, he had a business plan with him, but not the answers. The reality of a market so different from the one he knew in Greece forced him to leave behind everything he had planned and begin again, right from the start.
Twelve years later, from Shenzhen, the technological metropolis where he is now based, he spoke to The National Herald about that first step, the difficulties he had to overcome, and the journey that led him to introduce Greek wine and spirits to a public that once did not even know that Greece had its own winemaking tradition.
From the first exhibitions, where the question “does Greece produce wine?” was a given, to the present-day presence of Greek wines, ouzo, tsipouro, and mastiha liqueur in restaurants, cocktail bars, and electronic platforms in China, Liakos closely watched a market change and, along with it, changed himself as well. His story is a tale of migration, entrepreneurship, and persistence – but it’s also a little story about how a Greek product can travel very far from its place of origin and, with time, find its own place in a new world.
The National Herald: When did you decide to immigrate to China, and what led you to that decision?
Konstantinos Liakos: The move took place in 2014, after a few weeks of preparation. I felt that it was the right time for a bold change. China was not a random choice. As of 2014, it was the second-largest economy in the world, with a rapidly growing middle class and enormous potential opportunities.
Diaspora Hellene Konstantinos Liakos has been importing Greek wines and spirits into the Chinese market since 2014. (Photo: Courtesy of Konstantinos Liakos)
TNH: How different was the reality you encountered from what you had imagined before leaving Greece?
KL: None of the plans I had made in Greece withstood reality – and that was perhaps the most exciting part of the entire undertaking. I had to take deep breaths, prepare myself psychologically, and build an entirely new business plan, adapted to the culture and dynamics of the Chinese wine and spirits market. At the same time, however, I retained certain foundations and values that I believed would work in the long term, and I have not changed them to this day.
TNH: Since 2014, you have been professionally involved in importing and distributing Greek wines and spirits in the Chinese market. Does the brand ‘Greece’ function as an advantage in China? And, if so, how strong is it?
KL: During my first steps, at trade exhibitions, people would ask me whether Greece produced wine… There was no recognition whatsoever of the ‘Greece’ brand in the wine sector. What did exist, and still exists, is a positive feeling as soon as you mention the country, a warmth that opens the door for you to begin the conversation. From that point on, however, you have to convince them through the product and your commercial policy.
TNH: How do Chinese consumers regard Greek wines?
KL: It is difficult to draw general conclusions about the Chinese consumer. The differences from province to province are enormous, both in purchasing power and in knowledge about wine, which in many cases may be nonexistent. What I can say with certainty is that today, in 2026, Greek wine is much closer to the Chinese consumer than it was in 2014. There is abundant content on Chinese social networks, a presence in Chinese bistros and Western restaurants, and many choices in electronic commerce. And because Greece is blessed with the ability to offer an enormous variety of tastes, depending on the varietal composition and region of origin, everyone can find something that expresses them.
TNH: How easy was it to introduce ouzo, tsipouro, and mastiha liqueur to the Chinese public?
KL: It was a personal challenge and very difficult. I believed, however, that educating professionals in the sector, combined with the flourishing of cocktail bars in China, could open the way for these unique products. And there is something worth emphasizing: we never addressed the very small Greek community, as happens in other countries. We entered the local market directly, without any pre-existing demand. We created it ourselves. Before 2014, imports of Greek spirits into China were nonexistent. Today, in 2026, our team has essentially created the categories of Greek spirits and liqueurs in the Chinese market, with a presence in the majority of cocktail bars and throughout the country’s electronic-commerce sector.
Diaspora Hellene Konstantinos Liakos has been importing Greek wines and spirits into the Chinese market since 2014. (Photo: Courtesy of Konstantinos Liakos)
TNH: What are the greatest difficulties you have encountered throughout all these years of doing business in distant China?
KL: The greatest difficulty, which I still face, is maintaining my composure. When the cultural difference pushes you to your limits, you have to restrain yourself. That is a daily exercise. Second is the physical exhaustion. The constant travel and attendance at events in countless cities are demanding, and a business of our size cannot have offices in every city in China, so you are the one who has to be everywhere.
TNH: Why do you believe that, despite the size of the Chinese market, the presence of Greek products remains relatively limited?
KL: A good question; I think about it often. In wine specifically, before Covid there was an enormous market for government and corporate gifts, in which Greek wines did not participate. That market had volume, but no substance in terms of a product’s recognition or the creation of a brand. What circulated primarily were private-label bottlings of low value but with enormous profit margins for the intermediaries. The consumer simply received a bottle as a gift.
After Covid, with the end of this practice, the market collapsed, but it finally is in process of ‘normalization’. Today, wine is found in the restaurant sector, in excellent Asian- and Western-cuisine establishments at reasonable prices. Electronic commerce offers an enormous range and the consumer is always searching for something new, something different. Unlike in the Western world, the younger generation experiments, consumes, and explores wines. Young Masters of Wine emerge every year, an additional sign that the generation now coming of age will change the volumes and categories that exist in the wine sector.
Within this new reality, the presence of Greek wines is rising steadily. We are present in the market, and we are growing through healthy, proper steps.
TNH: After so many years in China, what has changed you most as a person and as a professional?
KL: As a person, I have learned to be more patient. Shenzhen, the city of technology where I live, is an environment that constantly pushes you to evolve; it does not allow you to remain stagnant. At the same time, daily contact with people from all over the world has given me friendships with people from dozens of countries, something that would not have happened in Greece. And the many difficulties toughened me.
As a professional, I feel a deep satisfaction. From nothing, an organization was created that covers the entire spectrum of the Chinese wine market: on-trade channels, electronic-commerce platforms, private clients, convenience stores and small supermarket chains.
We offer wines from every wine-producing region of Greece, as well as spirits and liqueurs. We built a market for Greek wine in China literally from the ground up. At the same time, we educated consumers about the Greek vineyard and embraced technology – years before doing so became commonplace – to introduce and promote these products in a country that eats with chopsticks rather than cutlery.
