Sat 10 Sep 2016
Asia's Growing Wine Market
In Asia, wine isn’t the long-standing historical and cultural icon it is in Europe. There’s no postcards of rolling Tuscany vineyards or candle-stuffed bottles on the porches of fashionable Parisian cafes. It’s likely that this is both due to the prevalence of alternative cultural drinks such as Sake and Umeshu in Japan, and the fact that growing for specific, quality wines is difficult outside of certain areas and climates.
For example, the wine regions of Yamanashi and Katsunama in Japan have to be constantly on the lookout for fungus killing their plants due to high humidity and annual monsoons, while India’s extraordinary variety of extreme climactic regions – ranging from tropical in the south, to temperate and alpine in the Himalayan north – mean growing wine-suitable grapes is difficult.
Despite these hurdles, Asian domestic wine growth is growing. Until recently, accessing international wines could be difficult for the Asian connoisseur, but this is no longer strictly the case. Using resources such as Hong Kong’s duty free imports, millennial Asian consumers are gaining rapid interest in foreign vintages. In Wine Intelligence’s “China Landscapes 2016” report, it was noted that nearly half of those Chinese residents importing wines into the country were under 30 years old. It’s no wonder that local wineries are stepping up to the plate and providing intense competition.
With consumption on the rise and lively competition from both local and international wineries, the Asian wine market is experiencing an explosive growth in interest. now is the time to step up to the Asian market. Competitions and events such as the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits competition are a lucrative gateway for those wineries that walk away with coveted medals.
