The head of a state-owned enterprise, who was the subject of a disciplinary investigation after being accused by netizens of consuming 12 bottles of red wine during a meal, said he was just trying to “learn more about wine”.

Zhou Shaoqiang, general manager of a Zhuhai SOE investment firm, had allegedly ordered several bottles of wine valued at 70,000 yuan (HK$87,000) at a luxury clubhouse last month, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.

The wines included luxury French brands such as Chateau Latour and Haut-Brion.

The disciplinary inspection team of Zhuhai’s municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac) launched a probe in January. It found that Zhou and his guests “only drank six bottles”. The other six, it said, were “decorative props” used to “increase their knowledge about wine”.