Wine links

Wine links
Return to wine site index page

News stories
Wine business magazines & blogs
Outlets
Statistics and Reports
Market research
Associations and sites
Academic research, articles, and documentation
Wineries
Ancillary products
Australia
Canada
China
India
Japan
Korea
QR codes
Social networking

Wine fairs

Return to top of page
NEWS STORIES

Health Benefits of Moderate Wine Drinking
Wine social sceneOver the course of time civilizations have consumed red wine, and for a variety of different reasons. Dating back as late as the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, wine has been an important part of our global culture. The consumption of wine has been linked to celebration, rituals, and even for certain medicinal purposes. Early civilizations recognized the importance of moderation and the use of wine and grape juice for the promotion of good health.
Beginner’s Guide to Wine Tasting
Authored by Melissa Hardman on July 30, 2014 WineTastingGuide Food and wine have long been the great equalizers of civilization; we sit down, we share a meal and a drink, and we solve the problems of the world. For those interested in learning about the art of wine-tasting and developing their palate for fine wine, the first step is to learn how to properly taste and evaluate wine. A wine’s scent, mouthfeel, color, and taste are all integral aspects of the tasting process, and each different variety offers its own unique profile and characteristics. There are also a few simple tools used in wine-tasting to ensure that each aspect of a wine’s profile is properly showcased.
Grape expectations
Climate change is already transforming the wine industry by Susan Gaidos 2:50pm, January 24, 2014 GRAPE EXPECTATIONS As famed regions such as Napa and Bordeaux become too warm, wine producers will have to find new places to grow grapes, such as in China’s Xinjiang region (shown). Antonio Busalacchi knows quality wine. As a sommelier, his educated palate can discern the oak undertones or mineral accents of a wine?—?flavors that elude most wine drinkers. He picks up on other nuances too. One sip of deep, inky purple, and he can distinguish the jammy, syrup-ripe fruit flavor of a shiraz grown in a warm climate from the lean olive notes of a syrah, made from the same grape, grown in a cooler region of France. In his day job, Busalacchi offers another take on his favorite wines. A climatologist at the University of Maryland, he recognizes that he soon may be praising the merits of a fine English?—?not French?—sparkling wine, or discussing the complexity of a world-class Tasmanian cabernet sauvignon. The reason: climate change. Warming temperatures are already affecting vineyards from France to Chile. So far, rising temperatures have been mostly good for wine. Warmer, longer growing seasons have allowed grapes to stay on the vine longer, producing fruit that results in stronger, bolder wines with higher alcohol content. But as the world continues to warm, conditions in some areas will sour. Signature wines produced in some of the world’s most famous regions, such as Champagne or Bordeaux, will probably lose some of their quality and character. And the projected temperature changes will make it increasingly difficult for these renowned regions to grow their famed grapes at all, Busalacchi says. His prognostications have scientific backing. A 2005 study in Climatic Change led by climatologist Gregory Jones of Southern Oregon University found that the average growing-season temperature in 27 prime wine-producing regions had risen in the previous 50 years. Seventeen of the regions showed an average temperature climb of 1.26 degrees Celsius. In the vineyards of Spain, Portugal, southern France and Italy, average temperatures rose even more. By 2049, average temperatures in most wine regions will shoot up another 2 degrees, Jones projected. According to these projections, by midcentury Bordeaux could reach the upper temperature limits for growing red varieties, and will fall outside the ideal climate for its white grapes. Other areas are threatened too. Last year an international team of scientists showed that by 2050, some of the world’s most famous wine-making regions, including Tuscany in Italy, will shrink by nearly 70 percent. That doesn’t mean the end of sauvignon blanc or merlot. But in the not-so-distant future, these well-recognized French wines may not come from France. Some wine producers in Champagne or Bordeaux already are moving north and setting up vineyards in southern England. There the soil is similar to the chalky substrate of Champagne, offering a hospitable environment for growing quality grapes. In other parts of the world, growers are expanding into areas previously not known for wine, setting up vineyards in India, Brazil and China.
Growing the Kiwi wine brand in China
Jazial Crossley Last updated 05:00 04/01/2014 CHANGING TASTES: Charlotte Read says markets are emerging in China. This is the fifth and final in a series of profiles about Kiwis working overseas, who retain ties to home through Kea, the World Class New Zealand network. Kea connects more than 180,000 talented Kiwis and "friends of New Zealand" around the world. Shanghai-based Charlotte Read is the Asian/Middle East market manager for New Zealand wine brand Villa Maria Estate. The Kiwi wine has been one of the most successful in the Chinese market, having had a presence there for 12 years. Sales of New Zealand wine in China have grown about $5 million a year since the free trade agreement was signed in 2008, reaching almost $30m in 2012. Chinese drinkers are predicted to increase wine consumption by 15 per cent in the next five years while Western markets remain flat or even weaken. [China]
Personal touch to create wines that wow critics
Hands-on winemaker gets high-quality results
Seamus Boyer Last updated 14:23 01/04/2013 At the end of each summer a band of volunteer wine students and sommeliers fly in from Japan and descend upon a small corner of Martinborough. Their mission: pick, sort and process nearly 3 hectares of wine grapes, gently lifting, placing and trimming each precious bunch by hand. It's a long, involved process, but for winemaker Hiro Kusuda, of Kusuda wines, it's well worth the effort. "It's trying to push the boundaries," he says over coffee at his Hawkins Rd villa. "We are very gentle with our picking, we pick and place the bunches into the baskets, never drop them, you can't be rough with them. And then we carefully cut any imperfections with special scissors from Japan. "We tell the [volunteers] how important it is and they understand what we're trying to do. Hopefully it makes a difference." According to a growing consensus of international wine critics, fans and merchants, it clearly is.
Hi-tech bid to lift wine's appeal
Matt Stewart Last updated 05:00 02/06/2012 Robert Keyzers Victoria University LOOKING FOR ANSWERS: Victoria University chemist Robert Keyzers inspects a molecule of thiol, which gives sauvignon blanc its characteristic aromas. He hopes to discover how and when thiol is biosynthesised during winemaking. Pimp My Vine could be the next reality TV hit if a Wellington scientist can find the formula to tweak grapes for different global palates. Working out of sophisticated robotics labs at Marlborough's Brancott Estate Wines, Victoria University chemist Robert Keyzers and his team are working on a hi-tech recipe for customised sauvignon blanc. The tinkering is being done with an eye to unlocking Asian markets by understanding a grape's composition. "If we could analyse a grape really early on in the growth cycle, then tell the vineyard manager to give that vine more water, or give that vine more phosphate, for example, they could produce a grape with specific chemical composition that could produce a wine with a flavour and aroma profile to hit specific target markets," Dr Keyzers said. Sauvignon blanc is New Zealand's most successful wine, worth more than 80 per cent of the $1.1 billion of exports in 2011. With markets already matured in Australia, Britain and, to a lesser extent, the United States, winemakers are looking at how to take their product from being a prestige item to a household staple in places such as India, China, Japan and Korea
The True Sommelier
Peter Bodnar Rod
I remember the story of a newly appointed food critic arriving with friends at a brand new, über high?end restaurant in New York City and after pondering the menus, he felt certain he had uncovered the perfect wine to match the chosen dishes. When the selection was suggested to the sommelier as a possible pairing, the sommelier simply responded with a single word, "No". As rude as this might seem, the sommelier really did know his stuff and demonstrated as much by steering the group towards an even more appropriate selection, thus bringing their dining experience to another level. Great sommeliers make no apologies for being confident and direct in restaurants of this caliber. The clients expect nothing less
Red wine researcher said to falsify data
The University of Connecticut has notified 11 scientific journals that research on the potential health benefits of red wine led by one of its faculty members appears to contain falsified and fabricated data. Following a three-year investigation, a university review board has concluded that Dipak K. Das, Ph.D., the director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the university's school of medicine, in Farmington, manipulated research data in at least 145 instances. The misconduct spanned seven years and 26 journal articles, according to a report issued by the board.[Health] [Research]
Hiring A Sommelier: What Restaurant Operators Need To Know
Breaking News//August 29, 2011 In terms of wine, it’s perhaps the most valuable asset a restaurant has: A sommelier. This is the person responsible not only for compiling your wine list and pairings, and choosing which wines you carry, but also being able to communicate information about the wines to your customers. Hiring a sommelier is, needless to say, of paramount importance. Wayne Gotts, vice president of the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), Coral Springs, Florida, and Peter Bodnar Rod, one of the longest serving instructors/department heads for the ISG, gave RMGT some tips on what to look for in a sommelier hiring process.
Russians need good wine, not vodka - Medvedev
Russians need good wine, not vodka © AFP/ Sebastian Willnow23:38 22/08/2011MOSCOW, August 22 (RIA Novosti) Related News Government says no likelihood of Russian alcohol shortages Russian health watchdog supports night alcohol sales ban across country Almost 40% of Russians drink to excess — expert Russians more worried about alcoholism than human rights - poll Multimedia Alcohol: what, how much and how often Russians drink Russia’s winemaking industry should be developed to help tackle widespread alcohol abuse, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday. “Winemaking is one of the branches that should be developed and contribute to the eradication of alcoholism. Countries where this branch is strong, have no problems with alcohol abuse,” the president said at a meeting with the governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar Territory, Alexander Tkachev.
The upside of the downside
GREG NINNESS Last updated 05:00 26/06/2011 Should winegrowers rip up their vines, or wait for the tide to turn? Greg Ninness asks the questions. This year's huge sauvignon blanc vintage is putting pressure on winemakers' profits – and widening a rift over how to restore the sector's financial health. The industry is a house divided, with some arguing for increased production, while others want to see vines ripped out to limit supply. Whatever position they take on the issue, something most wine companies and vineyard owners will have in common is that their profits have been hammered by the international financial crisis, bumper vintages in 2008, 2009 and again this year, and the high New Zealand dollar. Those effects are showing up in the accounts of both huge multinational wine companies and smaller niche players. Two months ago Pernod Ricard, this country's biggest wine company, released its accounts for the year to June 2010, and they weren't pretty reading. Revenue declined 2.9% to $337 million, while the cost of sales was up 11.6%, reducing gross profit to $92.1m from $127.6m in 2009. But that was more than wiped out by a $170m hit to its balance sheet as it wrote down the value of its Montana operations (since renamed Brancott), which helped push the company to a bottom line loss of $183.2m. The pain hasn't ended there. Last December the company sold five Gisborne vineyards and 12 of its best known brands, including Lindauer, Corbans and Saints, incurring an $87.8m loss for this year's accounts.
America sips past France in wine consumption
By Fred Tasker | Miami Herald Aren't we getting sophisticated? The United States last year, despite wars, government deficits and a punky economy, overtook France to become the world's biggest consumer of wine. We drank 330 million 12-bottle cases in 2010 compared to 321 million for the French, according to California-based industry consultants Gomberg, Fredrikson & Assoc. We're not ahead per-capita, of course. The average French aficionado drinks five bottles a year to every one downed by an American. But we're going up — at least 1 percent a year for the past 17 straight years. And they're going down — by 14 percent since 2006. Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/08/111890/america-sips-past-france-in-wine.html#ixzz1LSYVOFVV
Expensive wine and cheap plonk taste the same to most people
In a blind taste test, volunteers were unable to distinguish between expensive and cheap wine Share156 Comments (122) Ian Sample, science correspondent The Guardian, Thursday 14 April 2011 Article history People fool themselves into thinking expensive wines taste better than cheap ones, says psychologist Richard Wiseman. Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian An expensive wine may well have a full body, a delicate nose and good legs, but the odds are your brain will never know. A survey of hundreds of drinkers found that on average people could tell good wine from plonk no more often than if they had simply guessed. In the blind taste test, 578 people commented on a variety of red and white wines ranging from a £3.49 bottle of Claret to a £29.99 bottle of champagne. The researchers categorised inexpensive wines as costing £5 and less, while expensive bottles were £10 and more.
Ancient winemaking operation unearthed in Armenian cave
A wine press, in front of an archaeological identification kit, and a vat, to the right of the press, were found in a cave near an Armenian village. The equipment dates back 6,000 years, scientists say. (Gregory Areshian) Network NewsX Profile By Marc Kaufman Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 11, 2011; 12:19 AM From bacchanalian rites to somber ceremonies and family dinners, wine has long been connected with human sociability. But just how long? One well-known biblical story says that after Noah's Ark came to rest on what is thought to be Mount Ararat, Noah planted a vineyard, harvested grapes, fermented them and got drunk. Now actual proof of early vintners comes from a cave near a remote Armenian village, which, perhaps not coincidentally, is within 60 miles of Mount Ararat. Scientists have unearthed a surprisingly advanced winemaking operation, surrounded by storage jars, and say it dates back 6,000 years, making it the earliest known site in the world for wine-making with grapes, by far.
Do We Drink Because We’re Monogamous, or Are We Monogamous Because We Drink?
By STEPHEN J. DUBNER December 27, 2010, 12:00 pm Our latest Freakonomics Radio podcast is called “Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better?” It features some research presented by the American Association of Wine Economists, whose members include Karl Storchmann, managing editor of the group’s Journal of Wine Economics. Storchmann wrote to us the other day about an interesting working paper the AAWE has just posted: “Women or Wine? Monogamy and Alcohol,” by Mara Squicciarini and Jo Swinnen. From the abstract: Intriguingly, across the world the main social groups which practice polygyny do not consume alcohol. We investigate whether there is a correlation between alcohol consumption and polygynous/monogamous arrangements, both over time and across cultures. Historically, we find a correlation between the shift from polygyny to monogamy and the growth of alcohol consumption. Cross-culturally we also find that monogamous societies consume more alcohol than polygynous societies in the preindustrial world. We provide a series of possible explanations to explain the positive correlation between monogamy and alcohol consumption over time and across societies.
BusinessRussia to allow in more Moldovan wine
12:17 23/09/2010MOSCOW, September 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will extend the list of permitted Moldovan wine importers and open a new customs checkpoint on its border, Gennady Onischenko, head of the Federal Supervision Agency for Customer Protection and Human Welfare, said on Thursday. "After a thorough review of the situation with Moldovan wine supplies to the Russian market, considering the trend, it was decided to expand the number of suppliers and to open an additional checkpoint in the north-west for imports of the product," Onishchenko told RIA Novosti. Russia, which previously imported 80 percent of all wine produced in Moldova, embargoed wine deliveries in March 2006. In 2007, over 40 Moldovan wine producing enterprises passed safety checks and supplies were resumed.
In April 2010, the Federal Service for Consumer Rights and Human Welfare Protection banned 47,000 liters of wine for safety reasons. Onishchenko said that Moldovan wine was only fit for painting fences.
French winemaker withdraws vintage after manga cartoon craze
Jean-Pierre Amoreau halts international sales of 2003 wine, saying he wants to deter speculators (46)Tweet this (55)Lizzy Davies in Paris guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 September 2010 17.07 BST Article history Sales of French winemaker Jean-Pierre Amoreau's 2003 vintage rocketed after it appeared on a cartoon spin-off to the Drops of God manga comic series in Japan. Photograph: Glénat A French winemaker whose little-known 2003 vintage was catapulted to oenological stardom by a Japanese television cartoon has withdrawn the bottles from international sales in an attempt to prevent it from becoming the preserve of wealthy speculators. Jean-Pierre Amoreau, owner of Château le Puy in the Bordeaux region, was "very happy and surprised" when he saw Japanese orders for one of his wines rocket several months ago. His agent in Tokyo explained that in March, a cartoon spin-off of the wildly successful Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku) manga comic series had plucked his vintage from obscurity.
Glass of wine a day keeps opticians away
By Bae Ji-sook Staff reporter Drinking a glass of red wine at the end of the day has already been proven to be effective in preventing heart disease and other health problems to some extent. There is more good news for red wine drinkers. Recently, a U.S. research team has verified that drinking red wine may produce greater health benefits than previously thought. It can also help prevents blindness to a certain degree.
Interactive: World wine map
By Tom Griggs, Cleve Jones, John Stimpfig and Patrick Mathurin Published: June 18 2010 15:51 | Last updated: June 18 2010 15:51
The World's Strongest Beers
Beer is thousands of years old but new technology is creating "extreme beer," which packs an alcohol level closer to whisky or vodka
By Mike Hanlon Alcohol is the oldest and most commonly used of all recreational drugs, with annual sales exceeding USD 1000 billion a year. Beer has been the world's most popular alcohol since well before the invention of the wheel with annual sales now exceeding US$500 Billion — roughly the GDP of Indonesia, the 18th largest GDP of any nation. Most of the world's beer has between 4% and 6% Alcohol By Volume (ABV), and the strength of beer achieved by traditional fermentation brewing methods has limits, but a well crafted beer that is repeatedly "freeze distilled" can achieve exquisite qualities and much higher alcohol concentrations. An escalation in the use of this relatively new methodology over the last 12 months has seen man's favorite beverage suddenly move into the 40+% ABV realm of spirits such as gin, rum, brandy, whiskey and vodka, creating a new category of extreme beer. A little more than twelve months, the world's strongest beer was 27% but due to an informal contest to claim the title of the world's strongest beer, has suddenly jumped in strength dramatically and this week we spoke to the brewers at the centre of the escalating competition. New contestants are gathering, and the race is now on to break 50% alcohol by volume.
Foster’s to spin off lossmaking wine unit
By Peter Smith in Sydney Published: May 26 2010 04:29 | Last updated: May 26 2010 04:29 Foster’s is to spin off its prized brewing unit from its struggling wine operations in a structural overhaul that is expected to flush out takeover interest from international brewers. The Australian beverages group, which has a market capitalisation of just over A$10.6bn (US$8.7bn), said on Wednesday it would list its wine unit separately, although a demerger was unlikely to take place until the first half of next year “at the earliest”. Foster’s shares jumped 7 per cent to A$5.51 on news of the split, which was accompanied by a warning that the group’s wine assets would be written down by a further A$1.1bn-A$1.3bn in the year ended June. International brewers have long coveted Foster’s beer operations that dominate the Australian market but they were never likely to act if a sale included the wine portfolio, built up at the top of the market at a cost of close to A$7bn. Investors and industry analysts had for years urged Foster’s to rid itself of the wine business, which has been producing poor returns and weighing on the group’s performance
- Foster’s to acquire Southcorp for A$3.2bn
  By Virginia Marsh in Sydney Published: April 22 2005 06:45 | Last updated: April 22 2005 11:44
  Foster’s is set to become one of the world’s largest drinks group - and the top global premium winemaker - after on Friday raising its offer for Southcorp to A$3.17bn and securing the recommendation of its rival’s board. The Australian wine and beer group lifted its offer from A$4.14 to A$4.26 a share after four months of intermittent negotiations with Southcorp, owner of the Penfolds, Rosemount and Lindemans brands. This is probably the most compelling strategic move in the history of Foster’s. We will become the only Australian consumer goods group with a number one position globally, said a clearly relieved Trevor O’Hoy, the Melbourne-based group’s chief executive. In Australia, we will change the way beverages are sold, delivered and marketed, he added.
English wine gets serious
By Jancis Robinson Published: April 30 2010 15:25 | Last updated: April 30 2010 15:25 As May Day is celebrated and England is looking its most delightful, awash with blossom, it is also awash with its very own wine. All over the world – most notably in Australia, New Zealand, California and Chile – there is a grape glut, causing a fall in the prices paid by wine producers for grapes. Amazingly, to me anyway, this is also in prospect for English vineyards. Admittedly the scale of the English winescape is relatively miniature. Stephen Skelton, the Master of Wine who most actively specialises in English wine, reckons that the total area of England and Wales devoted to commercial grape growing is now around 1,350 hectares (even New Zealand has more than 30,000 hectares).
What Climate Change Means for Wine Industry
By Mark Hertsgaard April 26, 2010 John Williams has been making wine in California’s Napa Valley for nearly 30 years, and he farms so ecologically that his peers call him Mr. Green. But if you ask him how climate change will affect Napa’s world famous wines, he gets irritated, almost insulted. “You know, I’ve been getting that question a lot recently, and I feel we need to keep this issue in perspective,” he told me. “When I hear about global warming in the news, I hear that it’s going to melt the Arctic, inundate coastal cities, displace millions and millions of people, spread tropical diseases and bring lots of other horrible effects. Then I get calls from wine writers and all they want to know is, ‘How is the character of cabernet sauvignon going to change under global warming?’ I worry about global warming, but I worry about it at the humanity scale, not the vineyard scale.” [Climate change]
Washington Wine Industry Tops 650 Wineries
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: March 31, 2010 SUNNYSIDE, Wash. (AP) -- With more than 650 wineries in Washington state and a new license bonded every 10 days, it's getting harder to get noticed in a place still known more for its Red Delicious apples than its Riesling. Washington's wine industry is valued at about $3 billion annually. That's still behind California, which has more than 10-times the acreage and four-times the number of wineries. Few Washington wineries are widely recognized by average consumers outside the region. And most are known for producing wines priced in the $40-range and lower, though a number of wines now top $100 a bottle. Robin Pollard, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission, says the competition has made it harder for winery owners.
How atom bomb tests could help detect wine fraud
'Bomb pulse' in grapes harvested since atmospheric tests can be dated to within a year Ian Sample, science correspondent guardian.co.uk, Sunday 21 March 2010 22.00 GMT A trace of Bikini atoll could join hints of black cherry and complex citrus notes in the sommelier's lexicon for describing fine wines, research has suggested. Harmless amounts of radioactive carbon have been found in wines made from grapes harvested since the last atmospheric atomic bomb tests were carried out in the 1960s. But the "bomb pulse" of radioactive carbon lingering in the alcohol of wines produced since could be a good thing for wine dealers and collectors. Scientists have been able to pinpoint a wine's vintage to within a year by analysing the levels of radioactive carbon in the wine, a technique they say could help detect fraudulent attempts to repackage cheap plonk as a high-end tipple.
Chile Quake Rocks Its Booming Wine Industry
(Bloomberg) — Last week's massive earthquake in Chile caused widespread damage to the country's wineries, although current supplies should help avert significant disruption in export sales. Losses may reach about $250 million, or about 12.9 percent of 2009's production, according to Rene Merino Blanco, president of Vinas de Chile, an association that represents more than 90 percent of the country's wineries.
With roads out, Chile wine prices could rise
March 12, 2010 If you are a big fan of Chilean wine and you’ve built up a stockpile, sip slowly. The earthquake in Chile last month, which swept the country’s grape-growing regions, is expected to drive up the price of Chilean wine imported to Korea, according to industry sources. Chile is now Korea’s No. 2 source for grape wine imports after France. The most popular brands are Montes Alpha, Santa Teresa and Carta Vieja.
Hong Kong helps California winemakers beat recession
By Robert Rodriguez | Sacramento Bee A drop in tariffs and a growing interest in California varietals is making Hong Kong one of the fastest-growing markets for U.S. winemakers. Hong Kong's imports of U.S wine — most of which come from California — soared 41% in 2009 over the previous year to $517 million.
Tong said Hong Kong's consumers are increasingly becoming more sophisticated (sic) about drinking wine, preferring red varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz to white wines such as Chardonnay.
Pinot noir: Kiwi industry's dark starlet
By NICK CHURCHOUSE - The Dominion Post Last updated 05:00 30/01/2010 She is a robust dame, fast becoming a Kiwi superstar, with roots in all corners of the country, and next week she will be the toast of more than 12,000 glasses in Wellington. The "diva" of all grape varieties, as New Zealand's second biggest wine export, pinot noir has become a sturdy pretender to the throne held by sauvignon blanc. It is a big jump to the No1 spot, with the ubiquitous Kiwi "sav" responsible for 82 per cent of all wine exports last year, a total of 107 million litres. Seven million litres of pinot noir was exported, a meagre 5.4 per cent of the total but still 2 million litres ahead of chardonnay in third place.
Taiwan whisky beats UK brands in blind tasting
Kavalan whisky from Taiwan’s King Car distillery won praises from connoisseurs at a blind tasting in Scotland Jan. 25. (CNA)Publication Date:01/26/2010 Source: United Daily News Kavalan whisky from Taiwan’s King Car distillery defeated three Scottish and one English brand at a blind tasting in Scotland, the British newspaper “The Times” reported Jan. 25. According to the report, Vintners Rooms, a historic restaurant in Leith, had four whisky connoisseurs rate a selected group of three-year-old Scotch whiskies. Taiwan’s Kavalan won the experts’ full support with its tropical fruity taste, though it had never entered the British market.
French 'Kiwi cuvee' banned in Australia
1:33 PM Saturday Jan 9, 2010 A French winemaker's attempt to sell its "Kiwi Cuvee" wine in Australia has been tipped over. Winemaker Lacheteau, which is based in the Loire Valley, already sells its sauvignon blanc, labelled Kiwi Cuvee, in Europe and Britain. However, an attempt to register it in Australia caught the interest of the New Zealand Winegrowers, which opposed the move, British newspaper The Times reported. "The term 'kiwi' has a very strong association with New Zealand and our view is that it should be reserved for New Zealand wines," said New Zealand Winegrowers president Philip Gregan. [IPR]
Kiwi Cuvee’s colloquial connotation
New Zealand Winegrowers has successfully opposed an Australian trade mark application for KIWI CUVEE in respect of wines in class 33 in the name of Lacheteau S.A.S. (see New Zealand Winegrowers v Lacheteau S.A.S [2009] ATMO 82.) The main ground of opposition was that contrary to section 43, the trade mark has a connotation that is likely to deceive or cause confusion, in this case that the wines sold by reference to the trade mark originate from New Zealand.
New Zealand Winegrowers v Lacheteau S.A.S
[SEC=UNCLASSIFIED] [2009] ATMO 82 (22 October 2009) Last Updated: 4 November 2009 TRADE MARKS ACT 1995 DECISION OF A DELEGATE OF THE REGISTRAR OF TRADE MARKS, WITH REASONS
Kiwis see red over French wine label
January 8, 2010 Bottles of Kiwi Cuvee (Richard Pohle/The Times) The label does specify that the wine is made in France, but in much smaller type than the Kiwi Cuvee logo Anne Barrowclough in Sydney Try to name your sparkling wine "Champagne" or your locally made round of cheese Brie de Meaux and before you say "Bollinger" the French legal system will have torn you to pieces. Now, in an Antipodean twist on the French system of Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) that protects food and drink by geographic indicators, an Australian tribunal has blocked a French winemaker's attempt to register a name that gave the impression its wine was from New Zealand.
Managing long-term growth in Asian wine markets
Back to Networking In the past 20 years New Zealand wines have gone from zero to hero, growing at four times the rate of all merchandise exports and finally reaching annual exports of $1 billion in July 2009. Asian markets are now a key focus for New Zealand wineries as they seek to grow their business beyond the traditional markets of Australia, the UK, the United States and Canada.
Spanish winemaker Torres warms to environmentalism
Climate change could devastate vineyards so Miguel Torres is preparing his family company for the worst * Elena Moya * guardian.co.uk, Thursday 29 October 2009 18.27 GMT Miguel Torres, the fourth generation of a Catalan winemaking family, is preparing for climate change. Photograph: Martin Argles Southern Britain may not be the only place in the world where risk-loving vintners can take a chance on global warming. Climate change is already changing habits at vineyards in southern Europe, forcing some producers, such as Spain's Torres, to buy land in the Pyrenees – "just in case", says the company's chairman, Miguel Torres. Production of pinot noir and chardonnay at 1,200 metres above sea level has already started, showing no less quality than the wine produced on the gentle hills of the Penedès region, just south of Barcelona. Fears are growing, however, that lowland areas could be reduced to dust in a couple of generations. "Temperatures have already risen by one degree," Torres says. "If they increase by five, southern Europe will be full of arid steppes." This one-degree rise has already brought forward the harvest by 12 or 13 days, he says. "Vineyards are very sensitive." [Climate change]
Villa Maria Named Champion Producer in Liquorland's Top 100 International Wine Competition
Villa Maria Estate has taken the title of ‘Champion Wine Producer of the Year’ for the second consecutive year and landed four of its premium-tier wines on Liquorland’s ‘Top 100’ list for 2009. The Liquorland Top 100 is a highly competitive international wine tasting commissioned by liquor distributor, Liquorland. The aim of the competition is to determine the 100 best wines available in the New Zealand market, enabling consumers to make an informed decision when purchasing wine.
Kiwi’s love home-grown wine best reveals survey
New Zealanders prefer wine produced on home soil reveals a nationwide ‘Kiwi Wine Habits’ survey commissioned by the Liquorland Top 100. A whopping 91% of the 1,700 survey respondents said they would chose wine made in New Zealand over wine produced overseas. However, more than a third (37.4%) of respondents don’t mind what New Zealand region the wine comes from, as long as it tastes good. Director of the Liquorland Top 100 and well known wine consultant Belinda Jackson, says she is not surprised Kiwis prefer wine grown in New Zealand.
Unique New Zealand Wine Yeasts Discovered
20 AUGUST 2009 - Scientists from the University of Auckland have discovered a unique group of New Zealand yeasts involved in wine production, and have begun to identify the origins of the local yeast strains - with surprising results. The researchers examined Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast from a spontaneous ferment at Kumeu River winery. "We identified almost a hundred different strains in the ferment" says lead researcher Dr Mat Goddard "and many of them were genetically distinct from S. cerevisiae found elsewhere in the world."
Wine Poll
Vote in our Wine Poll Every month we ask a topical question to either test your knowledge or seek your opinion. To take part in this month's poll simply click on one of the multi-choice answers on the poll on the right hand side of this page. The latest results will be revealed. Previous Poll Results
Which one of the following is most useful when buying wine? Poll ran July 2009 Answer %Percentage Recommendations from friends 65% Wine columns in the weekend newspapers or food & wine magazines 23% Online wine websites 8% Published wine guide books 4%
French winemakers hope for a fine vintage
By Jancis Robinson in London Published: September 18 2009 20:52 | Last updated: September 18 2009 20:52 Wine lovers rejoice. The weather gods have smiled on French winemakers, raising hopes in the country’s vineyards that, after two years of dismal sales, 2009 will produce an outstanding vintage.
Wine exports hit $1 billion mark
By BERNARD CARPINTER - The Dominion Post Last updated 05:00 17/09/2009 Wine exports have hit $1 billion in a year for the first time, and the industry expects continued strong growth during the next five years. The industry hit the $1b target a year ahead of schedule, with $1.01b worth of wine sent overseas in the year ending July 31.
Asian consumers struggle to understand traditional Western wine language
May 28, 2009 Suzannah Ramsdale Asian consumers struggle to grasp traditional Western wine descriptions, says Jeannie Cho Lee MW. Writing in this month's Decanter, Cho Lee explains that wine writers need to discover new ways to communicate with Asian wine drinkers, but that it may take two generations to come up with a language that is relevant and meaningful to Asian wine lovers. The traditional Western language of wine has been subject to inaccurate translations and means little to many Asian consumers, according to Cho Lee. When it comes to the Asian palate there is a need for more familiar reference points which relate to their cuisine and dining habits. For example, wine drinkers in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore appreciate the subtle elements in mature fine wines, which share the same restrained characters as some of the most-sought after ingredients in Asia such as sea urchin, Kobe beef and shark's fin. Similarly, the tolerance level for tannins varies depending on whether the consumer is a regular drinker of tea or bitter vegetables such as ginseng and radish. For those people, full-bodied tannic red wines are extremely enjoyable. Cho Lee points out that while wine drinkers in the West may describe a Shiraz as having notes of black pepper, liquorice, game and bacon fat, Asian consumers will refer to Tandoori spice, roasted goose or char siu (barbecued pork).
French lay claim to Kiwi
5:00AM Tuesday Dec 06, 2005 By Michelle zDaCruz Call your sparkling wine champagne these days and you'll have a French lawyer on your back faster than you can say "sacre bleu". But when a family-run vineyard in Nelson called its chardonnay Kiwi White and exported it to Sweden, a French company threatened it with legal action, saying it had already trademarked the term Kiwi. The Lacheteau wine company registered the name "Kiwi Cuvee" and is prepared to sue anyone, including New Zealanders, for selling wines with the same name anywhere in the European Union.
Winemakers get the Gallic brush-off over Kiwi trademark
5:00AM Tuesday Dec 06, 2005 By Michelle zDaCruz A French winemaker's threat of legal action against a Nelson vineyard for using the word kiwi in its branding has sparked a warning to other exporters not to take the rights to their national symbol for granted. Kahurangi Estate owner Greg Day said he would no longer be able to sell his "Kiwi White" label in Sweden or anywhere else in Europe for fear of being sued. "We can't use something that is an icon and only associated with a New Zealand bird in Europe because some French company has registered the name," he said. LaCheteau has registered the brand name, Kiwi Cuvee, in Europe, effectively prohibiting its use elsewhere..
A searing wine for 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007 - By Tomas Clancy
Sancerre is a wine on everyone’s lips. This sauvignon blanc has been the world’s most fashionable white wine for almost a decade, with the attendant strong sales and bandwagon-jumpers this title attracts. Appearing on the bandwagon are two sets of winemakers: the entire New World and wannabe fellow French winemakers. Now, almost all of the world’s wine regions have developed a sauvignon blanc vineyard to join the cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay vines that make up the multi-billion-dollar quartet of wine varieties. Sancerre itself is a small hilltop town sitting at an altitude of 1,000 feet on the edge of the Loire river basin.The river runs past about a mile in the distance.
However, we cannot underestimate the rejuvenating effects of Sancerre on sauvignon blanc sales, nor the efforts of one New Zealand wine in particular - Cloudy Bay - to make it the hippest wine on the planet.
French wine company Lacheteau caused outrage in New Zealand when it registered the name Kiwi for use on wines in France and launched a Loire-based sauvignon blanc called Kiwi Cuvee with a New World wine label.
Kiwi Cuvee
This smart label caused complaints from New Zealand. Despite the Kiwi name the wine is French, made by a New Zealand winemaker Rhyan Wardmann.
Wine may help men outlive teetotallers
• Moderate drinkers are said to outlive teetotallers • 'Dangerous idea' worries alcohol campaigners Denis Campbell, health correspondent The Guardian, Thursday 30 April 2009 Article history David Motion, a wine expert at David's shop 'The Winery' in Maida Vale, London, tasting wine. Men who drink less than half a glass of wine a day may live up to five years longer than teetotallers, and could have less chance of a heart attack, a study has found. An analysis of the impact of alcohol on men's health by a team at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found that long-term light consumption - less than 20 grams daily - is more beneficial than being teetotal. Although the findings are not the first to link a moderate intake of alcohol with certain health benefits, the study is the first to examine the effects of different drinks, claiming that wine is much healthier than beer or spirits.
Tesco and supermarket rivals go for wine tasting by moonlight
Supermarket chains check lunar calendar before inviting critics to drink Robert Booth The Guardian, Saturday 18 April 2009 Article history David Motion, a wine expert at David's shop 'The Winery' in Maida Vale, London, tasting wine to test a theory that wine tastes different according to where the moon is in it's lunar cycle. Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian Will Gau holds his glass of ruby chinon to the light and tastes. "It's strict, a little dusty, a little jagged," says the wine connoisseur. But his disappointment may not be down to bad selection or the bottle being corked but to an altogether more cosmic force: the moon. The idea that the taste of wine changes with the lunar calendar is gaining credibility among the UK's major retailers, who believe the day, and even hour, on which wine is drunk alters its taste. Tesco and its rival Marks & Spencer, which sell about a third of all wine drunk in Britain, now invite critics to taste their ranges only at times when the biodynamic calendar suggests they will show at their best.
Women buy wine - eight out of ten bottles, survey finds
• Women buy 80% of bottles drunk at home, study says • But only one fifth heed health warnings on alcohol Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent The Guardian, Thursday 2 April 2009
Women choose and buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are drunk at home, according to figures out today. But as well as taking the lead when it comes to buying their favourite drop, women also have strong views about how they like to drink it. A third of British women who enjoy wine as a treat at the end of the day admit that they prefer to drink it alone - in the bath.
Classy Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc
Shepherd's Ridge sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is not only a standout wine—it's also a terrific bargain
By Nick Passmore New Zealand wines first began to attract attention in Britain during the 1970s and '80s, and then burst into American consciousness in the 1990s with the emergence of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. For a couple of mad years there, it was the sort of cult wine that sommeliers hid under the counter, producing the odd bottle for favored customers. Sanity soon returned. While Cloudy Bay is a lovely wine, it certainly didn't warrant that sort of pop-star hysteria. Nevertheless, its few moments of superstar status did serve to awaken American awareness of New Zealand wines in general and of Kiwi sauvignon blancs in particular
Ancient Spaniards for Modern Cellars
By ERIC ASIMOV Published: March 17, 2009 THREE years ago the wine panel reviewed reds from the Bierzo region of Spain for the first time. We were enchanted with the haunting, complex aromas of the mencía grape, which is used to such wonderful effect only in northwest Spain. Since Bierzo has emerged to the rest of the world as a wine region only in the last 10 years or so, we thought it was worth checking in to see how things were evolving. Not to keep you in suspense, things in Bierzo are going quite well, with a few qualifications. Before I elaborate on that answer, though, let me explain why I think the question is so fascinating. Because of its relative isolation, and because its significant grape is so different, Bierzo offers an unusual opportunity to observe how an ancient wine region takes its place in the modern world of wine commerce. As with any emerging region, Bierzo faces multiple pressures as it tries to interest the rest of the world in its wines and turn itself into a desirable brand. Does it take the historical traditions that make its wines distinctive and try to persuade the world to embrace something new? Does it carefully study what is already popular and try to modify its wines to appeal to those built-in desires? Or does it do a little of this and a little of that? The answer, of course, is all of the above. [Wine]
In This Economy, We Economize
By Dave McIntyre Wednesday, March 18, 2009; Page F05 The drumbeat of bad news on the front page is bound to echo inside the paper, and the country's economic woes naturally will influence our wine choices as we agonize over our incredible shrinking 201(k)s. But just how have our spending habits changed? Wine & Spirits magazine's latest annual restaurant wine survey reveals that we are not forgoing wine as we dine, just choosing cheaper glasses and bottles. The implication of this not-so-eye-popping revelation is that wine now is a necessary part of dinner, no longer a luxury item to be enjoyed only on special occasions and given up in tough times. At least, for those of us who can still afford to eat out. [wine]
Finessed and Light: California Pinot Noirs With a Manifesto
By ERIC ASIMOV Published: March 10, 2009 HEALDSBURG, Calif. AS the rain slanted down onto the vineyard around Copain Wine Cellars, just outside this town in northern Sonoma County, Wells Guthrie, the proprietor, poured a glass of one of his 2006 pinot noirs.
Forget wine rules: Asia guru says only freshness is key
By Miral Fahmy Miral Fahmy – Tue Dec 9, 7:42 am ET A grape picker cleans a bunch of grapes during a day of grape harvest at le Clos Reuters – A grape picker cleans a bunch of grapes during a day of grape harvest at le Clos Saint Vincent vineyard … SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) – The duty of wine is to please the palate, so drink what you want, with the food that you fancy, as long as it refreshes the mouth, advises one of Asia's leading experts on fine wines.
Do you see wine growing in popularity in Asia? A: "Absolutely. Wine is replacing bottles of whisky and brandy at weddings. And it's more and more young people who are interested in wine, the young executives, the business people, they are broadening the base. The bulk drink cheaper wines, but as they grow older and their incomes rise, I am sure they will go for the more expensive, better-known names, so the market is set to grow even further." Q: Asia has not always been a wine-drinking region, has it? A: "Wine has only become popular in the region in the past decade or so.
Marilyn’ wines
Marilyn’ wines from the U.S. are on sale at Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul on Sunday
Unbottled-a foreign-reporter misrepresents China’s wine industry
Posted by admin at October 31st, 2008 By Ma Huiqin Tim Johnson, the Beijing bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers, wrote a blog post this week and cited an anonymous source - purportedly a Chinese winery executive - whose claims include that 80 percent of wine bottled in China is imported bulk “garbage.” The post has been picked up by several influential sites, including Wine Business International. There is little doubt that China’s wine industry has problems, ranging from the misrepresentation of vintages by some firms to a lack of consistent quality. But exaggeration by Johnson and the source he cites, described as a “heartsick chairman,” does not help the situation. Here is a section by section look at the post:
Wineglasses Rising China's newfound obsession with wine.
By Mike Steinberger Posted Friday, Aug. 8, 2008, at 5:08 PM ET Acker Merrall and Condit. Click image to expandAn Acker Merrall and Condit wine auction in Hong KongA specter is haunting Western wine geeks: the prospect of 1 billion Chinese people besotted with wine. As China becomes an economic colossus, its increasingly voracious appetite for scarce natural resources will inevitably extend to the world's most sought-after wines. If even a tiny fragment of China's population acquires the means and desire to regularly drink the likes of Haut-Brion and Romanée-Conti, the effect on (already high) prices and (already tight) supplies will be profound. And, in fact, the balance of wine-buying power is already shifting eastward: Chinese collectors have furiously sought out one first-growth Bordeaux, Château Lafite; and Hong Kong, which recently lifted all duties on wine, is now poised to rival London and New York as a hub of the global wine trade. Of course, there is always the possibility that China could eventually slake its own growing thirst for cabernets and merlots. China has a long viticultural heritage, and on the back of the country's economic gains, the local wine industry is booming: China is now the world's sixth-largest wine producer. But output is one thing, and quality is another. Might there soon be truly fine wines bearing the "Made in China" label?
What Makes Chinese Wine Red?
The following has been posted in online forums in China, and claims to expose the dirty secrets of the nascent Chinese wine industry, excerpts translated by CDT.
Xi Si Hutong (alley), 2008-10-22 17:28:02 Recently, Mr. Wang, a board chairman of a Chinese winery at Hebei Province was overwhelmed with conflicted emotions. He has been in the Chinese wine industry for five years. After spending time in this dirty vat, he understood well many “behind the scenes” tricks. Should he reveal the secrets to the public? If he did, his company could be caught up in a scandal and would inevitably suffer a loss. If he chose not to speak, it would go against his conscience to deceive the consumers. [Quality]
Top 10 must-visit wineries
Raise a glass in Champagne or sip Stonyridge at its home on New Zealand's beautiful Waiheke Island. Robert Joseph recommends the best places to enjoy the big-name wines at source
New Zealand wineries toast a better year
By DENISE MCNABB - The Independent | Friday, 29 August 2008 GRAPES OF NZ: According to winery benchmarking surveys done on both sides of the Tasman by accounting firm Deloitte, New Zealand wineries are generating earnings higher than their Australian counterparts. New Zealand wineries are generating earnings higher than their Australian counterparts in all but one size category. According to winery benchmarking surveys done on both sides of the Tasman by accounting firm Deloitte, New Zealand came out tops on price in all but the $5 million to $10m range of annual wine turnover. Deloitte said the better New Zealand performance was due to a reduced supply of wine for the 2007 vintage, together with a relatively strong Australian dollar.
JSBA works to revive sake, culture
"Kampai!": Akio Tatsuuma, chairman of the Japan Sake Brewers Association, raises a cup of sake in front of shelves filled with the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage at Sake Plaza in Shimbashi, Tokyo. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO Oct. 1 is Nihonshu-no-hi, or Sake Day in English. The right part of the Chinese character for sake is the pictograph of a jar and at the same time, the character for rooster, the 10th sign of the Chinese zodiac. So the first day of the 10th month of the year, Oct. 1, was designated as Sake Day in 1978 by the Japan Sake Brewers Association. Around this time, the year's new rice becomes available for sake brewing, and with it autumn arrives, the season of hearty appetites. Autumn is traditionally the high season for Japanese people to enjoy eating and for their appetites to return after summer's draining heat.
Sales of Bubbly Go Stale as Economy Reels
A global slowdown saw sales of champagne worldwide drop by 2.6 percent in the first half of this year compared to a year ago, Belgian tabloid La Dernière Heure reports. Statistics from the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) show that this is the first time since 2000 that the growth of champagne sales fell below zero. A decline in the sales of champagne, the iconic luxury consumer product symbolizing the bubbling economy, is emblematic of a global economy going flat.
NZ wines get nod from specialist magazine in Taiwan
22 Aug 2008 TAIPEI: The August/September edition of Taiwan's prestigious Decanter magazine saw New Zealand wines get a favourable mention following a New Zealand wine tasting event in Taipei in June. The event included eight importers of New Zealand wines and the Decanter article named several of the New Zealand wines that were available for the tasting and their importers.
Wine popular on more palates in Muslim Indonesia
By Fitri Wulandari Tue Oct 7, 12:52 AM ET JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - What's the best wine for Indonesian chicken satay with sweet peanut sauce? Or a traditional suckling goat barbequed slowly over soy sauce?
Indonesians are finding out the answers to these questions and more as they sip and swirl at the many wine classes and wine tasting events that have mushroomed in Jakarta, capital of the world's most populous Muslim nation. Jakarta's wine classes -- mostly attended by young, urban professionals -- teach people everything from the intricacies of picking and storing wine to opening a bottle and pairing the right wine with the right food. "We are not trying to promote wine because it's a sensitive issue here in Indonesia," said Yohan Handoyo, a wine writer and instructor at wine class, Winexperience. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol. "The class is for people who have decided to drink alcohol and they have questions about wine."
Cartoon Caper
A Japanese cartoon character's proving more influential than real living, breathing wine critics. File Size:4.1MB Date: (Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:45:07 +1300
Radio NZ programme about the manga series Kami no Shizuki,/Les Gouttes de Dieu/Drops of God
Macau: struggle and growth
by Jeannie Cho Lee MW September 9th 2008
Against the backdrop of luxury hotels and casinos, importers are working hard to capture the potential of this rapidly growing market but, as Jeannie Cho Lee observes, the duty reduction in Hong Kong threatens the fine wine business. Macau is a tiny peninsula, with a mere 29 square kilometers of land and a population of just over 500,000. The special administrative region has long suffered as Hong Kong’s poor cousin, lagging far behind economically until the recent growth of hotels and casinos. That said, in 2006, Macau’s casino revenues surpassed those of Las Vegas and, with the opening of upcoming hotels, this growth looks set to continue at least over the next five years.
The wine industry has begun to expand in tandem with the growth in casinos. In 2000, Macau imported only 62,000 cases of wine. There was slow, but unimpressive growth over the next five years until volume soared by 32% from 126,000 in 2005 to 166,000 cases in 2006. Again, in 2007, volumes jumped 33% to 217,000 cases. The value of wine imports is even more impressive. In 2000, the total value of bottled wine imports (in less than two litre containers) was only $3.2m (€2m). By 2005, this rose to $17m and is at $55m for year end 2007. Although the size of the market and actual numbers are small, the growth increases over the past several years are impressive
Macau eliminates wine duty
by Jeannie Cho Lee MW China, September 10th 2008 Effective 26 August 2008, all duty on wine and beer was eliminated in Macau. The move mimics Hong Kong’s much publicized duty elimination in February 2008. Officials from Macau’s Economic Services Bureau and Consumption Tax Division were reluctant to comment publicly on what triggered the decision. Privately, one government official said, “It was a defensive move, partly to be in line with what was happening in Hong Kong and partly to counter rising inflation and fast-paced development in Macau.”
Wine Word: Consultant, publisher, and writer Ch’ng Poh Tiong
By Jim Boyce 09.12.08 As a publisher, writer, lawyer, and tasting panel judge, Singapore-based Ch’ng Poh Tiong has long been a key player in the wine world and especially on the Asian scene. In May, he organized the first International Congress of Chinese Cuisine and Wine, held in Beijing. I talked to him about the feasibility of pairing wine and Chinese food, about his publications, and about the key factors impacting wine growth in China.China is an increasingly important player as a wine producer and consumer. What do you see as the three biggest factors affecting the growth of wine in China? As a wine producer, at least as coastal and even inland China is concerned, one of the biggest challenges is obviously the weather. In August and September, the time when grapes in the northern hemisphere are going through the final stage of ripening, there’s too much precipitation whether in the form of monsoonal rain or typhoons. I rThe Chinese Bordeaux Guideemember visiting my first vineyard in Shandong 15 years ago and seeing the black grapes had not even completed veraison or the changing of colour at harvest time. The other challenge involves authenticity. The authorities have to come together and enforce regulations that prohibit from being labeled as Chinese wine those wines that actually use imported bulk wine from Chile, Australia or what have you.
Match points: ICCCW pairing guide for wine and Chinese food
By Jim Boyce We ate and drank, ate and drank, ate and drank, then ate and drank some more - all in the name of research. The inaugural International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine met in Beijing in May and put the livers and stomachs of some 100 participants to the test. icccw-poster.JPGTwo morning and two afternoon sessions saw people from the wine, food, and media sectors face a lineup of about a dozen wines and try them against a succession of foods. Everyone then voted on the pairings. The result is this Official Pairing Guide in English and Chinese.
International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine Official Pairing Guide
The world’s first International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine took place at China World Hotel, Beijing, 23 to 25 May 2008. More than 100 wine journalists, sommeliers, winemakers, hoteliers, restaurateurs and wine brand owners took part. Together with Chinese cuisine, ICCCW also featured Japanese and Indian guest cuisines. Here are the pairings participants consider the most ideal.
Lost in translation: A Rose is a Rose is a Rose?
By Ma Huiqin 09.22.08 When I was asked for an English-Chinese list of wine grape varieties for this blog, I considered the best way to provide this information. Should I include ‘???’, ‘???’, or ‘???’, since all three have been used as a translation of Chardonnay? Similarly, should I include ‘??’, ‘???’, or even ‘???’ as a translation of Merlot? Wine is not a part of daily life in China, so it is hardly surprising that most people are unaware of grape variety names. Even students majoring in English or French are unlikely to study them. And while there is a standard translation of grape varieties, few people know about it in China beyond viticulturist and enologist societies. This is understandable, since before 1990, the translation of grape names did not constitute a major issue - the wine industry was quite small and homogenuous, competition was not so fierce, and few representative of foreign wines were in the market. Translation has since become a much bigger business, with an increasing number of imported wines and with new wine distribution companies and agents emerging almost daily. [Note hanzi (Chinese characters) appear in the original]
India: Wine sales to double by 2010
September 19, 2008 Hazel Macrae The Indian domestic wine market is to double in size in the next two years, according to research. Current consumption of 5m litres is expected to grow 25% in the next two years, to reach 9m by 2010. The figures come from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). Reduced duties and eased restrictions on the distribution of wine to deter consumption of stronger alcoholic drinks, has helped the industry's significant growth. Assocham also cites a rise in disposable incomes, and western influence on lifestyle among younger drinkers, as contributing factors. Wine consumption still lies some way behind other alcoholic beverages. 300m cases of beer and 90m of whisky and other spirits were sold in 2007-08. France accounts for almost 50% of India's wine imports, and Italy 30%.
Wine With Asian Food
By: Elise Shin, Apr 02, 2008 To pair or not to pair a glass of Bordeaux with Hokkien fried noodles? According to Patricia Guy and Edwin Soon, authors of Wine With Asian Food: New Frontiers of Taste: “Certainly!” But the alacrity of the statement glosses over the complicated nature of this union. Wine pairing may be a simple affair for the Western meal, structured by course and matched according to the general rule of reds with red meat and whites with fish and poultry. The Eastern dining experience, on the other hand, is a communal affair of multiple flavors served simultaneously, so deciding upon a single bottle to suit all tastes can prove a complicated pursuit. Throw in the authors’ caveat that “it is best to choose a wine that evolved alongside that dish,” and the reader is left wondering about Asia’s place in wine history and what that means to Asians.
Cartoon character from Kami no Shizuku drives up wine sales in Japan
A handsome Japanese cartoon character has sent sales of wine soaring in Tokyo as fans endeavour to mirror their hero's quest to discover the world's finest vintages.
By Jessica Salter Last Updated: 5:46PM BST 11 Sep 2008 Shizuku Kanzaki was sent on his mission by a request in his father's will. Shizuku Kanzaki's adventures in the comic Kami no Shizuku lead him to sample different bottles in every copy and the featured wines regularly become overnight hits, in some cases tripling sales. The character was sent on his mission by a request in his father's will. Once he tracks down the "Twelve Apostles" he will be rewarded with keys to his father's wine cellar, which because the man was a great wine critic, is a valuable prize. The comic is read by 500,000 Japanese each week and his sway over the wine market is spreading throughout Asia. Some wine importers say they have never seen such a powerful single influence on their business. In Taiwan a single reference to a relatively obscure French terroir led to dozens of cases of the wine being sold within a few days. He has also influenced the South Korean market, where translations of the comic have boosted sales of wine from less than a third of the market to around 70 per cent of alcohol sales. The cartoon is the creation of a brother and sister team in Japan, who use the pseudonym Tadshi Agi. South Korean film star Bae Yong Joon is considering playing the lead in a film about Shizuku's adventures. . [Hallyu]
Roads to market in India
by Subhash Arora The wine world has high hopes for India, given its population and rising wealth, which is creating an interest in Western goods in general and wine in particular. But not so fast, because anybody looking to enter the market needs to consider a number of obstacles, including punishing duties. The unrestricted import of wine and other alcohol has been allowed by the Indian government for more than five years now. The number of importers has increased from about 35 a couple of years ago to nearly 80 - and will soon touch 100 if one considers the many new arrivals, plus the old ones who had stopped importing wine due to stringent laws, heavy duties and a restricted market which is now expanding at over 30% a year.
The uncertainty of the UK market
by Robert Joseph Thanks to high street consolidation, excise hikes and calls for innovation in packaging, the UK market is undergoing a major change, finds Robert Joseph. Could the end be nigh for the once unmoveable £3.99 price point?
New Zealand fills more wine glasses in Japan
30 Jun 2008
TOKYO: Japan is increasing its consumption of imported wine and New Zealand producers are filling more glasses as a result. The volume of all imported still wine to Japan 2007 was up 1.4 percent on the previous year with 14 million cases crossing the border. Domestic production of wine accounted for 6.8 million cases. Imports of New Zealand still wine over the same period were up 5 percent on 2006 to 56,000 cases, and 25 percent over 2005.
Japanese sun growing brighter
by Robert Joseph March 22nd 2008
After the first wine boom ebbed following the bursting of the Japanese financial bubble in 1990, eyes turned to the Chinese and Indian markets. Yet Japan is by far the largest and most upscale Asian wine market, as Robert Joseph discovers in his discussion with Carl Robinson of specialist importer Jeroboam.
Debunking Asian myths
by Jeannie Cho Lee March 3rd 2008
There are three myths about wine drinking in China and other emerging Asian wine consuming countries, which still circulate among wine circles in Europe and North America: (1) Asians don’t know much about wine, (2) Asian consumers often mix wine with Coke, and (3) Asian fine wine consumers are label drinkers.
During my years as an Asian wine writer, judge and educator, I’ve heard these opinions, sometimes disguised as questions, from my Western counterparts. Often accompanying these queries is an undertone of superiority mixed with pity for the unfortunate, yet growing number of Asians, who do not truly appreciate wine. Myths become myths because there is one prevailing viewpoint, story or perspective that has been reinforced over and over again. However, the reality is more complex. Living in the midst of fast-moving, dynamic Asian economies, I’d like to propose that these are in fact myths and out-dated perspectives
Indian winery offers equity to growers
by Subhash Arora India, July 28th 2008
India’s Four Seasons Wines Ltd., a subsidiary of beer baron Vijay Mallya’s UB group, is to offer contract farmers a stake in the company, as a way of solving a looming grape shortage. It will issue 500 equity shares at a preferential price for every acre of grapes committed to be supplied exclusively to the winery for the next 15 years. “Twelve hundred farmers from Baramati, Nashik, and Narayangaon and Sangli areas have already responded positively to our offer,” said Abhay Kewadkar, director and chief wine maker of Four Seasons said. He also said that 51% of Four Seasons will be held by UB Spirits Ltd, the balance being kept for the farmers and other strategic partners.
The beer and liquor major, UB Group recently entered the wine business through two companies. United Vintners Ltd imports and distributes international wines, while Four Seasons produces Indian wines under the Zinzi label and the soon to be launched 'Four Seasons'. The ambitious production target of about 100,000 cases this year will propel it to the number four spot in India.
'Green energy' wine arrives in Ireland on 108-year-old ship
By Henry Samuel in Paris Last Updated: 4:01pm BST 25/07/2008
The first commercial cargo of wine shipped from France by sail since the late 1800s arrived in Ireland on Friday aboard a British schooner, with almost zero petrol costs and carbon emissions. Some 30,000 bottles of "green energy" wine, arrived in Dublin aboard the 108-year old Kathleen and May - the last wooden hull three-masted topsail schooner in existence - after leaving Brest a week ago with a stop at Penzance. Frédéric Albert with the first ever shipment of 'green energy' wine Each bottle carried has saved 4.9 oz of carbon dioxide emissions compared with a regular shipment. The wines come with the label: "Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet." [Green]
Japan: Land of the Rising Sun
by Ned Goodwin February 8th 2007
The world’s third strongest economy is the fourth largest importer of wine in the world. With consumption stagnant and prices falling, the market is mired in a polarized state. Although an Asian nation with few historical links to wine, Japan is an important player in the wine world. However, it is a highly complex market, boasting a huge number of importers relative to stagnant consumption hovering at two litres per capita. Yet two categories stand out as especially pertinent to the market at large: the penchant for luxury brands; and, at other extreme, the abundance of wines at the lower end of the quality scale, most retailing below the Japanese average price of ¥800 (€5.13, $6.65). In Japan there is little middle ground. Japan is the world’s fourth largest importer of wine.
Although still a small player, New Zealand shows particularly strong numbers.
Ruling Turns a Village of Winemakers on Itself
By STEVEN ERLANGER Published: July 24, 2008 ST.-ÉMILION, France — For François Despagne, it was the challenge of his lifetime. His family owned the same vineyard in this southwestern part of France for seven generations. But in 1996, in the reclassification of St.-Émilion wines that occurs roughly every 10 years, Château Grand Corbin-Despagne was downgraded from grand cru classé, one of the highest ratings. The family disagreed but did not challenge the ruling in court. "When you’re declassified, you’re the ugly little duckling," Mr. Despagne said. "People lose faith in you." The blow is also financial.
Wine Screwcaps vs Corks 2005
When you think about the long history of wine, it's amazing that we've stuck with cork for as long as we have.
Because of the damage caused by cork closures, many wineries are pushing to replace tree-bark cork with screwcaps. Removing the cork from the wine process gives the wine the best possible chance to reach the consumer in an untainted state - to give the drinker the exact wine that the winemaker intended. The sole problem with this change is one of drinker perception.
Babich sells priciest container of wine to China
June 9, 2008
After years of laying the groundwork, Babich Wines is now enjoying exceptional growth in China, with its Guangzhou distributor recently ordering the most expensive container of wine it has ever sold anywhere in the world. The 12,000 bottles of wines in that container are destined for very high class retail outlets and restaurants, says David Babich, General Manager of the company that is one of a handful that have been pioneering New Zealand wine sales in China. He says over the last five years Babich has sent the odd container of wine to China, in the last six months it has sent four containers and from a low base is now starting to get real traction.
China is the sixth biggest wine producing nation in the world and they consume most of their product internally. A wealthy middle class is looking to the west to see what they are drinking and as a result wine consumption is enjoying very steep growth. “By 2018 we want China to be one of our top four markets in the world, on a par with Australia, America and England.”
Wine’s Pleasures: Are They All in Your Head?
In recent months, wine consumers have been portrayed as easily manipulated victims who can be influenced by price, pretense or hype. Besides price, what do you consider when buying a wine?
New Record for Wine Exports
For Immediate Release 2 May 2008 New Zealand’s wine exports have reached a new record level with wine export revenues increasing 16% to NZ$766 million in the year to March 2008, according to New Zealand Winegrowers. This was up from NZ$661 million in the previous year.
Israel's Winemaking Revolution
International consumers used to shun Israeli wines, but Golan Heights Winery managed to create a market for world-class wines—and retool an industry by Stacy Perman According to the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, Israeli wine exports hit $21 million in 2007, up 42% from 2006 Stacy Perman The Golan Heights Winery vineyards climb from the Sea of Galilee to snow-capped Mount Hermon near Israel's border with Lebanon and Syria. A picturesque region of rolling hills, waterfalls, and gorges, the Golan Heights is perhaps best known as the contentious area Israel captured from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967—territory still claimed by Syria today. However, the Golan Heights Winery has added an unexpected business significance to this 460-square-mile rocky plateau. Established in 1983, the winery is credited with remaking the Israeli wine industry and slowly transforming Israel's reputation as a maker of unexciting, syrupy kosher brands to a producer of world-class, award-winning wines that appeal to sophisticated international consumers.
Customers can choose their own blends, labels
Do-it-yourself wine business gains following
Dave Gallagher Opening a business that is a little different from the norm can be a challenge for new entrepreneurs, but Ted Sellers and Scott Crippen seem to be handling it well. Sellers and Crippen openedWhatcom Winemakers about six months ago and have been steadily growing a customer base. The business at 130 E. Champion St. is a place where customers can come in, taste some wine and create their own blends and labels. Customers can make a batch of 30 bottles to either give away as gifts or stock their own cellars. "For most people, it's a chance to do something with a group of friends that's beyond the regular activities, like going out to the movies or to dinner," Sellers said. "It is very informal, and we try not to be too stuffy, especially when it comes to wine-tasting. We want people to have a fun time."
Do we think we've had enough? Beer sales plunge as Britons stay at home
· Pubs selling 14m fewer pints a day than in 1979 · Brewers call for tax freeze to halt the rise of wine
Sam Jones Tuesday November 20, 2007 The Guardian Shakespeare may have declared "a quart of ale is a dish for a king", but five centuries on, Britain appears to have slaked its thirst for the humble beer. Sales of a drink that, for many, is the cornerstone of British social life, have dropped to their lowest level since the 1930s, according to figures released today. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents the brewing and pub industry, revealed that 14m fewer pints daily are being sold in pubs today - a slump of 49% since the peak in 1979. Part of the long-term trend has been the move towards drinking at home. In the late 70s, 90% of beer was drunk in pubs, but the figure now stands at 58%. While the biggest casualties of Britain's increasing preference for wine and spirits have been the pubs, they are, however, not alone: overall beer sales have plunged by 22% from the peak 1979 level.
The Evolution of Sauvignon Blanc
TARTNESS IN THE HILLS The best sauvignon blancs from New Zealand's South Island are known for having bite.
By ERIC ASIMOV Published: June 27, 2007 THE sauvignon blanc grape owes a lot to New Zealand. Thirty years or so ago nobody knew much about it at all. Sure, it was a component of white Bordeaux, and yes, it was part of the blend in the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It made wonderful white wines in the Loire Valley, particularly in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, as it still does.
But the grape's name never appears on those French labels. Even in California, the grape gained popularity only after it was rechristened fumé blanc by Robert Mondavi.
Only in the 1980s, when New Zealand started to produce bold, pungent, refreshing sauvignon blanc wines, did the name of the grape become something that people sought out. So great was New Zealand's success that the rest of the world could not help but embrace the grape.
South Africa began making delicious sauvignon blancs, as did Chile. California re-evaluated whether sauvignon blanc was best suited for the oaky pseudo-chardonnays it was making and opted for the leaner New Zealand style instead. Bordeaux took note, too, and the good, inexpensive sauvignon blanc wines bottled nowadays as basic Bordeaux blanc offer a restrained Gallic nod in the direction of the Antipodes.
The question today is, how much does New Zealand owe to sauvignon blanc?
Not so much, apparently. In a sampling of 25 New Zealand sauvignon blancs the Dining section's tasting panel found far too few of the bright, vibrant wines that had made New Zealand a worldwide force. Instead, we found too many wines that seemed aimed at being commercially inoffensive. Some were too sweet. Others simply seemed wishy-washy.
The Wallaby That Roared Across the Wine Industry
April 23, 2006
By FRANK J. PRIAL
WILLIAM J. DEUTSCH was apprehensive when he first agreed to import an unknown Australian wine called Yellow Tail into the United States in 2001. Its handsome black-and-yellow label featured what looked like a kangaroo, and he felt that animals had no place on wine labels. But he liked the wine. "So," he said recently, "I agreed to take 25,000 cases."
His son Peter disagreed about the animal, which actually was a rock wallaby. "That label is fabulous," he told his dad.
"O.K.," said the elder Mr. Deutsch. "60,000 cases." Their wine-and-spirits importing company, William J. Deutsch & Sons, paid about $2 million for that first shipment; it arrived in June 2001. By the end of that year, 225,000 cases of Yellow Tail had been sold to retailers. In 2002, 1.2 million cases were sold. The figure climbed to 4.2 million in 2003 - including a million in October alone - and to 6.5 million in 2004. And, last year, sales surpassed 7.5 million - all for a wine that no one had heard of just five years earlier.
John Casella, whose winery in southeastern Australia produces Yellow Tail, is predicting sales of 8 million or 8.5 million cases in the United States this year, and he says that sales in Europe, Canada and Asia - which started only recently - could add 3.5 million to the total.
Nothing like this has ever happened before in the American wine business.
A War of Words Over Catalonia Sets Off a War of Wine
By JOHN TAGLIABUE March 13, 2006 New York Times
Barcelona Journal BARCELONA, Spain - In the struggle over autonomy between Spain and the Catalonia region, of which Barcelona is the capital, a new weapon of rather less than mass destruction has emerged: sparkling wine. The wine is Cava, which Catalonians describe as identical to Champagne, except for the source of the grapes. [Boycott]
Justices Reject Curbs on Wine Sales
5-4 Ruling a Victory for Interstate Shippers By Charles Lane Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, May 17, 2005; Page A01 The Supreme Court gave a boost to commerce between wineries and their far-flung customers yesterday, ruling that states that permit in-state vintners to sell directly to consumers may not deny that right to out-of-state producers. Ruling that free interstate trade in wine trumps the states' rights to regulate alcohol sales, the court struck down New York and Michigan laws under which wineries from other states had to sell through state-licensed wholesalers, while local wineries could deal with lovers of the grape by phone and Internet. This discrimination was an unconstitutional trade barrier, the court said.
The ruling could help reshape the nation's fast-growing $22 billion-a-year wine business. It gives consumers in some of the largest wine markets in the country the right to buy wine directly from thousands of small producers that previously could not meet the states' conditions.

Return to top of page
WINE BUSINESS MAGAZINES & BLOGS

WineFoodMood.com
From one of the nodes of Canada's wine industry, St. Catharines, Ontario
WineFoodMood.com was created as a venue to share anecdotes, experience, ideas, blatherings and hopefully some valuable insight on the liquids and solids we put in our mouths each and every day and how it all makes us feel.
Peter F May's Unusual Wines
Diversity in Wine
Asia Cuisine
Singapore
Shanghai International Wines and Spirits Fair
Newsletter
Indian Wine Academy
Wine drinking and driving Speed
Thursday, August 07 2008. 18:20 I had gone to the Polo Lounge at the Hyatt day before yesterday, to meet a bunch of guys from New York who had been in touch with me and were in Delhi for a couple of days. It had suddenly poured causing a big traffic jam which saw a young under- wine- drinking age girl nick my car and a long delay in arriving at the meeting.
Delhi Wine Club
Myths and Misconceptions about Wine While conducting various wine appreciation programmes and interacting with wine lovers, I have realized that many people in India and in fact even around the world believe in dozens of myths, half-truths and have many misconceptions about wine. Let me share a dozen of them.
Wine Review
Mr CH’NG Poh Tiong is a lawyer by training. He is the publisher of The Wine Review East Asia’s oldest wine magazine, since 1991), and the world’s first annual Guide to Bordeaux in Chinese. Poh Tiong’s articles have also appeared in magazines, including Harper’s and Decanter of the UK; and Silver Kris, the magazine of Singapore Airlines. Poh Tiong also writes a quarterly column for Decanter magazine.
Wine for Dragons
Singapore Wine Blog... Wine Reviews and Tastings... Review of Wine bars and Wine accessories...
Meininger's Wine Business International
The Magazine for the Global Wine Trade , published in Germany
Sommelier India
What is Sommelier India?
It is India’s first and only magazine dedicated to wine and wine lovers. Filled with news, feature articles, wine profiles and the culture surrounding wine, Sommelier India is written by international and Indian writers, wine experts and aficionados.
Grape Wall of China
Grape Wall of China branched off from a nightlife blog called Beijing Boyce that I started in October 2006, which branched off from an e-newsletter of the same name that I began in October 2005. This blog originally gave a consumer’s view of the wine scene in China but has since added more voices, including those of winemakers, distributors, academics, educators or consultants (see full list). It aims to be a useful resource for anyone who is interested in one of the world’s biggest, most dynamic and fastest-growing markets.
Wine in Korea blogspot
Blog by squirrelandgman
Tokyo through the drinking glass
Life, wine, and the pursuit of sake... Melinda Joe A Louisiana born Chinese -American, I currently live in Tokyo, where I struggle daily with the Japanese language and keep myself busy with learning as much as possible about sake and wine. I'm a graduate of the John Gauntner Sake Professional Course and a WSET Wine Certificate holder with no fear of being called a nerd. It's happened too many times; I'm inured.

Return to top of page
OUTLETS

Roberson Wine
London-based wine specialist
The Wine Shop @Wine Museum, Macau

Return to top of page
STATISTICS and REPORTS

Wine Historical Statistics: A Quantitative Approach to its Consumption, Production and Trade, 1840-1938
Vicente Pinilla Abstract: This working paper provides a compilation of statistics on international wine consumption, production and trade from the mid-nineteenth century until the beginning of the Second World War. The statistical data is structured in three parts dealing with consumption, production and trade both at the world level and for a broad sample of countries. The data presented for Spain, France and Italy, the leading three nations in the wine market, are especially wide-ranging. [Statistics]
STATE OF THE VITIVINICULTURE WORLD MARKET REPORT IN 2008
- Summary of data
- Full report

Berrys' Future of Wine Report A glimpse into the world of wine in 2058
Looking through our best-selling wines from 50 years ago, it's strange to see how fashions have changed. In 1958, German, fortified and sweet wines were top-sellers; now, they don't even feature on the best-sellers list. Berry Bros. & Rudd has been selling wine for 310 years and expects to be doing so for at least another 310. As Britain's oldest independent wine merchant and, given we have more Masters of Wine (four) than any other company, there's no-one better qualified to poll the opinions of our resident experts on how the wine world might look in 2058. 50 years ago, it would have been unthinkable to take wine lessons 'virtually' or predict supermarket shelves would be stocked with wines from China, Brazil, India or New Mexico. So, what will 2058 look like? We looked at future trends in fine wine (our speciality) but also in volume production - wines for under £10. Whether it's the 'Rise of China' or the 'New New World', 'Big Brand Booze', 'Floating Vines' or 'Sommelier Bees', this report aims to give you a glimpse into the world of wine in 2058.

NZ Winegrowers Annual report 2008

NZ Winegrowers Statistical Annual 2008

New Zealand wine industry benchmarking survey Vintage 2007
Publication date: August 2008
A joint publication from Deloitte and New Zealand Winegrowers

Overview
Gives basic statistics for the industry

Exports
Exports to main markets, 1997-2006, by volume and value

Vintages
Production by grape variety and region, in tones, 1997-2006

New Zealand Winegrowers Statistical Annual, 2006

Correction to Table 9, Page 19 of the ‘New Zealand Winegrowers Statistical Annual 2006’

New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report, 2005

Return to top of page
MARKET RESEARCH

Export Markets - Industries within Countries
Austrade Includes wine to various markets

Wine to Japan
(Last updated: 26 Sep 2008) Trends and opportunities The market Australian export of wine to Japan reached almost one million cases in 2007. Australia is the fourth largest exporter by value to Japan, following France, Italy and US in the same year. The average export price is A$5.43/L FOB. The merit of screw cap has been largely accepted by Japanese consumers. Australian major individual wine brands are simultaneously moving to screw cap in Japan and premium wine producers are following.

US Department of Agriculture reports

USDA Food sector reports
USDA food services and food retail reports for a number of Asian countries. Wine is sometimes mentioned. HRI is an acronym for Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional sector

Wine in China - A Market Analysis
Updated - September 23, 2005
This updated report from Access Asia covers the market for red, white & blended grape and sparkling wines in China. Wine is now the fashionable drink for wealthy younger urban Chinese, and the "badge" drink of China's wealthiest elite.
PRICE: 950 pounds

Return to top of page
ASSOCIATIONS AND SITES

Tizwine.com
NZ wine portal

ilove.com
Welcome to the ilove extra virgin olive oil experience from New Zealand, where we add a New World zing to the wonderful health enhancing properties of an Old World condiment.
Martinborough is known for its superb wines, in particular its pinot noir. New Zealand pinot noirs, in fact New Zealand wines in general, have demonstrated to the world that the New Zealand climate and land characteristics deliver an exceptional taste - olive oil is proving to have these same attributes. When we combine this with a passionate commitment to quality, the results put the ilove olive oil in a class by itself.

New Zealand Wine Club
As a member of the New Zealand Wine Club, you would be able to get access to New Zealand wines and event information through this official website. You would have opportunities to enjoy great New Zealand wines. Our aim is to share all the information with wine people, wine professionals, educators, gourmets, travellers and those just interested in New Zealand wines. This website is for anyone who loves natural, pure and honest products from New Zealand. Just like you.
Japanese site

Wine Korea
Joshua Hall
The general purpose of this blog is to assist with the development of a more mature wine market in Korea. When I came here in 2005, I was shocked at how underdeveloped the wine market was compared to New Zealand and how expensive wine was and continues to be. A lot has changed since 2005, but there is still a long way to go until wine becomes part of Korean culture. Korean food and wine pairing is especially exciting and offers many opportunities for the market to grow.
The Beer Wine & Spirits Council of NZ
Now closed Beer Wine & Spirits Council to Close

International Organisation of Vine and Wine
The O.I.V is an intergovernmental organisation of a scientific and technical nature or recognised competence for its works concerning vines, wine, wine-based beverages, table grapes, raisins and other vine-based products.

New Zealand Wine online

NZ Wine online links page
Gives links to wineries

Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation
Australian government site

Wine Marlborough
New Zealand’s premier wine region

Hawke’s Bay winegrower’s Inc
Welcome to Hawke's Bay Wine Country
. Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s leading producer of red wines.

Central Otago Pinot Noir
Central Otago Pinot Noir Limited (COPNL) was established in 2003 by Central Otago Winegrowers as an independent vehicle marketing Central Otago wine (primarily to export markets) and promoting the Central Otago wine brand.

TiZwine.com
TiZwine.com is the premier information site for New Zealand wine. Here you will find details on every winery in the country. Moreover, there are tasting notes on literally hundreds of wines many of which have been assessed by the team at TiZwine At the same time as encouraging consumers to become more closely involved in wine, we help the wineries and wine-related industries in many varied ways such as point of sale material, classifieds for the sale of new and used equipment and supplies, website development, an information depository and many other services.

Wines from Martinborough
A State of Wine Small and perfectly formed, Martinborough sits at the foot of New Zealand’s North Island, at a latitude of 40 degrees south. The alchemy of topography, geology, pure air and human effort has created the perfect state for wine.

Tom Cannavan's wines pages
British wine guru

Wine Apreciation course
Tom Cannavan's course - see, in particular, lesson 1 What is wine?

Wine & Spirit Education Trust
We run wine education courses, spirits courses and wine tastings in 42 countries worldwide. Learn at your leisure whether you are a professional or an enthusiast

Indian Wine Academy
Indian Wine Academy’s activities: a summary The Indian Wine Academy is a New Delhi-based market development consultancy firm with extensive contacts among food and beverage professionals and hotel management institutes around the country.

China Wine Online
Founded in September, 2000, Yantai Best Cellar Consulting Co., LTD is an information service company targeting wine industry. She owns two information platforms: China Wine Online website and China Wine Business magazine.

China Wines Information
China Wines Information Website is the biggest website that offers the latest and most professional and creditable Chinese wine business news and commercial information

Tokyo Food and Wine news

Wine 'N' Things
When we, commenced operations in 1993 our concentration was on New Zealand wine. Whilst consumption was rather small the reputation was growing and today we are proud to be the largest New Zealand wine importer to Hong Kong.

Return to top of page
ACADEMIC ARTICLES AND DOCUMENTATION

WHOSE TERROIR IS IT ANYWAY? COMPARING CHINESE FDI IN THE FRENCH AND AUSTRALIAN WINE SECTOR
Louise Curran and Michael Thorpe This paper explores recent developments in outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) from Chinese companies in the wine sector in the Bordeaux (France) and West Australia (WA) regions. The objective is to explore the extent of the phenomenon, which although widely mediatized, has not been the subject of academic scrutiny. As OFDI official figures provide little detail, we undertook primary research in the two regions, in addition to analysis of secondary trade data. Results indicate that the level of Chinese OFDI is relatively low, although the number and speed of acquisitions, especially in Bordeaux, has attracted attention. The motivations of investors in both regions were: the exploitation of growth in the home market; security of supply; prestige and diversification of risk. In Bordeaux the ‘appellation’ was a clear motivation, as were the vineyards’ historic buildings. A final motivating factor was the wish to avoid the complex supply chains in Bordeaux, by bringing wine direct to the Chinese market. In Australia, cementing existing business relationships, as well as access to Australian residency were specific motivations. Both regions have a relatively open investment climate and no significant investment barriers were noted, although the potential exists, especially as evidence emerges of illegal funding of some investments. We conclude with some directions for future research. [ODI]
Wine and Identity
by Leanne White Sep 16, 2011 Introduction Wine and Identity: New Worlds and Old Worlds, Book to be edited by Matt Harvey, Leanne White and Warwick Frost; Abstract deadline 31 Oct 2011
This is a call for expressions of interest for chapter submissions for an edited book entitled ‘Wine and Identity: New Worlds and Old Worlds’. Interested authors are invited in the first instance to send an abstract of around 500 words to the editors by 31 October, 2011. Please send abstracts (including contact details and institutional affiliation) by email to: matt.harvey@vu.edu.au, leannek.white@vu.edu.au and w.frost@latrobe.edu.au.
Is a glass of Merlot the symbol of globalization? An examination of the impacts of globalization on wine consumption in Asia
Kyuho Lee College of Business, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, USA
Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how underlying globalization could influence Asian consumers’ wine drinking patterns and behaviors. Specifically, a theoretical framework that explains the underlying motivations of Asian wine consumers is developed.
Wine: Marker of Social Change
Wine is an important export commodity for New Zealand and the industry claims that it will reach the $1 billion mark by 2010. Already exports are over $700 million, from 75 million litres of high quality wines. New Zealand winemakers have already confirmed participation in the Hong Kong International Wine Fair, which makes its debut in August 2008.
Wine: Marker of Social Change is a project investigating the role of wine as a significant marker of societal and market change in societies which are not traditionally wine-drinking. The project is conducted by Tim Beal and Michel Rod of the School of Marketing and International Business at Victoria University Wellington and is funded by one of Asia:NZ’s research grants, the Big Issues Grant 2007.
Wine project site
The site for the project Wine: Marker of Social Change
Sweet tastes
Article from Curtin Business School Review
How can I sell my wines in China? Part 5
Wine in the World’s Largest Market 12.11.07 - By Dan Siebers This is part 5 of 5. See also part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.In part 4, I talked about brands in China. In this, the last part of the series, I look at distribution and at some of the “land mines” for producers to consider in the China market
Red versus white: The grape grapple in China
By Huiqin Ma Chinese consumers buy nearly nine times more red wine than white wine. One common explanation is that the color red denotes good fortune in Chinese culture, thus making wine of that color more popular. I doubt this. After all, Chinese rice wine, Chinese liquor and most Chinese beer are clear or light-colored, and each of these alcohols represent from several to fifty times more market share than grape wine. Instead, I suggest other reasons why white wine lags red in popularity as well as several reasons why this situation should change.
Beverland: Unlocking the Asian wine market
Egan and Bell: Chilean wines, a successful image
Bretherton and Carswell: Market entry strategies for western produced wine into the Chinese market
Christian Felzensztein: Approaches to global branding: The Chilean wine industry and the UK market
Tim Knowles; Liz Sharples: The history and development of Chilean wines
NZ Wine online: A Brief History of New Zealand Wine Exporting
Adam Lindgreen:An exploration of contemporary marketing practices in the New Zealand wine sector
NZ Wine Annual Report 2004
Isabella M Chaney: Promoting wine by country
Mike B Beverland; Philip B Bretherton: The strategic challenges facing the New Zealand wine industry
Richard M Castaldi; Murray Silverman; Sanjit Sengupta:Export assistance needs of US wineries
Oliver Richardson: Utilisation of the World Wide Web by wine producers

Return to top of page
WINERIES

Vynfields
Martinborough, New Zealand
Vynfields is a boutique organic/biodynamic vineyard, located 3 minutes from the Martinborough Village Square, which also offers self-contained accommodation.
Misha’s Vineyard
‘Misha’s Vineyard grew from a passion for wine and a passion for marketing’
Misha’s is the featured winery for MARK 302 International Marketing (Distance)
- Misha’s update
  An update from the Wilkinson’s at Misha's Vineyard Central Otago, New Zealand - May 2011!
- Misha’s update
  An update from the Wilkinson’s at Misha's Vineyard Central Otago, New Zealand - May 2010!
Fiasco wines
69 Blicks Lane R.D.2, Blenheim, Marlborough 7272 p: 03 5782636 / 0273048245 Fiasco Wines is a fresh new wine company based in Marlborough. We are a family business that aims to produce high quality wine while having plenty of fun in the process. Fiasco Wines is owned by husband and wife team, Aaron (winemaker) and Jacinda Thompson (marketing). Our grapes are sourced from Stembridge vineyard in the heart of the Rapaura area in Blenheim. For an update on the fiascos of our business, check out our blog at www.fiascowines.worpress.com [QR codes]
Mount Edward
You'll find the Mount Edward winery nestling at the foot of the mountain from which it takes its name, in Gibbston, approximately 25 km east of Queenstown, in Central Otago, New Zealand. We are a small Central Otago winegrower that specialise in Pinot Noir and Riesling.
Daniel Schuster Wines
Schubert wines
Kusuda Wines
Vynfields
Coopers Creek
The Central Otago Wine Cellar
House of Nobilo
Marlborough Wine Trail
Gisborne Wine
Grove Mill
Corbans
Sapich Brothers
Gibbston Valley
The Central Otago Wine Trail
Allan Scott
Nautilus Estate
Felton Road

Return to top of page
Ancillary products

The New Zealand School of Food and Wine
Since its establishment in 1995, the New Zealand School of Food and Wine has become a leader of culinary education in New Zealand. Founded by Celia Hay, the New Zealand School of Food and Wine (NZSFW) offers a range of full-time courses endorsed by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and delivered by a team of skilled and qualified professionals.
Grotto Custom Wine Cellars & Cabinets
At Grotto Custom Wine Cellars & Cabinets, we are passionate about the proper storage of wine. With years of experience in the wine industry and having traveled the world's finest wine regions, we understand the importance of preserving your wine investment.

Return to top of page
AUSTRALIA

The World Wine Trade Group
The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) is an informal grouping of the ‘new world’ wine producing countries—comprising Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States. It brings together representatives from both industry and government. WWTG exports have risen dramatically over the past 10 years and accounted for 26 per cent of world wine exports in 2006. Australia accounts for 40 per cent of WWTG exports.
Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Annual Report 2008-9
Updated Market Insight Reports were produced for the Australian wine sector • 16,717 wines were submitted for evaluation prior to export • Memorandums of Understanding were signed with the People’s Republic of China and with Hong Kong • A redevelopment of the winefacts online information service was launched in May 2009 • A dedicated market program for China was launched in partnership with Austrade • Two key new market development appointments were made – Director North America and Director UK/Ireland/Europe • A new bilateral agreement with the European Union on wine was signed on the 1st December 2008 • The inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial was held – showcasing more than 200 of Australia’s best wines • The Wine Australia e-news continued into its second year of publication reaching more than 8,000 people worldwide each month • Nearly 3,000 cases of wine were distributed to diplomatic posts around the world via the Australian Wine Overseas program

Return to top of page
CANADA

Canadian Wines and China's Burgeoning Market
September 1, 2011 Recently, the ATS has noticed a significant increase in attention to the Canadian wine industry in the media and in the agriculture industry itself. The ATS has responded by providing our clients with as much up-to-date information as possible including our recent report on The Wine Market in China: Opportunities for Canadian Wine Exporters as well as previous blog posts such as Virtual Wineries: Canada's model for the future? Therefore ATS jumped at the opportunity when we were contacted by a company, Web Presence in China, who offered to provide us with insight into the wine market in China and the potential that the Chinese market holds for Canadian wine exporters. [China]
Virtual Wineries: Canada's model for the future
July 19, 2011 The Canadian wine industry is emerging as a niche producer of internationally-respected Icewines and Late Harvest wines, and is garnering an impressive list of awards and praise. In order to sustain success, the industry is constantly adjusting and addressing market factors affecting its overall competitiveness, including image-enhancement promotion, educating consumers on the merits of fine Canadian wines, as well as adopting new technologies and innovations to improve production efficiency. Lately, production efficiency and innovation have been driving a new trend in the Canadian winemaking landscape, with virtual wineries being called the next wave in Canadian winemaking.
British Columbia’s New Vine Trail
By SARA DICKERMAN Published: June 3, 2010 Perhaps it was capricious to combine the family road trip with that most couple-y of activities, wine travel. But why not? We like our children. We like wine. If the tasting-room pressure to buy were to become too intense, our son and daughter (at the time almost 5 and 18 months, respectively) could be our out. And to ease the journey, my husband and I brought along a secret weapon: my mother. A spry septuagenarian, she likes a buttery chardonnay, a long country ramble and the antics of her grandchildren.
Canadian Wine Producer Takes Big Awards in Asia's most prestigious wine competition
www.marketwire.com by 2009-09-01 Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits, the company which produces, distributes and markets Dan Aykroyd Wines, 20 Bees Winery, EastDell Estates, Lakeview Cellars, De Sousa Wines and Birchwood Estate Wines has won several high-profile awards at the 2009 Japan Wine Challenge and the 2009 International Wine & Spirits Competition, announced Murray Marshall, President & CEO of Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits.
Canadian Ice Wine Exports
Asia Generates Half of Global Demand for Super-Sweet Canadian Wines © Daniel Workman May 23, 2008 Toasting Canada's High Quality Ice Wine , krosseel@yahoo.com (morguefile 185568) While America is the biggest importer of Canadian ice wine, China offers an attractive yet challenging emerging business market of over 1 billion potential drinkers. The world’s largest maker of ice wine, Canada produced 300,000 liters of the sweet dessert drink in 2006. Spelled as one word “icewine” in Canada or called “Eiswein” in Germany, ice wine is made from frozen grapes that are hand-picked from the field and then processed at night when temperatures are never higher than -10°C. Pressed before thawing, the grapes produce a super-sweet liquid with a residual sugar level of at least 125 grams per liter. After fermenting in stainless steel vats, the resulting alcoholic drink is a rich, fruity dessert wine that is sold in bottles half the size of regular wine containers.
The sunshine of 2007: Ontario's best vintage ever
Beppi Crosariol's Wines & Spirits
Good weather, especially in autumn, has extra relevance for red grapes when it comes to cool-climate regions such as Ontario. Last updated on Saturday, Sep. 19, 2009 03:11AM EDT The cover line on the glossy catalogue plugging today's fine-wine rollout at Ontario Vintages stores reads, “Ontario's Shining Moment.” The reference is to 2007, a year that yielded what many growers believe was the best vintage in Ontario history. It was our 2005 Bordeaux, as it were. And, for the record, I should say that Canada's other major wine-producing province, British Columbia, had a remarkable 2007 harvest as well.
In my opinion, the most impressive red of today's Vintages release in Ontario is 13th Street Winery Gamay Noir 2007 ($18, product No. 130195). Gamay is the red responsible for light, fruity Beaujolais from France. There are not many, if any, better Ontario producers of gamay than 13th Street.

Return to top of page
CHINA
Includes Hong Kong and Macau

Wineries look to go global
By Wang Xin | October 31, 2014 According to an old Chinese saying, good wine or alcohol can always be found because of its traceable aroma. But the wine industry authorities of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region are taking no chances and are making moves to promote their products to the international market. One of their latest efforts was an overseas winemaker contest that started two years ago and required contestants to use grapes produced in the Ningxia region to make wine. Out of 50 applicants from 15 countries, 10 were selected as qualified candidates. The final round was held in late September at an ancient temple-style hotel tucked away in Beijing's hutongs, which are alleyways surrounding traditional courtyard dwellings in Beijing. The dual champion for red and white wine, David Tyney from New Zealand, said, "It all starts with a vineyard." "If you have a good vineyard, the correct harvest time is very important," Tyney said.
- David Tyney
  Welcome to the English language website for David Tyney. David is a flying winemaker who has made wine all over the world. Currently David splits his time between the hemispheres and makes wine in China and New Zealand for a number of wine brands. This website provides information on the wines David makes, as well as regular updates on how a down to earth guy from Adelaide has found himself making wines in the fledgling wine regions of China. To move to the Chinese version of this website click here.
China becomes biggest market for red wine, with 1.8bn bottles sold in 2013
Boom attributed to new urban affluence – and to Chinese fondness for lucky colour Kim Willsher in Paris theguardian.com, Wednesday 29 January 2014 15.39 GMT Chinese wine buyer in France A Chinese wine buyer samples wine on sale during a tasting event in 2010, at Chateau Battailey, Bordeaux, France. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian The Chinese appear to have beaten the French at one of their own favourite pastimes – quaffing red wine. China's drinkers knocked back 1,865bn bottles of vin rouge last year, an increase of 136% over five years, making the country the leading market for red wine. However some experts say the boom, which has led to increasing interest from Chinese buyers in French vineyards, is more a matter of cultural sensibilities than taste. The colour red is considered lucky in China and is also affiliated with the Communist government, while white is associated with death and is predominantly seen at funerals. France, where consumption of red wine is dropping, was in second place in this league, followed by Italy, according to the latest figures compiled by the London-based company International Wine and Spirit Research. The US remains the world's biggest market for all colours of wines, said Vinexpo, the Bordeaux chamber of commerce organisation that commissioned the study. "Apart from the healthy aspect in comparison to the excessive consumption of rice wines, the success of red wine [in China] is largely down to the symbolism of its colour," said a Vinexpo spokesperson. "Red is a very positive colour in Chinese culture and is synonymous with wealth, power and luck. In the business world these three values are fundamental, therefore red wine is often found in banquets to seal partnerships. And red is also the colour of China." Guillaume Deglise, Vinexpo's new chief executive, said: "White is the colour of death. So you don't want to drink that, and why would you?" He said though that as the Chinese market matured he would expect white wines and champagne to become more popular. [Wine]
Bottoms up: China booze makers defy economic gloom
By Melanie Lee SHANGHAI | Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:11pm EDT SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's high-end liquor companies raised prices in a faltering economy and faced a Beijing clampdown on drinking their pricey booze at banquets, yet still managed to turn in strong quarterly profits. Kweichow Moutai Co Ltd, China's leading maker of the potent and expensive baijiu liquor, reported a doubling of its third-quarter net income to 3.4 billion yuan ($544.72 million) on Thursday, beating analysts forecasts of 2.4 billion yuan, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Foreign brands have enjoyed success too. Australia's Treasury Wine Estates, which has been pushing its premium wines including Penfolds and Beringer in China with high-end product launches, aims to sell into 100 Chinese cities over the next five years, up from 15 now. "We have not actually seen any evidence of a real slowdown in Asia at all," Chief Executive David Dearie told reporters this week. Treasury Wine is the world's second-largest wine company. Australian government data released last week showed bottled wine exports to China surged 23 percent by value in the year to September, and 16 percent by volume. The same figures showed the category of wine over A$10 per liter saw demand from China grow 37 percent.
Kiwi wine hopes high for China
Catherine Harris Last updated 05:00 26/10/2012 Wine exports to China have the potential to rise in value from a current $25 million a year to $150m in just eight years. New Zealand Winegrowers says the target is aspirational, but consistent with the rise in wine exports to Asia generally in the last few years. Wine exports have risen five-fold from $20m in 2005 to nearly $100m this year. The growing importance of China to Kiwi winemakers is why New Zealand Winegrowers is opening its first Asian office next week, based in Hong Kong.
Suffering sommeliers
Global Times | 2012-6-26 20:25:02 By Wei Xi According to data released earlier this year by International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR), a leading provider of data on wines and spirits, China consumed about 1.9 billion bottles of wines in 2011, exceeding the UK and becoming the fifth largest consumer of wine in the world, following the US, Italy, France and Germany. The number continues to rise. Robert Beynat, CEO of IWSR told china.org.cn that "China will be the fastest growing market over the next four years," predicting a 54.3 percent increase between 2011 and 2015. But despite China's growing wine consumption, the salary and reputation of domestic winemakers lag behind Europe and the US, as domestic sommeliers and winemakers are often regarded as subordinate technicians.
Marketing U.S. Wine in China
Date: 4/19/2012 GAIN Report Number: 12805
Report Highlights: The wine market in China is growing rapidly and is highly competitive. While U.S. wine exports to China continue to increase at double digit rates, our share of China's wine market is falling due to aggressive promotion by our competitors. American wines are premium products, but still relatively unknown to Chinese wine consumers.
China as a consumer
List of academic articles
The Wine Market in China: Opportunities for Canadian Wine Exporters
February 2011
•Popular reports place the value of the Chinese grape wine market around CNY75 billion (roughly US$10 billion) in 2009.
•Overall volume sales of grape wine saw a 32% increase from 2008 to 2009, mainly from the sale of still wine.
•Datamonitor forecasts that the Chinese grape wine market should increase by roughly 93% by 2014.
•Datamonitor also forecasts a 90% total increase from 2009 through 2014 in consumer expenditures on wine.
Wine prices decline in China, Lafite worst hit
Global Times | January 17, 2012 00:25 By Song Shengxia Share Wine prices decline in China, Lafite worst hit ? Brand tainted by numerous fakes: expert By Song Shengxia Prices of fine wines have seen a steady fall in recent months in China, with Lafite experiencing the steepest decline, Chinese wine dealers said yesterday. ”Taking Carruades de Lafite for instance, the price has dropped by 20 percent in the last six months and Chateau Lafite 2008 has even dropped by as much as 45 percent in value, the first price decline in eight years,” Li Zhuge, a wine dealer in Beijing, told the Global Times yesterday. A bottle of Carruades de Lafite was sold for around 5,000 yuan ($791.69) in China at the beginning of last year, but the price is between 3,000 yuan and 4,000 yuan. Chateau Lafite 2008 sold for up to 11,500 yuan per bottle last year, but is now selling for around 7,000 yuan, according to Li. In October 2010, the price of Chateau Lafite 2008 shot up by 20 percent in China after it was announced the bottles would have the Chinese character for the number eight, which is considered to be fortuitous in China, according to the London International Vintners Exchange. The vintage, which is seen as a barometer for Lafite prices, even reached a peak of more than 60,000 yuan per bottle in China in March 2011, Beijing Morning Post newspaper reported last October. ”China is not a mature market for wine. What the consumers care about most is the label on the bottle, not the taste of the wine,” Lu Fei, manager of a wine salon in Beijing, told the Global Times yesterday. [Wine] [Counterfeit] [Brand]
Business Happily in the red
Updated: 2012-01-13 08:39By Xiao Xiangyi (China Daily) Wine-based investments are becoming an alternative for Chinese investors Many Chinese investors, faced with rising inflation and a volatile stock market in a slowing economy, are increasingly in the red. Though some might indeed be experiencing losses with financial products, which in the recent past included investments in antiques, diamonds, stocks and fine art, what a growing number of investors and consumers in China are becoming more passionate about is investing in wine, particular reds such as Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Vintage Revival
Global Times | December 11, 2011 19:30 By Rui Leow Wine connoisseurs are following their noses to China's wineries. Photos: CFP A surprising and little-known fact about Chinese wine is that, according to historical evidence, ancient Chinese civilizations were making wine as early as 4,600 years ago. Along with ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians, who are believed to have been the first (about 5,000 years ago) to make wine according to archaeological data, ancient Chinese were actually some of the earliest winemakers in history. Wine production and consumption was popular in China during the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties. Later dynasties failed to continue the tradition and as a result, winemaking became obsolete, eventually dying out completely. While China's wine industry today is mostly modeled after French wineries rather than its own ancient traditions, wine appreciation in this country has entered a new era that has seen some exciting developments. In recent years, some Chinese wines have even received awards at international wine festivals.
Wine racism?
29 September 2011 by Wojciech Bo?kowski The Decanter World Wine Award for Red Bordeaux Varietal over £10 went to a wine from China: the He Lan Qing Xue Winery 2009 Jiabeilan Cabernet. This caused a veritable stir in the wine community. From the hundreds of comments on the internet, see this article by Victoria Moore for The Telegraph where she tasted the wine and found it nonplussing (there are some doubts as to the condition of that bottle). One particularly vitriolic discussion occurred on Jamie Goode’s Wine Anorak blog [that post has now been deleted by the blogger - 30th Sep 14:00] where the DWWA’s objectivity of judgment was put into question.
China less red in wine sales
GREG NINNESS Last updated 05:00 26/06/2011 Winemaker Brent Marris has concluded a deal to start exporting wine to China. Marris founded the Wither Hills winery which he sold to Lion Nathan and now owns the Marisco vineyard near Blenheim. The company produces wines under The Ned and King's Series labels and about 75% is currently exported, mainly to Australia, the UK, US and Canada. However, the size of the Chinese market means it could eventually eclipse the rest. Marris said he had been aware of China's potential for several years but didn't have the confidence to tackle it until he joined several other companies on a trade development trip last June. Marris said Chinese consumers mainly prefer red wine but buying habits are changing. Chinese housewives are doing more of their shopping at supermarkets where wine is becoming available, and are starting to have more influence on demand. This has led to increasing sales of white wines, particularly styles which are fruitier and slightly sweet. "That lends itself totally to Marlborough sauvignon blanc," Marris said. The trip led to continuing discussions with Tianjin Dynasty International Wine, China's largest premium winemaker and distributor. A distribution deal was concluded last week, and Marris hopes to ship the first wines to China in August. He would then base several staff there to work alongside Tianjin's people. The wines would bear dual-language labels, Marris said. He expects it will take about two years of brand building before sales volumes reach significant levels.
Shanghai’s Top Wine Bars
Alex.Charnaud, 2011-04 A mere five years ago Shanghai was a wasteland for the wine connoisseur; today oenophiles are gradually becoming spoiled for choice. Over the last several months the city has witnessed yet another round of wine bar openings, further expanding the list of options for sampling a good drop. Yet in this increasingly saturated market, entrepreneurs still see tremendous opportunity for growth, making it a good bet the recent explosion of venues is a sign of things to come.
Wine in China
a market analysis
CN Wines News
Wine news portal
French Bordeaux at Y59
Advertisement. Includes guide to AOC etc. photos of European male, Chinese female, French chateau, etc
Vine life for Moët as it branches into China
By Stanley Pignal in Paris Published: May 12 2011 17:45 | Last updated: May 12 2011 20:58 Champagne production is confined to 80,000 acres of French terroir about 100 miles east of Paris, but Moët Hennessy will soon be producing upmarket bubbly from a new winery in north-west China. Moët, which owns historic champagne brands Dom Pérignon, Veuve Cliquot and Krug, has joined forces with a Chinese state-owned agricultural group to develop a sparkling wine in the remote Ningxia Hui region. The wine will not be sold as champagne – a moniker that is still reserved for wines from the eponymous region – but it will aim to satiate Asia’s booming demand for bubbly. .
China's insatiable thirst for fine wine threatens to burst Bordeaux bubble
Bordeaux prices are soaring as buyers in Hong Kong develop a taste for the famed French wine Share11 Jamie Doward The Observer, Sunday 1 May 2011 Article history Visitors to the 2010 Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair sample French wine. Photograph: Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images It is one of the most hotly debated topics in the world of wine: is the Bordeaux bubble about to burst? The price of one of France's most celebrated wines has soared over the last 12 months as British buyers compete with an increasing number of Chinese oenophiles to snap up the all too precious cases of claret. With the likes of Chris de Burgh and Sir David Frost recently selling their Bordeaux collections for six-figure sums, attention has focused on the top-tier wines such as Château Lafite, cases of which are going for as much as £15,000.
Fake wine stuns nation
Source: Global Times [08:06 December 27 2010] Comments A woman tours a cellar of the Great Wall Wine production base in 2009 in Changli county, Hebei Province. Photo: IC By Liu Linlin In the latest food scandal to rock China, six people were detained, more than a dozen corporate accounts were frozen and tainted wine bottles were pulled off shelves after red wine made in Changli county, Hebei Province, was found to have been both chemically altered and falsely labeled as a superior product. The Jiahua, Yeli and Genghao wineries have been accused of forgery and of adulterating their wine, during investigations by the local government that shut down their operations, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, adding that sixteen corporate accounts involving 2.83 million yuan ($427,000) were frozen. [Quality]
Hong Kong's cup overflows as Chinese get a taste for high-class wines
Territory enjoying its status as wine capital of Asia since cutting duty from 40% to zero two years ago Tania Branigan in Hong Kong guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 November 2010 18.45 GMT Article history A woman tastes red wine at the Hong Kong international wine fair earlier this month. The fair attracted 700 exhibitors from 30 regions. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP The clink of glasses; the swoosh of ruby liquid. They are welcome sounds to many – but in Hong Kong, the authorities enjoy them perhaps even more than the drinkers. As the economic crisis rippled across the globe two years ago, the territory's leaders slashed its 40% wine duty to zero. Their aim was not only to cheer the gloomy but to boost trade. If sober officials doubted the wisdom of that move, they were soon proved wrong. It has transformed Hong Kong into Asia's wine centre and a force for driving up prices round the globe.
Chinese billionaires splash out on fine wine .
November 10, 2010 Wine stocks being snapped up by wealthy Chinese buyers. Photo: Erin Jonasson He Wei Qi, a businessman from eastern China's Zhejiang province, says he routinely pays more than 30,000 yuan ($US4,500) for a bottle of wine to entertain guests. “A price tag of more than a million yuan a bottle - that does more than show off your wealth, it shows you have good taste,” He, 38, said while attending a three-day Hong Kong wine and spirits exhibition that drew about 700 companies from 29 countries and regions. “We don't care how outrageously expensive the wines are.”
China Wine Market
Links from the Chinese website wines-info.com
Hawkes Bay winery gets taste for China
By Owen Hembry 5:30 AM Thursday Sep 16, 2010 Hawkes Bay winery Ngatarawa Wines is pushing into China with the opening of a showroom this Saturday.
Auctions: China uncorks the market
By Ella Lister Published: June 18 2010 15:47 | Last updated: June 18 2010 15:47 In June 2000, Hong Kong’s then financial secretary, Donald Tsang, held a seminar on the city’s aspirations to “serve as the world’s wine industry partner in Asia”. A decade later the Special Administrative Region (SAR) has succeeded with aplomb. Wine auctioneers arrived on the scene only two years ago, with Bonhams holding the first wine sale in the SAR after its shrewd government axed all duty on the commodity in February 2008. The city has been host to more than 30 wine sales, overtaking London last year in revenues. It looks certain to secure top spot in 2010, already 36 per cent ahead of New York after the first five months, with a total of HK$513.3m ($65.9m). Hong Kong’s lavish affairs have fetched six times more than London’s modest events, despite the capitals’ nine auctions apiece. The world’s most sought-after wines increasingly end up in the former British colony, where lots average double the price of those auctioned in the US and four times that of European offerings.
Wine consumption in Greater China grew faster than in any other region in 2008, according to a report by the International Wines & Spirits Record, which predicts that across Asia consumption will rise more than 25 per cent between 2009 and 2013. As Asia drives global sales, all eyes are on mainland China, where people sustain seemingly bottomless demand by drinking what they buy. The country’s GDP will grow 10 per cent this year, according to the IMF, and no doubt aspirational middle class oenophiles with it. The floodgates are open. If Hong Kong’s current financial secretary John Tsang succeeds in his mission to relax the mainland’s draconian import laws, then the dam will break too. Will the auction phenomenon take hold in greenfield China? Highly likely.
Grace Vineyards
Winemaker Has Right Vintage for China Success
Grace Vineyard President Harvests Her Optimism, Communication Skills
China has been fermenting grains and fruits into "wine" since ancient times. But in the past 15 years, hundreds of vineyards producing Western varietal-grape wines have sprung up. Most are at an embryonic stage by European standards, though that doesn't mean they don't intend one day to rank among the world's great wineries. Grace Vineyard, in northern China's Shanxi province, has taken only a decade to start producing quality wines recognized at home and abroad. The winery was established in 1997 by Chinese-Indonesian businessman Chan Chun Keung, who invested 60 million yuan ($8.8 million) in the 200-hectare property, complete with a replica French chateau on site (sic).
Hong Kong, New Zealand sign wine co-operation pact
No.7 October, 2009 Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Rita Lau on October 28 signed an arrangement on co-operation in wine-related business with New Zealand's Trade Minister and Associate Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Groser, helping to bolster Hong Kong's development as a regional wine trading and distribution hub. Mrs Lau said New Zealand was Hong Kong's 10th largest source of wine imports. The signing of the co-operation arrangement would benefit the economies of both Hong Kong and New Zealand. "The arrangement will fortify Hong Kong's development as a regional hub for wine trading and distribution and at the same time, enhance our role as an efficient and reliable avenue for New Zealand to grow its wine exports to the Mainland and throughout East Asia," she said. Both places have agreed to strengthen co-operation in the promotion of wine-related trading, investment, tourism and education and in the fight against counterfeit wine. They will also share trade-related information to facilitate trade and business promotion activities, share information and experience on sustainably produced wines in New Zealand, and step up co-operation in international organisations where both Hong Kong and New Zealand participate.
Wine imports up 80% Hong Kong became the first free wine port among major economies when the Financial Secretary eliminated wine duties in his Budget last year. In the year ending March 2009, the value of wine imports into Hong Kong had increased 80%, to $3.198 billion year-on-year. A total of 10 wine auctions have been held this year, and companies are expanding their storage facilities and trading and distribution businesses here. The Government has already signed wine co-operation agreements with France, Bordeaux of France, Spain, Australia, Italy and Hungary. It is also pursuing other measures to support Hong Kong's development as a regional wine trading and distribution hub, including customs facilitation, trade and investment promotion, manpower training and education, and combating counterfeits. [Green]
Wine China exhibition - Beijing 2010
23-25 April
With the opportunities and challenges in China and on the successful base of Wine China 2009, Wine China Exhibition that will build up the full new image to show world wine industry and market, will focus on the four topical concepts – Wine Culture, Wine Show, Wine Training and Wine Marketing.
China Wines Information Website
China Wines Information Website is the biggest website that offers the latest and most professional and creditable Chinese wine business news and commercial information.....
China puts its name on the world wine map
By Clifford Coonan in Turpan, north-west China Tuesday, 29 August 2006 The vines are weighed down with grapes and the local wines are sweetish but surprisingly tasty, and the dry desert soil around Turpan produces serviceable cabernet sauvignon and riesling grapes. Tea, beer, rice wine and grain alcohol may have been the traditional tipples of choice in China, but grapes to make wine have been grown along this part of the Northern Silk Road for more than 2,000 years, and are making a comeback.
In volume terms, China is already the leading consumer of wine in Asia - 3.9 million hectolitres, or over half a billion bottles in 2004. Almost 95 per cent of the wine drunk in China is domestically produced, but foreign exporters are working fast to make headway - Australian wine sales in 2004 grew nearly 90 per cent, while sales of Chilean rose 150 per cent.
WineChina.com
Shanghai World Expo Information Centre
Dynasty
site under construction)
COFCO
China food, cereals, and oils, export company
Owner of Great Wall wines
Great Wall wines

Return to top of page
INDIA

Letter from India: it's no easy matter being a woman looking for a decent drink in Delhi
Alcohol isn't banned in India, nor is it unheard of for women to drink. But buying it is a totally different matter
The Wine Shops do tend to sell a few bottles of plonk, made in India and generally covered in dust, warmed to Glühwein temperature after festering in the heat. People keep telling me Indian wine is getting better, to which I can only say: what did it used to taste like?
Indian wines fly off British supermarket shelves
Critic is not 'overly impressed' but consumers keen on sub-continent's brands
Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent guardian.co.uk, Monday 19 September 2011 18.22 BST Article history Indian wine has improved but still has some way to go before it offers a genuine challenge to established wine-producing nations. Photograph: Jupiterimages The first Indian wines to be sold by a British supermarket could become a fixture on its shelves after coming close to selling out in record time. Earlier this month, Waitrose became the first UK supermarket to stock the little-known brands from the sub-continent as part of a showcase of unusual wines from across the world.
The Indian Wine Market
USDA FAS GAIN report
With the aid of high import and excise tariffs, India has developed a small wine industry over the past decade as production has expanded nearly 300 percent since 2003 to an estimated 13.5 million liters (1.5 million cases) in 2010. The wine market is still quite small with an estimated one to two million consumers imbibing 1.3-1.4 million cases annually. India lifted its effective ban on wine imports in 2001 and appeared to be on the verge of becoming a promising market for imported wines as imports surged from $1.5 million in 2003 to $16.4 million in 2008. However, concerns about the global financial situation prompted consumers to pare back their spending just as some Indian states introduced extremely high excise tariffs on imported wines. The result was a 40 percent drop in imports during 2009. In addition to high federal central tariffs, Indian wine importers face a complex and cumbersome system of excise taxes and licensing requirements that vary by state and significantly raise the cost of imported wines while adding an extraordinary level of complexity to wine distribution. Preliminary data suggest that imports rebounded slightly during 2010 and importers appear optimistic that import growth will continue, albeit at a much slower pace than originally predicted prior to the imposition of stiff state-level excise taxes.
India--the Next Big Wine Producer?
It will take time but winemaker Rajeev Samant hopes his Sula Vineyards can help establish an Indian wine culture By Elin McCoy By night, Rajeev Samant parties at Mumbai clubs with supermodels and Bollywood friends like director Rohan Sippy. By day, he's the restless chief executive officer of India's largest winemaker, Sula Vineyards. We're having lunch in Tulsi, a new Indian restaurant in Manhattan, a quiet backdrop for someone who says a Grateful Dead concert was one of the defining moments of his life.
Sula Wines
Sula Vineyards is at the forefront of the Indian Wine revolution. Our award-winning Indian Wines are available in the best hotels & restaurants worldwide.
Nashik is India’s wine capital, with 40 wineries producing more than 75% of India’s wine.
India has the world’s fastest growing wine industry, and Rajeev and Sula continue to lead from the front.
Wine exporters eye India
New Zealand wineries are clubbing together to enter the Indian wine market. Indian suppliers currently dominate the local market. But the managing director of Hunter’s Wines, Jane Hunter, says Indian consumers have a huge interest in wines from the new world and from New Zealand, in particular
Sansula International Brands Ltd., Mumbai
Sansula was founded by late Mr. K. Balaram and has been in the business of representing international alcoholic beverages companies since 1974. The business was concentrated more on beer and spirits until recently and in our history we have worked with the leading spirits groups of the world including UDV (Johnnie Walker) from 1981-1988, IDV from 1987 – 1994, Allied Domecq from 1987-1997 and also Heineken from 1992.
Grape fever
The tine wine industry in India is slowly coming of age
Indian Wine
Indian Wine Portal has unique content provider that focuses only Indian Wine Industry both in India and abroad, our content delivery includes Indian Wine industry and business news, messages, interviews with wine subject mater experts. Industry analysis, Features the wine products and tasting notes that are available in India. Discuss the regional specific Import taxes, Industry issues, liquor policies, wineries and importers lists. Our content benefits all the wine consumers as well as wine industry specific business houses.
New Zealand's wine industry to be used as a model in India
, May 4, 2009 Twenty years ago New Zealand barely had a wine industry. Now now only are their wines found on shelves in Europe, North America and Asia. Zealand's wine exports have grown at an average of 23.8% over the past two years, four times the rate of growth in any other export sector. Marlborough, one of New Zealand's primier wine growing regions and home to the country's most famous Sauvignon Blanc's, now accounts for 20% of ecomonomy. Not bad for a industry which as I already mentioned did not really exist 20 years ago... "For the industry the NZIER report represents a very positive analysis of the contribution grape growing and winemaking make to the New Zealand economy. That contribution totals over $3.5 billion of revenue through our own direct sales and the sales we generate in related sectors such as the tourism and hospitality industries," Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith says, according to a news report by the NZ National Business Review.
India, a relative new comer in the global wine scene is now looking to use growth of New Zealand's wine industry as a template for nurturing their own infant industry. [Tourism]
Indian liqour permit
The permit authorizes the holder to buy Possess, transport, use and consume Bottled liquor while touring any part of India where prohibition is in force.
US Report on Indian Market Released
Much awaited report on the study of the Indian wine market, has been finally released by the Wine Institute of California. Perhaps, a first comprehensive report of its kind, it is first being published by the Indian Wine Academy. 'Comprehensive Study of the Indian Wine Market' is a 37 page document supported by a 41-page Reference Guide Section detailing the Indian drinking culture, demographics, Geography, Import procedures, Supply chain, wine pricing structure, state laws, Foreign Trade Agreements and several other issues related to the Indian wine market and marketing wines in India. Expected to be quoted very highly, it clocks the growth of the Indian wine market at a conservative 20-25% and concludes that there is a strong market potential for the California State producers who represent 95% of the US export market.
Comprehensive Study of the Indian Wine Market
Pdf file

Return to top of page
JAPAN

Sex, lies and vintages: Wine gets the manga treatment
Chris Nuttall-Smith From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 3:55PM EDT Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 5:36PM EDT 2 comments Email Print/License Decrease text size Increase text size Decanter, the British-based wine magazine, called The Drops of God “arguably the most influential wine publication.” It has made overnight stars of previously unheralded bottlings (one of them, a 2003 Bordeaux, jumped in price to more than $1,000 from about $25), spun off two television miniseries and is credited with spiking wine sales in Japan by 130 per cent the year it was first published. As if all that wasn’t enough, it is also packed with sex (or intimations of it, at least), dream sequences, battles between good and evil and cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, which is only natural, of course. After all, The Drops of God, released in English for the first time this month, is a comic-book series.
Japan Wine Market Report
USDA FAS GAIN report
In 2010, the United States held a 7.8 percent value share of Japan's $772 million imported bottled wine market. This was an increase from the 6.8 percent share in 2009 and the 7.0 percent share in 2008. The majority of imported wines from the United States are sold at a price-point in the 700 – 1000 yen ($8.54 - $12.20) range.
Life with wine and my favorites
Author: Naughty
My favorites are wine (and most of other alcohol drinks), UK rock (and most of other music), travelling, reading books and New Zealand.
Blog, mainly in Japanese
A celebrity Ms.Moe Oshikiri has been appointed to be Mercian's first wine ambassador.
The wine ambassador was founded to make people to enjoy wine and feel wine closer. They will promote the attractive points of wine which can be enjoyed casually by giving away wine related items for lucky purchasers of Mercian wines and posting a serial wine ambassador column on the website. [Translation by Kaori Takeda]
Moe's wine column
in Japanese
Courting Japan's wine market
Back to Action Asia insights A nation of beer drinkers who instinctively look to France and Italy for wine but increasingly favour product from the New World – sound familiar? In some ways, Japan’s wine market looks a lot like New Zealand’s did in the early 1990s, and it is this strong potential coupled with growing knowledge and exports of Kiwi product that make it an attractive destination for exporters. Wine is still an infant market in Japan, with each adult consuming 2.4 litres per annum (compared to 12.2 litres in New Zealand). The total market for still and sparkling is worth around NZ$5 billion per annum. The majority of wine is imported – 14 million cases annually, including more than NZ$1 billion worth of still wine. “This is a traditional country and the Japanese buy wines from countries like Italy and France where wine is a tradition,” says Mick Nippard, an importer of New World wines working in Sapporo, Hokkaido. “France and Italy account for two-thirds of all wine imports to Japan.”
Japan Wine Wine Report 2009
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report Global Agriculture Information Network Approved by: Michael Conlon, Director, ATO Japan ATO Tokyo, Japan Prepared by: Sumio Thomas Aoki, Senior Marketing Specialist Sarah Newsome, Intern Ryosuke Tatsuguchi, Intern
Report Highlights: Japan wine imports were stable for the 3rd consecutive year. Overall, the value of wines increased due to marketing efforts of premium priced wines. Total bottled wine import volumes were 1,273 hectoliters, slightly below 2007 volumes. The total value of imported volume wine increased by 5% compared to 2007.
Ohsawa Wines
The Japanese-owned Hawkes Bay winery that produces Flying Mouton pinot noir
New World Ginza Wine market
Tokyo wine event 18-24 February 2009
(In Japanese)
New World Ginza Wine market
Further details and prizes, including flights from Tokyo to Auckland on Air New Zealand
Winery counts on sheep
MARTY SHARPE - The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 03 February 2009 If you want to sell New Zealand wines to the Japanese, it's best to use sheep in the sales pitch at least that's the thinking behind one of Hawke's Bay's newest wineries. Ohsawa winery, which is Japanese-owned, has just released Flying Sheep pinot noir and Flying Mouton French for sheep sauvignon blanc. Both depict a flying sheep on their label, a feature that winery owners hope will endear the wines to the Japanese market, where most bottles are destined. Winery managing director Mark Lim said the French word for sheep was widely used in Japan so Japanese customers would easily recognise the name Mouton. "The name comes from the early settlers of the area believing the cumulus clouds looked like their sheep. And we knew we had to use sheep in the label because when Japanese think of New Zealand, they think of sheep."
Harvester Air Ticket
NZ wines tours for Japanese organised by NZ-wines.co.nz in association with Air New Zealand (in Japanese)
Kami no Shizuku
The TV series, which commenced January 2009 (in Japanese)
A manga drunk on French wine
Siblings Yuko and Shin Kibayashi move the market with a fluid pen Friday, April 11, 2008 By FELICITY HUGHES Special to The Japan Times Hearing a 2001 Mont-Perat described as "just like a rock concert by Queen" is enough to make any self-respecting Frenchman expel a snort of derision from his finely-tuned nostrils. News photo Long popular in Japan, "Kami no Shizuku" is now being translated into French as "Les Gouttes de Dieu." © GLENAT But the enormous impact the wine manga "Kami no Shizuku (The Drops of the Gods)" has had on wine sales across Asia cannot be shrugged off with a boff of Gallic unconcern. Just two days after the issue with that particular comment came out, a Taiwanese importer sold 50 cases of Mont-Perat. Thus, when the French version — titled "Les Gouttes de Dieu" — was published in France last week, it came out in a storm of media attention.
"We've had an especially strong effect in South Korea," he says. "Soon after our book was published there, people started reading it like a textbook to learn about wine." The manga is also published in China and Taiwan, where, when a wine is featured, sales increase. Bottles of Colli di Conegliano Rosso Contrada di Concenigo saw an increase of 30 percent after a mention. "We are pleased to recommend wine to people. But the bad thing is when the price goes up because we recommend one," says Shin. "We recommend cheap wines and also expensive ones, but if it's not tasty we don't include it." For French readers, the real draw is the huge bias the manga has toward the wines of France.
New Zealand Wine Fair Tokyo 2009
Starts: 04/06/2009 13:00 Type: Event Venue: TBC City: Tokyo Country: Japan
Details: The New Zealand Wine Fair in Tokyo is now a well-established event - 2009 being its 13th year. This event has been popular with wineries that have distribution in the market, as an opportunity to spend time with their distributor in the market and interacting with the Tokyo trade. However, many wineries that are seeking distribution use it as a vital opportunity to showcase their wines to many importers in one place – a fact borne out by the successes achieved in this area in 2008 where several wineries secured distribution as a result of the fair.
Insights to Japan Wine Market
16 Jan 2009 JAPAN: Wine is first thought to have been introduced into Japan in the mid 1600s and the first domestic wine was made in 1870 in Yamanashi Prefecture. The wine industry in Japan is now valued at over NZ$5 billion (still + sparkling) per annum. There are 2,800 licensed liquor manufacturers in Japan, over 150,000 liquor distributors and around 14 million cases of wine imported into Japan annually.
Another way is reach the market is to get mentioned in a popular weekly Japanese manga (comics) named Kami no Shizuku (The Drops of the Gods). This manga follows the story of a young man trying to gain access to his inheritance by identifying the 12 wines named in his father's will. It has been linked to increased sales of the wines named in the story in parts of Asia. The story contains descriptions of the wines, which compare the flavours with scenes from famous art, nature and physical locations rather than traditional sommelier terminology. A few new world wines have appeared in the manga and Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2001 from New Zealand was mentioned early in the series. The manga is now to be turned into a prime time TV drama from January 2009, starring a young Japanese idol, and might start another wine boom.
Chateraise Belle-foret Winery
Chateraise Katsunuma Winery
Wassy’s Online wine store
Includes Hada Nori’s blog (in Japanese)

Return to top of page
KOREA

Wine Imports Start to Rebound
Korea's wine imports shrank significantly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis but began to see a reversal last year. According to data recently released by the Korea International Trade Association and Korea Customs Service, total wine imports fell 10.6 percent between 2008 and 2012 but rebounded in 2013 to $171.8 million. The gross weight stood at 32,558 tons in 2013, up 15.9 percent from 2012. The largest wine exporter to Korea last year was France, followed by Chile, Italy, the U.S., Spain and Australia. Imports from Chile grew 19.4 percent to $36.4 million from a year earlier, while those from Spain exceeded $10 million for the first time to reach $13.71 million, a 37.6 percent increase. Argentina saw a 24.6 percent increase to $3.24 million, placing seventh on the list. South Africa climbed to eighth after sales to Korea rose 40 percent to $2.91 million. On the other hand, wine imports from Australia fell 11.4 percent to $7.33 million last year from $8.27 million in 2012. German wine also appears to be less popular here. Imports fell from $2.92 million to $2.72 million over the same period, relegating Germany to Korea's ninth-largest wine exporter, down from seventh.
Wine tops soju in sales
Lotte Mart reported Sunday that sales of wine at its stores have surpassed those of soju and other liquors for the first time ever. Korea Times file By Kim Tae-jong Lotte Mart, the discount chain of retail giant Lotte, said Sunday that its sales of wine exceeded those of soju, the traditional Korean distilled spirit, this year for the first time, by 4.6 percent as of Dec. 9. Wine sales, which accounted for less than 30 percent of soju just 10 years ago, have drastically increased in Korea. The discount franchise attributed the growth in sales to the country’s free trade agreements (FTA) with wine producing countries, which allow consumers to enjoy wines at more affordable prices. “Overall, the sales of wine have been growing, which we believe shows the change in drinking culture here,” an official from Lotte Mart said. “FTAs with Europe and Chile seem to have accelerated the change, I think.”
Can Internet revive slumping wine sales?
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC)’s suggestion to allow online sales of wine has sparked controversy. / Korea Times By Kim Tong-hyung It wasn’t long ago that Korea seemed to be quickly earning its stripes as a wine-drinking nation. But then the Lehman Brothers fiasco happened and now a growing number of consumers suddenly say they can’t pay that much for fermented grape juice. As the wine boom turns to gloom, there are increasing grumblings from oenophiles holding the fort, insisting that imported wines are overpriced here. Indeed, a complicated distribution structure and heavy taxes have forced consumers here to pay a premium for mediocre Bordeaux and Chilean cheapies, which would cost $20 or less a bottle in the United States but nearly as much as a pair of tennis shoes here. Korea’s free trade pacts with the European Union and Chile made little difference to consumers with the effect of lowered tariffs negated by the complex web of importers and retailers. [FTA]
European Premium Brands Fail to Reflect FTA in Prices
As for wine, which was immediately exempt from 20 percent customs duty, prices dropped by about 10 percent shortly after the FTA, but the prices of some items remained the same. Prices of whisky, which also became exempt from 20 percent customs duty, remained unchanged. The industry claimed the price of alcoholic drinks is determined not only by customs duty but largely by domestic taxes, but it failed to explain why it did not get reduced even by a little. [FTA]
Makgeolli Rides Korean Wave into More Japanese Stores
The traditional Korean rice wine makgeolli is establishing a strong presence at supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan. CJ Cheiljedang said its own brand of canned makgeolli will add further momentum to the market as it has gone on sale in 10 of 11 Japanese convenience store chains and major shopping outlets starting Wednesday. The company said it has made arrangements for its product to be available in 25,000 out of 43,000 convenience stores across Japan, accounting for 60 percent of the stores, and 70 percent of the supermarkets, in the country. "This is the highest penetration rate for a Korean beverage or food brand sold in Japan," said a CJ Cheiljedang employee. "Even Sapporo Breweries, which is handling sales of the product in Japan, expressed surprise at the demand." Last year, Lotte Liquor teamed up with Seoul Takju, Korea's No. 1 makgeolli maker, to produce Seoul Makgeolli and exported more than W20 billion (US$1=W,1,42) worth of the product to Japan. Korean Wave star Jang Keun-suk modeled for the product to drive sales, while Japanese liquor company Suntory joined hands with Lotte Liquor to sell the makgeolli. Jinro Makgeolli also saw its exports of the rice wine surpass 700,000 boxes in 2010, while it sold 1.2 million boxes last year, up more than 70 percent. Makgeolli exports to Japan in 2011 totaled $48.42 million, up 210.7 percent from 2010, and shipments this year are expected to reach W70 billion. [Hallyu]
Italian winemakers seek to distinguish themselves in Korea
By Joshua Hall Contributing writer SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- With wine becoming routine for an increasing number of Koreans, Italian wine producers are traveling to the country looking to entice -- and educate -- new consumers. Spurred in part by the recent Korea-European Union free trade agreement that reduced tariffs on wine among other products, big names in the Italian wine business have come to Korea recently in an effort to differentiate themselves from other top wine-producing nations.
Gov't simplifies wine distribution system, but skeptics say it won't change prices
By Joshua Hall Contributing writer SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- New liquor license regulations became effective on Jan. 1 that allow wine importers to sell directly to consumers and retailers to import. It's the first time in 29 years the South Korean government has simplified the wine distribution system in an effort to cut prices for consumers. [Wine]
Korea Wine Market Report
The South Korean wine market finally shows signs of recovery after two years of stagnation. Total wine imports from Jan-Jun 2011 amounted to $60.2 million, up about 13 percent from the same period last year. The United States remains the fourth largest supplier with $6.5 million in sales, which is up almost 20 percent from last year. Although shifts in consumption trends and exchange rates should generate new opportunities for American wine, U.S. suppliers face steep competition from imports of Chilean and European wines that no longer pay the 15 percent import duty.
EU FTA red tape keeps Korean wine market tied up
By Joshua Hall Contributing Writer SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- When the Korea-European Union free trade agreement (FTA) went into effect on July 1, South Korean consumers eagerly awaited more access to lower-cost European wines. Years before the FTA, in Europe, wine grower associations and media emphasized the importance of the FTA and focused on how the new deal would increase sales. But nearly two months later, confusion still reigns [FTA]
EU, South Korea Launch Trade Pact
By JOHN W. MILLER in Brussels and EVAN RAMSTAD in Seoul The U.S. is debating whether to ratify free-trade deals with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, but competitors are leaping ahead. A trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union will enter into force Friday, creating an estimated $30 billion in new trade of goods and services annually, potentially taking away market share from U.S. companies by eliminating 98.7% of duties between the EU and South Korea.
Among the sectors most affected by this FTA are chemicals, plastics, cars, and wine and spirits. Pernod-Ricard SA of France currently ships 200,000 cases a year of Chivas Regal and Ballantine's to South Korea, a number that will jump after the deal cuts the tariff to zero from 20%.
South Korea's largest previous FTA, with Chile in 2004, produced sharp boosts in sales of fruit and wine from the South American country. South Korea's wine market has doubled since then and importers believe it will grow more as tariffs drop for wines from France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere in Europe. "European wine prices will likely drop by 7% to 10%, but currency fluctuations and rising energy prices could offset the effect somewhat," said Shin Sung-ho, a division manager at Nara Cellar Co., a Seoul importer. He said wines from Australia and the U.S. are likely to lose market share while producers from those countries continue to pay a 15% tariff in South Korea. [FTA]
Free trade agreement with EU kicks in today
July 01, 2011 Customers shop for Korean products at Tesco’s store in New Malden, U.K. on Wednesday. Roughly 100 products from 15 Korean food companies are being sold at Tesco stores in London for a month. The event was jointly organized by Tesco, Homeplus and Kotra. [NEWSIS] Consumers visiting their nearest grocery store today will be the first to notice the effects of the free trade agreement with the European Union that kicks in today. Retailers are discounting much of their wine stock equivalent to the tariff to give consumers a taste of what’s in store for them when tariff-free goods fill their shelves. And in the coming weeks, supermarket prices will fall in varying degrees as tariff-free or reduced-tariff goods are brought in. Prices will fall for an array of products, including tea, coffee, pasta, almonds, pork belly, chocolate, tequila and vodka. [FTA]
Korea's FTAs and their implications for the Korean wine market
Paper by Tim Beal, written while a visiting fellow at Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) in 2010. Part of CRES Visiting Scholar’s Papers Series 2010, edited by Yang-Hee Kim
NZTE to promote New Zealand wines
By John Redmond New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) will hold a promotion to celebrate and usher in the hot summer with a selection of cool, chilled New Zealand wines from June 20 to July 10. Under the theme “Discover New Zealand Wines 2011,” consumers will have an opportunity to experience 30 quality white wines including premium labels of Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria and Sileni at 30 restaurants and wine bars in and around Seoul. To raise awareness and generate consumer interest during this promotion, NZTE will host a promotional website (www.purenzwines.com) to highlight the wide-range of New Zealand wines and provide information on the New Zealand wine industry.
Daejeon aims to become the center of wine in Korea
By Joshua Hall
Contributing Writer DAEJEON, May 27 (Yonhap) -- For one of South Korea's largest cities known best for its sprawling science town and as a host of top-name corporate research centers, holding sommelier contests was rather odd. But Daejeon, a major provincial city 164 kilometers south of capital Seoul, has turned to wine as a driver for its tourism business, and hosting the contests is meant to be only the beginning of the campaign. For Daejeon, three days in early May featured the 7th Korea Best Sommelier Contest and the 2nd Traditional Liquor Sommelier Contest plus wine and food festivals, targeting families looking for entertainment and sightseeing. Based on ticket sales, 10,000 people attended the events, according to Daejeon City government officials. Daejeon City is working on a different marketing strategy to promote its wine-based tourism. Rather than publicizing Korean food and liquors overseas, it is inviting wine and food professionals to come over to have a first-hand taste of traditional Korean food and liquor.
The wine market of Korea part 2
The Wine Market of Korea Part 2or... Great QPR, the EU Korea FTA and Pairing Wine with Korean FoodJanuary 6, 2011 5 Comments Previously I commented on the state of the wine market in Korea. Here, I continue to comment on this piece (duplicated here) by Joshua Hall which summarizes the big trends of 2010. Part one of the series can be found here: The Wine Market of Korea Part 1
The wine market of Korea part 1
The Wine Market of Korea Part 1or.. Twitter, Social Media and Wine Clubs in Korea January 4, 2011 2 Comments As I continue to research the Korean wine market, I'm always keeping my eyes open for interesting developments. This piece (duplicated here) by Joshua Hall summarizes the big trends of 2010 very well. I thought I would expand on some of these ideas with my own opinion in a two part series.
Makkoli is not a ‘wine’
Words are powerful. That’s why we must be careful with them. When used carelessly words can cause great damage. The promotion of ??? (makkoli) is a good example of how words enhance and detract a marketing campaign. When makkoli started to become trendy, it caught the big Korean food promoters by surprise. They had been concentrating so much on high end cuisine that they neglected this common but tasty beverage. Since they were set on promoting Korean food as an expensive snobby dining experience, they ignored the real reasons why makkoli became popular and forced it into their narrow mindset. They wanted to make makkoli a sophisticated. In English, we have a saying?“Putting lipstick on a pig.” That’s what they were trying to do. The attraction of makkoli is its unpretentiousness. It’s a drink that farmers enjoyed. It’s rustic and wholesome and is best drunk out of a beaten up tin pot. It’s not a “wine.”
‘Makgeolli beats beer, wine for cancer fighting compound’
2011-04-14 18:42 Voiceware Text Report: Ronaldo set to announce... FIFA criticized for style Park scores as Monaco sink Lori... S. Korea, Turkey draw 0-0 in so... Argentina trips Portugal 2-1 Makgeolli, Korean rice wine, contains up to 25 times more farnesol, a compound with anti-tumor properties, research showed Thursday. Farnesol is an alcohol found in a number of substances including essential oils. Research has shown that farnesol has potent anti-tumor properties even in concentrations as low as 5 milligrams per liter. In the latest research, a team led by Korea Food Research Institute’s Ha Jae-ho used magnets coated with farnesol-specific nano-particles to detect farnesol in alcoholic beverages available on the local market including beers, wine and makgeolli. The results showed makgeolli’s farnesol content to be between 150 and 500 parts per million, which is 10 to 25 times higher than that of beers and wines. Some makgeollis were found to have as much as 50 times more farnesol than other alcoholic beverages.
Wine market in protracted slump
By Kim Tong-hyung Korea was just beginning to earn its stripes as a wine-drinking nation when the recession hit and decimated the herds of glass raisers. The country has since been pulling away from the economic turmoil, but regaining its love affair for fermented grape juice is proving to be difficult. According to recent figures by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the country’s wine imports last year were valued at $112.89 million, just a 0.4 percent increase from a dismal 2009, when imports annually declined by a staggering 32.5 percent from the $166.51 million in 2008. The wine boom has been turning to gloom as credit-crunched wine lovers began reining in their spending. And wine is no longer the fad in drinking when everyone appears to be inventing excuses to gulp down ``makgeolli,’’ the cloudy Korean rice wine that is now being touted as a food-and-beverage treasure on a level with kimchi.
Popularity of Korean rice wine on the wane
By Kim Tae-gyu The popularity of ``makgeolli,’’ the nation’s representative traditional rice wine, is showing signs of waning as its production and local sales have decreased substantially after having surged over the past couple of years. Statistics Korea said Monday that Korean makers produced 24,395 kiloliters of makgeolli in February and sold 22,753 kiloliters, down 6.8 percent and 8.1 percent from the previous month, respectively. Since midway through 2008 when the milky white drink gained public favor across the country, this marks the first time in up to 32 months that the two figures went down together on a monthly basis. The monthly production first topped the 20,000-kiloliter mark in Oct. 2009 and it took just half a year to reach the 30,000-kiloliter milestone in March 2010. It peaked last June at 33,906 kiloliters. But the amount started heading south thereafter to fluctuate in the vicinity of 25,000 kiloliters of late. Its sales also followed a similar curve although the two did not fall together month-to-month until this February. ``It seems obvious that the production and sales of makgeolli are on a downward spiral,’’ a Statistics Korea official said. As to the reason why the public has lost its taste for makgeolli, observers came up with a set of explanations including the rising demand for beer or soju.
Airlines holds wine tasting for VIPs
Jennie Cho Lee, fifth from right, a renowned wine consultant, poses with Wilson Yong, sixth from right, general manager of Singapore Airlines in Korea, and other company employees during a wine tasting event held at Banyan Tree Spa and Resort in central Seoul, on Jan. 20. / Courtesy of Singapore Airlines By Lee Hyo-sik Singapore Airlines held a “wine tasting dinner with Jeannie Cho Lee” for its priority passenger service (PPS) customers at Banyan Tree Spa and Resort in central Seoul, on Jan. 20. Jeannie Cho Lee, a renowned wine consultant at Singapore Airlines and the first Asian to hold the Master of Wine title, gave an interesting lecture and introduced six selected wines, which are currently served in Singapore Airlines’ first and business classes. Various events such as lucky draws and photo ops with Singapore Airlines’ cabin crew followed the wine tasting dinner. The event was jointly held with Han Sung Motors, the official Mercedes-Benz dealer. “Whether you are traveling for business or leisure, I am sure you will enjoy both the new products on our latest aircraft and the unparalleled in-flight service provided by our dedicated cabin crew,” said Wilson Yong, general manger Korea of Singapore Airlines. He expressed special thanks to the invited PPS members for their continuous support of the airline.
Wine community embraces Korean food, social media
2010-12-28 17:43 Voiceware Text Hallyu stars take first stab at rom-com [Tidbit] Indian farmer claims to be ‘world’s oldest dad at 94’ Woman fakes abduction to test husband Tycoons outline New Year plans Study reveals single women find married men more attractive N. Korean leader heeds 'American tastes' in propaganda show: cable Samsung's 2011 investment likely to top 30 tln won N. Korea urged to take concrete steps for denuclearization before 6-way talk... Ice man’s adventure to break world record S. Korea's foreign reserves rebound in Dec. The year 2010 was a year of positive change in Korea’s wine scene. The selection of wines increased and many more value for money wines came into the market. This is welcome news for expats used to paying 2 euros for wine in their home countries. This year was also a year that changed how we share wine experiences through social media. There were five major trends this year: Josmeyer Estate Fleur de Lotus and pinot gris paired with dolsot bibimbap. 1. Twitter and social media Smartphones have rapidly transformed Korea’s media landscape, taking our obsession with being connected to a new level. Instantly sharing wine photos and tasting notes online has become very popular. Wine importers have marketing staff dedicated to Twitter. We dine out frequently and access Twitter and Foursquare to inform others about what we are doing and where we are. A live-to-Twitter wine tasting event was held for the first time this December.
Report ranks imported Italian wine
December 14, 2010 Balbi Soprani Moscato d’Asti 2009 was named as the best Italian wine in the 20,000 won ($17.50) range, according to Wine Consumer Reports, which is sponsored by the JoongAng Ilbo and Winenara, a local wine retail chain. Balbi Soprani Moscato d’Asti, which is produced by the famous winery Balbi Soprani in Piedmont, is known for its attractive scent of acacia, orange, apricot and peach. The wine was chosen by 30 wine experts and 30 wine aficionados, including university professors, sommeliers, wine columnists and wine bar owners.
French winegrowers pin hopes on South Korea trade deal
By Suzanne Mustacich (AFP) – Nov 30, 2010 SEOUL — Frustrated by barriers to a strategic Asian market, French wine producers are betting on a new EU-South Korean free trade deal to claw back the massive market share they have lost in the past decade. With French wine consumption declining and traditional markets such as Germany and Britain in trouble, emerging markets are vital to France's winemakers but bring challenges of their own. Back in 1999 French wine, led by Bordeaux, dominated South Korea's burgeoning imported wine market with 46 percent of trade volume. Rival Chilean producers had a mere two percent. But 10 years on, the tables have turned, with France's market share at a meagre 16 percent while Chile's has soared to 23 percent, making the Latin American producer South Korea's largest supplier by volume. [FTA]
The World Vine wine store opens in South Korea
30.09.2010 - Actualités vues par Vinexpo Last July, the Korean group SPC, which owns the wine import company Tiger International, inaugurated The World Vine, the ultimate specialist wine store in Korea. The store has a floor area of 4,000 sq. m, which enables it to organise tastings for up to 50 people at a seated event. The French sommelier Thomas Scheidt, who is the “Wine General Manager” of this new store has selected a range of French and foreign wines to meet the expectations of Korean consumers. (UBIFRANCE / 8 September 2010)
Market Profile for Wine in Korea
NZTE report
According to Datamonitor, the wine market in Korea was worth an estimated US$359.6 million in 2007, up from US$321.6 million in 2006. Still wines accounted for 80.5 percent of sales, sparkling wines a further 16.5 percent, and fortified wines the remaining 3 percent. Within the still wine category, red wine made up 81 percent of sales.
Koreans Drank 9 Bottles of Makgeolli Apiece in 2009
With the booming popularity of makgeolli, Korean adults consumed an average of 9.19 bottles (750 ml per bottle) per person of the traditional rice wine last year, a report reveals. According to the report by the National Tax Service released on Tuesday, the volume of delivery of makgeolli soared 47.8 percent from 176,000 kiloliters in 2008 to 261,000 kiloliters last year. The delivery volume of the rice wine had showed a slight increase of 2.9 percent in 2005 and 2.4 percent in 2008 before it skyrocketed last year. In 1972 makgeolli accounted for a whopping 81.4 percent of the total delivery volume of alcoholic beverages in Korea, followed by soju with 11.3 percent and beer with 5 percent. It was overtaken by beer in 1988 and began to trail soju in 1990. In recent years, makgeolli's market share had hovered around 5 percent. But consumption has surged thanks to the craze for the liquor from last year, pushing up its market share to 7.8 percent in 2009 and 12 percent in the first quarter of this year.
Here comes draft 'makgeolli' to go
By Kim Tae-gyu Staff reporter The conventional image of drinkers of "makgeolli" is that they tend to have Korea's traditional rice wine all day long in an old-fashioned restaurant, in particular on wet weather, together with some side dishes. As the milky white alcohol gains popularity even among young adults, however, people are consuming it like a Starbucks coffee ? Domestic manufacturers have brought out a takeout version of makgeolli. Baesangmyun Brewery, the maker of one of the leading brands of makgeolli, said that it has opened a micro-brewery in southern Seoul around its head office where visitors can buy and take out fresh makgeolli. The Seoul-based outfit plants to establish around 10 more miniature breweries at the capital by the end of 2010 where the takeout makgeolli will go on sale just like the Starbucks outlets. "We will rebuild breweries just like those a century ago. They will represent culture regarding Korean alcoholic beverages," company CEO Bae Young-ho told a press conference. "Furthermore, we plan to introduce environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes, which require minimum use of water while enabling the recycling of some by-products." Bae added that it would release third-generation makgeolli, which will last about one month and a half. Currently, the expiry date of the thick rice wine is around a week and this has been touted as the biggest downside of makgeolli. Makgeolli had been the go-to alcohol for ordinary Koreans for so long thanks to its rich taste and affordable price before its popularity waned in modern times due to West alcoholic beverages such as beer and spirits. Yet, Koreans seemingly found a fresh attraction to makgeolli in the mid 2000s after producers started to use higher quality ingredients to overcome the drawback of terrible hangovers the day after a drinking session. The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries estimates that the makgeolli market rocketed from 300 billion won ($249.5 million) in 2008 to about 420 billion won last year. Its exports also expanded from $2.9 million in 2007 to $4.4 million in 2008 and $6.2 million last year despite the global financial distress. The upward pace is expected to continue for the time being, according to market watchers. The ministry proposed the cloudy wine as an official beverage of the G-20 summit for this November although it remains to be seen whether it would be picked as such at the high-profile gathering.
Beer, 'makgeolli' duke it out
By Kim Tong-hyung Staff reporter The increasing sales of makgeolli, the cloudy Korean traditional rice wine, had beer producers raising their pints in misery. However, the FIFA World Cup, the raging global party that comes once every four years, now appears to have the companies back in high spirits. The country's major beer brands, including Cass, OB and Hite, are competing to introduce new products and engage in lavish marketing campaigns to exploit the lucrative window provided by the planet's most-watched sporting event.
Models pose at a promotional event for a wine brand in Seoul on Monday.
'Makgeolli' gains nickname 'Drunken Rice'
By Kim Tae-gyu Staff reporter "Makgeolli," the country's traditional rice wine, has garnered the nickname "Drunken Rice" through an event aimed at boosting sales of the milky white drink outside Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Sommeliers for kimchi & makgeolli
Posted Apr. 13, 2010 Sommelier is French for “one who tries the taste” of something. There are sommeliers for wine of course, but who knew they also exist for kimchi (Korea’s favorite condiment) and makgeolli (rice wine)? Kimchi sommeliers aim to globalize Korea’s favorite side dish via standardization and systemization. Kimchi is the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning Korean traditional food. Experts abound in that area, proving how popular this fermented vegetable dish is. A mini-refrigerator specially made for storing kimchi is a common item in many Korean households. Riding on that wave, the World Food Culture Center (WFCC) introduced its first sommelier course for kimchi last October. A kimchi sommelier, equipped with expertise on kimchi and cooking skill, provides all kinds of information regarding the dish. They can recommend what kind of kimchi best meets the need of a particular restaurant, as well as teaching them how to make it properly. A sommelier in this field must be extremely well-versed in food that accompanies kimchi -- which happens to be almost all kinds of Korean food, known as Hansik. One needs to have a wide knowledge about the taste and characteristics of each respective dish, down to the smallest details. [Hallyu] [Hansik]
Wine Korea
Joshua Hall
The general purpose of this blog is to assist with the development of a more mature wine market in Korea. When I came here in 2005, I was shocked at how underdeveloped the wine market was compared to New Zealand and how expensive wine was and continues to be. A lot has changed since 2005, but there is still a long way to go until wine becomes part of Korean culture. Korean food and wine pairing is especially exciting and offers many opportunities for the market to grow.
Wine21.Com
A Gate to the World of Wine
Mainly in Korean
Korean women reject 'drink or be fired' culture
By Daniel Jeffreys in Seoul Saturday, 16 June 2007 Tired of being forced to down corrosive combinations of beer and rice wine to climb the career ladder, Korean women are fighting back against the business binge-drinking culture. The recent High Court victory of a 29-year-old female subordinate forced to get drunk by her boss has set the ball rolling. He was found guilty of a "violation of human dignity" and she won damages.
But women in executive positions are trying to change the culture from the inside. In companies where there is a significant female presence, groups of women have begun trying to replace team-building binges in bars with theatre outings or dinners in European-style restaurants. However, changing a deeply entrenched tradition will not happen overnight.
Whiskey Honoring Park Ji-sung to Be Launched
Park Ji-sung A whiskey named after Korean footballer Park Ji-sung of Manchester United will hit shelves next month, the Korean branch of French distiller Pernod Ricard announced. Details of the limited-edition "Park Ji-sung Whiskey" are still being worked out, and various ideas are being considered, including putting Park's picture or autograph on the label, and having him participate in the blending process and share his opinions on the taste. An official at Pernod Ricard Korea said, "We expect the whiskey to appeal to fans ahead of the World Cup in South Africa in June."
Arneis paired with Korean BBQ Pork Neck and friends.
By Joshua Hall Published: March 1, 2010 I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic BBQ restuarant 10min walk from my house in Seoul We took four wines to dinner and were willingly to experiment. The spice and meatiness of the dishes was intense. The spicy pork ????? with it’s chili paste sauce was slighly sweet and overpowered the wines. The only wine which worked was the Luca Abrate Roero Arneis. This wine had enough balanced acidity to match the fattiness of the ???, (Hang Jeong Sal). The pork neck was tangy and salty but the fruit of the Arneis stood up to these intense flavors. A nice pairing. [Cuisine]
Product Origin Required on Alcoholic Beverages
By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter All alcoholic product packing will be required to contain the geographical locations of the ingredients starting in July, government officials said Wednesday. Also, regional makers of traditional liquor, such as "makgeolli," will be allowed to sell their products over the Internet, as policymakers look to provide farming communities extra income sources and foster the local beverages into a ``national'' products to complement kimchi.
However, companies say that the new regulations will inevitably lead to higher prices on the shelves, as consumers are likely to flock to the bottles containing higher proportions of local ingredients. In the midst of the makgeolli boom, there has been sarcasm that the suddenly-popular traditional beverages mostly aren't Korean at all, with most makers relying on ingredients from China and other countries to keep costs low. Most of the makgeolli products available in local markets rely entirely on foreign ingredients, while the makers of soju, Korea's traditional distilled drink, import about 50 percent of their ingredients from other countries. About 20 to 30 percent of the ingredients in local beer are also imported. [Globalisation] [Protection] [Quality]
2010 Korea Wine Challenge
By Joshua HallPublished: March 16, 2010 Posted in: Featured, Wine News Tags: 2010, korea, korea wine challenge, korean, wine awards, wine competitions, wine korea, Wine News, winekorea, ??, ????? The results of the 2010 Korea Wine Challenge have been announced.
Korea Wine Challenge 2010 Medallist
* Total 729 wines from 14 countries participated in KWC 2010. * Please be informed that the list is in alphabetical order and No. is not ranking. * KWC 2010 awarded 7 trophy wines as below. - The Best Red Wine overall excluding Chile, Australia, Italy - The Best White Wine overall - The Best Chilean Red Wine (the country participating more than 100 red entries) - The Best Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (the noticeable grape variety taking up over 30%) - The Best Australian Red Wine (the country participating more than 100 red entries) - The Best Italian Red Wine (the country participating more than 100 red entries) - The Best Sparkling Wine overall
With roads out, Chile wine prices could rise
March 12, 2010 If you are a big fan of Chilean wine and you’ve built up a stockpile, sip slowly. The earthquake in Chile last month, which swept the country’s grape-growing regions, is expected to drive up the price of Chilean wine imported to Korea, according to industry sources. Chile is now Korea’s No. 2 source for grape wine imports after France. The most popular brands are Montes Alpha, Santa Teresa and Carta Vieja.
Wine and hansik: A natural blend
[SAVOR KOREA (16)] Jeannie Cho Lee, the first Asian Master of Wine and author of the award-winning book "Asian Palate: Savouring Asian Cuisine and Wine" [Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald] The first Asian Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee, promises to turn the spotlight on the East with her new book "Asian Palate: Savouring Asian Cuisine and Wine" (Asset Publishing and Research Ltd., $98). Dubbed "the first comprehensive book on Asian cuisine and wine" in the book's foreword by "Decanter" consultant editor Steven Spurrier, "Asian Palate" pairs wine with food from 10 Asian cities. Seoul is one of the featured cities, which means that hansik will benefit from the book's international success; yes, that is correct, international success. [Hallyu]
Guidelines for pairing Korean food with wine
To ask a wine lover to give up their libation of choice would be a sin. The first Asian Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee, understands that. Instead, she broadens their repertoire, offering them new partners for wine, from Asia. After all there is an ecstasy to be had when a good wine meets a good partner. When the aromas of wine are heightened by a dish and the flavors of a culinary concoction enhanced by the ideal partnering of a vintage, then an oenophile cannot ask for a better meal. Therefore, while purists may beg for the exclusive globalization of indigenous alcoholic beverages alongside hansik, others may opt for a pronged path, one that sees benefits in linking Korean cuisine to an international drink like wine while also promoting Korean drinks like makgeolli at the same time.
Makgeolli to Be Served at Davos Forum
Makgeolli or Korean traditional rice wine will be served at the World Economic Forum which kicks off in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 27. The Federation of Korean Industries chose makgeolli, which has recently enjoyed explosive popularity, as the official drink for a toast at an event to promote Korea on Jan. 28 of the five-day Forum, and will bring 150 bottles of the milky-white light alcoholic beverage via the president's jet.
KU Head Talks About President Lee’s 'Makgeolli' Leadership
By Oh Young-jin, Kang Shin-who Staff Reporters Name one person and one thing that are most associated with Korea University, a Seoul-based private school. The answers would most likely include President Lee Myung-bak, a 1965 graduate of its department of business administration, and "makgeolli," the traditional light-alcoholic, milky-white, ordinary-man's drink. In the 1960s through the 1980s, makgeolli was the drink of choice among its students taking pride in the school's strong national roots. This was often compared with its archrival, Yonsei University, whose students drank pricier beers fitting the school's more refined image.
Makgeolli Exports Surge to Record Levels
The makgeolli craze is growing overseas. Exports of the traditional rice wine amounted to US$6.28 million last year, up 41.9 percent from 2008 and nine times greater than $705,000 in 1999, according to the Korea Customs Service on Sunday. In December exports totaled $1.2 million surpassing the $1 million mark for the first time. By volume outbound shipments climbed 35.7 percent compared to 2008 to 7,405 tons in 2009.
Korean Rice Wine Sees Renaissance
Korea is seeing a renaissance of traditional rice wine or makgeolli. Once popular, it saw annual sales of 1.42 million kl in the 1980s, but the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games brought drastic changes to the domestic liquor industry. Foreign alcoholic drinks like beer and whiskey have since then dominated the liquor market, with rice wine seen as a cheap drink for the poor. Sales of makgeolli dropped to 700,000 kl in 1990 and 129,000 kl in 2002.
Makgeolli Picked Hit Product of 2009
Traditional rice wine or makgeolli has been named the hit product of the year. In an online survey of 11,538 people on the top 10 hit products of the year, makgeolli headed the list, Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) said Wednesday. "This year Makgeolli has been reevaluated as a traditional liquor which is good for both health and beauty," SERI said. Its popularity "reflects a trend of people feeling happy rediscovering forgotten values [Spin]
Wine, whiskey imports suffer at hands of makgeolli
January 18, 2010 Imports of Western wine and whiskey dropped by an average of 15 percent in Korea last year, as sales of traditional rice wine surged amid the economic downturn, a state report said yesterday. Imports of Western wine shrank 21.1 percent in 2009 in the first decrease in 10 years, while imports of whiskey decreased 8.9 percent, according to the report by the Korea Customs Service. Exports of the Korean wine makgeolli, meanwhile, surged 35.7 percent last year from the previous year, the report showed, mainly due to strong demand from Japan.
Move over Beaujolais, it’s makgeolli time
November 13, 2009 In many parts of the world, fall means the first French wine of the year: the young, tasty Beaujolais nouveau. But a competitor to this sweet seasonal treat has arisen: makgeolli nouveau, a term being used to market traditional Korean wine made from the first rice harvest of the season. And according to local department stores, makgeolli nouveau has been even more popular here than its French namesake. [Wine]
Makgeolli gets a modern sales pitch
[Meet the CEO] ‘Modern branding for today’s consumer will also help bring traditional liquor to the public.’ November 13, 2009 It is no secret that the nation is now in love with makgeolli, or traditional rice liquor, which was once disregarded as little more than a cheap drink. In the 1960s and 1970s, the beverage took up more than 80 percent of Korea’s alcohol consumption total but due to the influx of Western liquor and tightened restrictions in the local liquor industry, its market share dropped to as low as 3 percent in 2005. These days, however, as more consumers want their alcoholic beverage to be both healthy and refreshing, sales of makgeolli have risen, particularly in recent months. [Wine]
Chamber Looks to Shed Light on NZ Wine
Graeme Solloway, left, trade commissioner to Seoul for New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, and Les Edwards, chairman of the Kiwi Chamber, display examples of their country’s wine. The New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea, known as the Kiwi Chamber, is to host an event highlighting the Oceanic country's wine, Monday. Called the ``New Zealand Wine Experience ? 100 percent pure New Zealand wine,'' it will take place at the Seoul Plaza Hotel. The event is designed to introduce the country's wine to both Koreans and foreigners alike. There will be 25 participating wineries and over 110 premium red and white wines available to taste. A New World wine-producing nation, there are over 500 wineries spread out over New Zealand's North and South Islands. The chamber hopes to introduce the country's wine to aficionados who may not be familiar with the range it has to offer. The event takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.kiwichamber.com or e-mail chamber@kiwichamber.com.
New Zealand Wine Experience
100% Pure New Zealand Wine The New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea (The Kiwi Chamber) and New Zealand Winegrowers are proud to host this unique New Zealand wine tasting event. 25 outstanding wineries from NZ will showcase many of their finest varietals – from famous Sauvignon Blanc to acclaimed Pinot Noir and Merlot. A selection of New Zealand beef, Greenshell mussels and cheeses will be available to taste with the wine on show. Monday, November 9, 2009 From 7pm to 10pm Seoul Plaza Hotel 50,000 won per person (includes wine and light finger food) Register Here New Zealand is a land like no other. New Zealand wine is an experience like no other. Our special combination of soil, climate and water, our innovative pioneering spirit and our commitment to quality all come together to deliver pure, intense and diverse experiences. In every glass of New Zealand Wine is a world of pure discovery. The New Zealand wine industry is a quality-driven niche player. Within a relatively short time, our wines have acquired a reputation that is the envy of much larger wine producing countries. International critics rate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as the world’s best, and the growing acclaim for New Zealand Chardonnay, Cabernet Merlot blends and Pinot Noir is helping to further secure New Zealand’s position as a producer of premium wines.
Korean Rice Wine Sees Renaissance
Korea is seeing a renaissance of traditional rice wine or makgeolli. Once popular, it saw annual sales of 1.42 million kl in the 1980s, but the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games brought drastic changes to the domestic liquor industry. Foreign alcoholic drinks like beer and whiskey have since then dominated the liquor market, with rice wine seen as a cheap drink for the poor. Sales of makgeolli dropped to 700,000 kl in 1990 and 129,000 kl in 2002. But the traditional white, thick rice wine regained life in the late 2000s, riding the fad for a healthier lifestyle and retro style. Last year, some 175,000 kl of makgeolli was sold, and sales are expected to top 200,000 kl this year. Modern makgeolli products -- from fruit-flavored ones to a recreation of the rice wine enjoyed by the upper class people in the ancient Koryo period -- have hit the market, posing a challenge to foreign drinks like wine, whiskey and sake.
Makgeolli rice wine exports up this year
October 24, 2009 Exports of traditional Korean rice wine surged by more than 20 percent in the first nine months of this year mainly due to strong demand from Japan, a government report said yesterday. Exports of makgeolli, or rice wine, reached $3.56 million totaling 4,380 tons up until September, the Korea Customs Service said. This marks a 24.1 percent on-year gain from 3,530 tons worth of the alcoholic beverage exported in the three quarters of 2008, it said. In terms of value, this year’s exports gained 23.2 percent from the $2.89 million tallied for the year before.
Wine Wanes for Chuseok Gifts
Holidays are a traditional time for gift-giving in Korea, and such gifts tend to reflect social trends and public tastes. Looking at this year's most popular gifts for Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving can show how those tastes and trends are changing. The most remarkable change this year is the falling popularity of wine. Just three or four years ago wine was one of the most welcome presents, widely loved for its refined packaging and convenient shelf-life. But things are different this year. While wine took up 50 to 60 percent of alcohol sales for the Chuseok holidays last year at Lotte Department Store, this year the figure is down to 40 percent, and sales of wine at E-Mart are down 7.1 percent from last year. Instead of wine, this year people are buying low-alcohol sake and traditional Korean liquors. Sales of sake at Lotte Department Store jumped 200 percent compared to Chuseok last year, reflecting the increasing popularity of the Japanese liquor among the younger generation.
Korean Air Serves Fine Laurent-Perrier Champagne
Korean Air flight attendants show three kinds of Laurent-Perrier champagne, which are served in first and business class, at Hyatt Regency Incheon, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter Korean Air has added one of the world's top class, epicurean champagnes to its in-flight menu in commemoration of the 40th anniversary since the beginning of the month. It began serving three kinds of Laurent-Perrier champagne in first and business class on international flights since May 1. The champagnes are: Grand Siecle, Cuvee Rose Brut, and Brut L-P. Laurent-Perrier is not well known in Korea, but is highly recognized among the upper classes in Europe and Africa.
``We believe Korean Air has contributed to the improvement of the wine culture in Korea by adopting wines that are relatively unknown here. The effort will help the carrier provide various high-quality services,'' said Bang Jin-sik, Korean Air's wine consultant.
Wine bubble bursts on cost of imports
April 16, 2009 A bad economy means less wine consumption, according to global figures recently indicated by the Paris-based International Organisation of Vine and Wine, or OIV. Global wine consumption totaled 6.4 billion gallons last year, a 0.8 percent drop from 2007. The Korean wine industry is in turn facing a decline after several years of growth. Wine sales for January and February this year decreased by as much as 5 percent at Lotte, 4 percent at Hyundai and 3 percent at Shinsegae, according to each department store, last month. It is the first decline in sales since 2000, when department stores opened their own wine cellars.
Chile, France Locked in Wine War Here
By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter Chilean wines have played the role of regent in the absence of a French king. Montes Alpha or 1865 are tantalizing taste buds of Koreans not just for their taste. However, with an impending free trade accord between Korea and the European Union expected to trim the prices of ``Old World'' wines on local shelves, the French are gearing to fight back against their bulky ``New World'' foes, including the Americans and Australians. Whatever the outcome of this renewed wine battle, the winners are likely to be Korean customers, who have grown tired of paying decent money for what are often generic and watery drinks. French wine had enjoyed more than a decade of supremacy here until last year, when Chilean wine topped sales, forcing the first change in the No.1 spot since 1993.
Free Trade to Stir Up Wine Competition
Competition among global wine brands in Korea is expected to be stirred up by free trade. Korea and the EU agreed this week that they would try to get a free trade deal signed next week at the G20 meeting in London. The EU, especially France, is the biggest wine exporter to Korea. Korea agreed it would immediately eliminate a 15-percent tax on European wine if the FTA with its second biggest trading partner is ratified. That would add to the FTA with Chile, which went into effect in 2004 and will allow Chilean wine to land in Korea duty-free beginning next month. A tax on wine from the United States would be immediately removed if Korea's FTA with that country is ever ratified. Experts say the abolition of tax on foreign wine will ignite a price war as it will lower the costs of wine by 10 to 20 percent on average.
Korea's Own 'Wine Doctor' Recalls Oenophile Struggle
Bang Jin-sik, is a wine consultant in Korean Air's catering department. The 58-year-old received a doctorate from Kyonggi University in 2005 for a dissertation on wine, the first Korean so decorated. What helped him to get through was his unwavering passion for wine, which began when he was a child. Born the third son of a family that owned a vineyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, it might be natural for someone to enjoy "homemade" wine from an early age. "I was assigned to the Paris office of Korean Air in 1988, and there I drank wine almost daily," he recalls. "After two years of drinking wine every day, I began to understand it. I had about 800 wine labels when I came back to Korea from France. Now I have a collection of 3,000 labels."
Celebrity endorsement
TV celebrity Christina Confalonieri presents Italian wine at the Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Seoul on Monday. /Newsis
Korean Air Upgrades In-Flight Wine Items
By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter Korean Air will present a selection of quality wines among its in-flight duty free items starting this month. The ``SkyShop Wine Club Service'' was designed to enhance onboard service and introduce wines that are not widely known but have high quality.
For in-flight drinks, the carrier offers 36 kinds of wine from nine countries, such as France, Italy, Canada, Chile and the United States. The wines served depend on the area to which the plane is flying.
First Asian to Reach Pinnacle of Wine Expertise Speaks Out
Wine expert Jeannie Cho Lee The title of "Master of Wine" is like a Ph.D. for those working in the wine industry. The title has been awarded since 1953 by the Institute of Masters of Wine, and only 277 people worldwide have received the honorable title so far. Now, a 40-year-old Korean woman, Jeannie Cho Lee, has become the first Asian to obtain the MW title. A wine expert working in Hong Kong, she supervises the curriculum in a private wine school, the Fine Wine School, and regularly writes contributions to wine magazines such as the Wine Spectator of the U.S. and the Revue du Vin of France.
Debut of Beer
By Andrei Lankov Of all alcoholic beverages, beer might be one of the oldest. It was drunk in ancient Mesopotamia about five thousand years ago; was tremendously popular in medieval Europe; and during the last two hundred years or so beer drinking has spread across the globe. It was a European import, of course, but peoples in distant lands embraced it with great enthusiasm, and Koreans were no exception. It seems that we relish accurately pinpointing the first time a Korean tasted this beverage. This historical event of great significance took place in 1884, when Korean and American representatives celebrated the signing of a treaty between the two states.
Hold the Wine, We're Drinking Sake
Sake is enjoying a huge surge in popularity in Korea with the growing preference among young Koreans over the past three or four years for low-alcohol drinks. Some have even gone as far as saying that Korea's recent wine drinking trend may switch over to the Japanese spirit. At around 13 to 14 percent, the alcohol content of sake is similar to that of red wine. The Korea Customs Service said Sunday that 752 tons of sake were imported in the first half of this year, worth some US$2.6 million. That's up 46 percent from 515 tons in last year's first half. The import growth far outpaces that of wine, which has become a huge hit in Korean in the past few years. Some 2,754 tons of French wine came into Korea in the first half, 14 percent less than the 3,202 tons imported over the same period last year. Wine still leads in quantity but it's lagging behind sake in import growth. Sake imports totaled a mere 526 tons in 2005 but they have been growing steadily to 851 tons in 2006 and 1,275 tons last year. This year the figure is forecast to reach 1,500 tons. With the growing popularity, high-end Japanese restaurants and pubs have begun showcasing their "sake sommeliers." [IM]
Sales of wine pass soju as Koreans get healthy
June 02, 2008 Koreans are spending more on wine than soju for the first time in the nation¡¯s history, based on sales at the nation¡¯s biggest discount chain. Sales of wine totaled 24.3 billion won ($23.5 million) in the January to May period, E-Mart said in a release yesterday. Meanwhile, soju recorded 24.1 billion won of sales during the same period. The store analyzed alcohol sales from its 113 branches nationwide. [Wine] [IM]
Wine Outsells Soju for First Time
By Kim Hyun-cheol Staff Reporter Sales of wine surpassed those of soju, the representative local alcoholic beverage, for the first time in the nation's biggest discount store franchises. The sales of wine amounted to 24.3 billion won ($23.6 million) during the first five months of this year, 200 million won more than soju, E-Mart announced Sunday. The figure accounts for 19.6 percent of its overall liquor sales, making wine the second best-selling kind next to beer with 37.4 percent. E-Mart's sales share of wine has more than doubled since 2005, when wine was fifth at the bottom of the list with 9.4 percent. In 2005, only 41 bottles of wine were sold for every 100 bottles of soju. Wine is the only kind of liquor for which sales have been constantly on the rise over the past few years while soju sales have stagnated, the company said. "This is the outcome of rapidly growing demand for wine of late," an E-mart official said. "We expect wine to be neck and neck with beer sales sooner or later with this growth." [Wine] [IM] [FTA]
Koreans Preferred Wine to Whiskey in 2007
Koreans drank more wine than whiskey for the first time ever last year, the National Tax Service said on Tuesday. According to the NTS, Koreans consumed some 37,655 kl of wine and 34,741 kl whiskey in 2007. That works out to an average of 2.03 500-ml bottles of wine for each adult, up from 1.48 bottles in 2006. Much of the imported wine came from Chile, which enjoys a free trade agreement with Korea. France, Italy, the U.S. and Australia were the other most popular foreign sources. The market share of imported wine has increased sharply, from 50.5 percent in 2000 to 80.4 percent in 2006 to 85.4 percent in 2007. [FTA] [IM] [Wine]
Koreans Turn to Mild Alcoholic Beverages
By Yoon Ja-young Staff Reporter More Koreans are turning to mild alcoholic beverages instead of hard liquors, reflecting a growing interest in healthy lifestyles, statistics showed. According to the National Tax Service (NTS), Koreans consumed 3.3 million kiloliters of beer, soju, and other alcoholic beverages in 2007, up 3.8 percent from the previous year. The alcoholic consumption has been rising each year except for 2005, when the consumption fell to 3.1 million kiloliters from 3.2 million kiloliters of the previous year. Beer took 60.3 percent of total consumption, followed by Korea's distilled liquor soju at 29.3 percent. Whiskey took 1.1 percent of total alcoholic consumption. NTS said the statistics show consumers' preference for low-alcohol beverages as a growing number of people are becoming health conscious. Beer consumption grew 5.5 percent and liquor made from fruit, including wine, grew 35.7 percent.
Most of all, the wine market saw notable growth. Koreans consumed 38,000 kiloliters of wine in 2007, 2.53 times more than what they consumed in 2000. Koreans consumed an average of 2.03 bottles of wine last year, markedly growing from 1.48 bottles of the previous year. NTS said the concern on health and people regarding drinking wine as a sophisticated cultural activity boosted wine consumption. Imported wine took 85.4 percent of the total wine market last year. [IM] [Wine]
A Korean wine master has the nose
November 26, 2007 HONG KONG ?Jeannie Cho Lee had little chance growing up in Korea to develop a taste for fine wine, but she has spent six years making up for lost time in pursuing her goal of becoming Asia's first Master of Wine. Hong Kong-based Lee this month passed the first two sections of the notoriously tough Master of Wine exams, setting her on the road to a title that just 265 people worldwide are entitled to use.
Wine for All Season
By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter ``The day you open a '61 Cheval Blanc, that's the special occasion,'' says a woman in ``Sideways,'' a bittersweet comedy film about wine revolving around two guys journeying to the vineyards north of Santa Barbara. In the film, divorced Miles drinks his '61 Cheval Blanc, alone, in a fast-food cafeteria, hiding it wrapped with papers, as he eats a hamburger after hearing that his ex-wife is pregnant, by her new husband. He had hoped to drink it for a reunion with his ex-wife to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. In the film, the wine isn't a luxurious drink consumed in a high-priced restaurant where its vintage is as cherished as the family jewels. Wine becomes special when shared between loved ones, the film says.
Wine is Korea's new lover, the love of which is heightened by the popularity of the Japanese comic book, ``Les Gouttes de Dieu'' (``Drops of God''). But its image, for many Koreans, still remains high-end. Several ``wine pojangmachas'' (wine cafes offering cheaper wines) have closed shop whereas trendy wine bars are all the rage
Wine drinking spurs drive for local wines
July 21, 2007 As a growing number of wines from Chile, France, the United States and other overseas wine powerhouses are pouring into the Korean market, Korean farmers are scrambling to find a way to survive by developing their own made-in-Korea wines. According to data from the Korea International Trade Association, Korea's annual wine imports have grown more than 30 percent every year since 2001 to reach $70 million during the first half of this year, a sharp increase from just $40 million a year ago. "Local grape farmers and the government have become more desperate after the Korea-Chile free trade agreement," said Jeong Seok-tae, a researcher at the Grape Research Center under the state-run Rural Development Association. The government opened the center in 2005 to help develop new grape varieties for various uses, including wine production. "With all this foreign wine coming into the local market, the grape farmers are showing more interest in making their own wine," Jeong said, adding that the number of large-scale grape farmers making wines rose from almost nothing to more than 30 in five years.
FTAs Uncorking Big Changes in Korea's Wine Market
The Korean wine industry expects the Korea-EU free trade agreement will cause a third seismic shift in Korea's imported wine market. The first wave of change came with the 2004 Korea-Chile FTA. In 2003, Chile was the fifth largest supplier of wine to Korea with a 6.2 percent share, but the Korea-Chile FTA pulled that share to 13.3 percent, helping the Southern American country become Korea's number two wine supplier. [FTA]

Return to top of page
QR Codes

Fiasco wines
69 Blicks Lane R.D.2, Blenheim, Marlborough 7272 p: 03 5782636 / 0273048245 Fiasco Wines is a fresh new wine company based in Marlborough. We are a family business that aims to produce high quality wine while having plenty of fun in the process. Fiasco Wines is owned by husband and wife team, Aaron (winemaker) and Jacinda Thompson (marketing). Our grapes are sourced from Stembridge vineyard in the heart of the Rapaura area in Blenheim. For an update on the fiascos of our business, check out our blog at www.fiascowines.worpress.com [QR codes]
QR Code
A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan, where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional codes. Moreover, most current Japanese mobile phones can read this code with their camera.
All about mobile life QR code data matrix
All about mobile life: Wine and QR codes
Nokia: Scan and decode mobile codes
Point and shoot your camera phone at a mobile code to connect directly to a website, view a message or get a phone number ready for dialing. All you need is a code reader for your camera phone and you are in on the fun. Check whether your Nokia device already has a preinstalled code reader or find out how to get one.
QR Code helps NZ hemseed oil with food safety in Japan
[Traceability]
QR Codes And Physical Hyperlinking, No More Typing And No More Search Engines?
Innovation in Wine Labels
Add the corresponding AVIN (http://www.avin.cc/) or a QR Code for a URL or text about the wine and you've gone and fitted much more information that could fit that tiny label. :)
AVIN - An ISBN for Wines
May 31, 2008 What is the AVIN? The AVIN is a unique code for wine. Think of it as an ISBN for wine. The AVIN was created out of necessity to organize the myriad of online wine information that we wanted to track at Adegga and to then make that information available in specific and useful ways. We found out that too often two different wine names actually referred to the same wine and this was a big issue in terms of information. For this the reason we decided to create a unique identifying code for each wine. AVIN stands for Adegga Vin Identification Number and it was originally based on the work done by Ulla-Maria on Thinglink and by Amazon on the ASIN.

Return to top of page
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Twitter, etc.

Winetwits
Tweet, drink and be merryIt’s not necessary to register. Just be on Twitter March 4th between 5-7pm PST with some Sauvignon Blanc. Last tasting on Feb. 11th had over 225 tweeters tasting #calicabs
SauvBlanc Taste and Tweet Recap
Posted by drinknectar Mar 5 Social Media is changing the way we interact. The idea, an online wine tasting. The subject, Sauvignon Blanc. The marketing medium, Twitter / Facebook / Blog. The result, nearly 600 people simultaneously tasting, tweeting, and talking about Sauvignon Blanc. That is just online. Add in the dozens of wineries who hosted local tweet-ups as a part of the event and the economic impact is staggering. A non-scientific guess puts Sauvignon Blanc consumption at over 3000 bottles in a two hour period.
Sauvignon Blanc Live Twitter Tasting Thursday March 4
March 3, 2010 tags: Rick Bakas, sauvignon blancby art predator Rick Bakas from St. Supery is at it again! A few weeks ago, he organized a live twitter tasting about California Cabernets. Tomorrow, March 4 from 5-7pm, he’s hosting a Sauvignon Blanc tasting. All you need to do to participate is taste and tweet about Sauvignon Blanc wine. If you use the hashtag, #sauvblanc, then other participants will be able to track what you’re saying along with everyone else using, for example, tweetdeck.

Return to top of page
WINE FAIRS

Wine for Asia 2008
Come October, Singapore toasts the sixth edition of Wine For Asia with an extravaganza of wine-focused business and social activities. An exciting exposition that help you expand your footprint into Asia’s burgeoning wine market, complete with a myriad of first-class business, educational and networking opportunities and lifestyle pursuits.

Return to wine site index page