Summary of Key Points
This news article focuses on the issue of "remove-the-cap wine" (wine whose caps are removed to claim red envelopes or for exchange purposes). Initially sold openly in wholesale markets and online, this type of wine has shifted to more concealed transactions due to stricter regulations (between acquaintances, through private channels, and on certain online platforms), but it has not completely disappeared. The risks associated with remove-the-cap wine include the disruption of packaging traceability, the potential for it to be mixed with counterfeit products, and the difficulty for consumers to seek redress. The root causes of this persistent problem lie in loopholes in manufacturers' policies, pressure on distribution channels, and consumers' desire for lower prices. To address this issue, manufacturers need to improve their fee structures, and distribution channels must cooperate to cut off the profit-making loop.
Detailed Analysis
1. Stricter Regulations! Remove-the-cap Wine Goes from Open Sale to Secret Transactions
In the past, wholesale markets for alcohol in regions such as Henan and Shandong (e.g., Bairong Market) and online platforms openly sold remove-the-cap wine. In some places, remove-the-cap versions of a particular flavored liquor accounted for 40% of local sales, and live streaming sessions even used it to attract customers. Now, with increased regulation, many businesses in the Bairong Market have been shut down, and no one dares to sell it openly; terminal distribution volumes in Shandong have significantly decreased, with sellers only dealing with familiar customers. Second-hand e-commerce platforms still offer remove-the-cap wine at prices less than half of the original cost, and sales are relatively good. Although regulatory efforts have reduced the visibility of these transactions, concealed sales continue due to the trust between acquaintances and the difficulty in monitoring dispersed online channels.
2. Why is Remove-the-cap Wine Illegal? It Damages Packaging Traceability
The core issue with remove-the-cap wine is the alteration of pre-packaged food labels. For example, in Lintao County, Gansu Province, a company was fined 21,600 yuan and had 30 boxes of the affected wine confiscated for replacing the bottle caps, which destroyed the production date and anti-counterfeiting markings. According to the Food Safety Law, any damage to labels that affects consumer identification is punishable by a minimum fine of 5,000 yuan, with more severe cases leading to license revocation. For consumers, remove-the-cap wine poses even greater risks: it could be a genuine product with a red envelope attached, or it could be counterfeit. Without the complete packaging and traceability, consumers have no way of knowing the origin of the wine or whether it has been swapped, making it difficult to seek compensation if problems arise. Popular "bare-bottle luxury wines" sold through live streaming are often counterfeit, using the guise of "damage-free cap removal."
3. The Three Root Causes of the Persistence of Remove-the-cap Wine
Despite stricter regulations, the problem persists due to underlying profit-making mechanisms:
- Loopholes in Manufacturers' Policies: Alcohol companies offer red envelope promotions to encourage consumers to open bottles, but when the red envelopes are generous and easy to claim, distributors may open the bottles in advance to claim the rewards and then sell the remaining wine at a lower price. In the Lintao case, bottles were collected to exchange for red envelopes, with the replaced caps being sold on. The more manufacturers invest in such promotions, the larger the price difference between genuine and remove-the-cap versions, leading to more instances of this practice.
- Pressure on Distribution Channels: During industry adjustments, distributors face unsold inventory and low profits. Claiming red envelopes can reduce costs (e.g., turning a 400-yuan bottle into a 200-yuan one after the promotion). Some channels even rely on remove-the-cap wine to gain market share; for instance, a brand's sales increased from 40 million in 2024 to over 100 million in 2025 thanks to this practice.
- Consumer Desire for Savings: Consumers are willing to buy remove-the-cap wine despite knowing it's not genuine, as the price is often 30%-50% lower than the original. They see it as a bargain, even though there are no guarantees.
4. To Solve the Problem, More Than Fines Are Needed: Addressing the Root Causes
Regulatory measures can only control open transactions; to truly eradicate the issue, deeper problems must be addressed:
- Manufacturers Need to Improve Policies: Adjust the redemption process for red envelope promotions (e.g., allowing only the consumer to open the bottle and scan the code, preventing distributors from claiming rewards in advance). Manufacturers should not rely on high red envelopes to boost sales while maintaining high prices; they should adjust prices and targets based on market conditions to reduce pressure on channels.
- Distribution Channels Must Operate Complyingly: They should avoid selling remove-the-cap wine for short-term profits, as it not only leads to fines but also undermines market order.
- Consumers Need to Be More Aware: They should be cautious about buying remove-the-cap wine to avoid the risks associated with it.
In summary, the issue of remove-the-cap wine is not just a matter of counterfeit products; it reflects an imbalance in the interests of manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. To completely eliminate it, all parties—regulators, alcohol companies, distribution channels, and consumers—must work together. Simply punishing sellers is insufficient; the root causes (loopholes in policies, pressure on channels, and consumer greed) must be addressed.
Conclusion
Remove-the-cap wine is not just a simple issue of counterfeit goods; it's a result of a mismatch in interests among manufacturers, distributors, and consumers. To resolve this problem, concerted efforts from all parties are needed. Focusing solely on punishing sellers will not solve the underlying issues. The real solution lies in addressing the loopholes in manufacturers' policies, reducing pressure on distribution channels, and raising consumer awareness.