Taste of Success
THIS YEAR’S HKTDC HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRITS FAIR OFFERS NEW PAVILLIONS AS WELL AS A DEDICATED ZONE AND TASTING BAR FOR WHISKY AND BRANDY
The Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair is a premier event that provides an unrivalled opportunity to source products and keep up to date with the latest market developments. Exhibitor and visitor numbers have soared over recent years, as the fair has leveraged on Hong Kong’s rapid growth as a wine hub following the removal of wine duties in 2008.
The 7th annual fair, held throughout November 6-8 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, is set to raise the international profile of the event further. More than 1,000 international exhibitors will participate at the fair.
Alongside trade organisations from leading wine exporting or importing countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, South Africa, the United States and Japan, this year’s fair will feature three new pavilions. These include the Australia in Vines Association from the Yarra Valley winegrowing region, the mainland China’s Sichuan Provincial Economic and Information Commission, and the Republic of Macedonia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy.
Also new this year is a dedicated exhibition zone for whisky and spirits, featuring a whisky and brandy bar that will provide tastings and education sessions for visitors in a sophisticated setting. Whisky and spirits producers will be on hand to introduce their products and provide advice on appreciation.
There are over 70 wine events and activities throughout the three-day event. A forum on how to develop young sommeliers for the Asian market led by Nelson Chow, president of the Hong Kong Sommeliers Association, is among novel offerings in the events programme this year.
And globally renowned wine master Debra Meiburg MW will moderate the Wine Industry Conference, which is an annual highlight of the fair and features the topic of “Carpe Vinum - Seize the Wine.”
The popular Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition, which aims to identify the wines that are best suited to the Asian palate, also returns to the fair this year.
The fair features a whole array of wine and spirits, as well as wine-related services such as bottling, packaging and labelling, wine accessories, investment advice, and education and complementary food products.