2nd Annual Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Fair a Big Success

"2nd Annual Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Fair a Big Success | AboutHK.Com - More Information About HK"

November 6, 2009: More than 520 exhibitors from 34 countries and regions took part in the HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, which opened Wednesday and ends today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibitor total more than doubled that of last year’s inaugural wine fair. Exhibitors hail from six continents and include France, the fair’s Partner Country this year. In keeping with France’s role, a “French Night” reception will take place tomorrow evening, and a seminar on the “ABC Guide to Bordeaux Wine” will be held 6 November. Wines from Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Lyon and St Emilion will be featured at the fair, and French wine accessories will be on display at the fair’s Wine Gallery. Thirteen new countries will participate in this year’s fair: Belgium, Greece, Lebanon, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. Exhibitors will showcase a wide range of wine, spirits, beer and other beverages, along with products and services related to production and logistics, accessories and equipment. Wine education, tourism and investment exhibitors are also represented, and buyers will be offered free corkage at about 100 downtown hotels and restaurants. Wine and Spirit Competition Fair highlights include the inaugural Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition, run in partnership with the prestigious London-based International Wine & Spirit Competition. Attracting some 1,300 entries, it has emerged as the largest wine competition in Asia. A voting game will allow visitors to help select “The Most Beloved Wine & Spirits,” while a separate competition will determine “The Most Appealing Wine Label for the Mainland Market.” There have been more than 50 special activities, including wine-tasting sessions, master classes and seminars. The Asia Top Sommelier Summit featured Andreas Larsson, Best Sommelier of the World, and Élyse Lambert, Best Sommelier of the Americas, together with other sommeliers and a variety of industry leaders. Wine Conference A wine-industry conference, “Hong Kong – Asian Wine Hub,” featured speakers from around the world, including Michel Bettane, CEO of Bettane & Desseauve and a noted wine critic, James Miles, Director of London’s Liv-ex Ltd, and David Wrigley, the International Development Director of the United Kingdom’s Wine & Spirit Education Trust. The Conference keynote address will be given by Yvonne Choi, Permanent Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development (Commerce, Industry & Tourism). Hong Kong is steadily emerging as a wine-trading hub for Asia, where consumption of the beverage is expected to grow by 10 per cent to 20 per cent a year for the foreseeable future. Hong Kong alone saw wine imports soar by 40 percent in the first nine months of 2009, due largely to the scrapping of wine duties. Results from wine auctions held in Hong Kong this year are also encouraging. Industry players are predicting that Hong Kong may well become the world’s second-largest wine auction centre, surpassing London and trailing only New York. Public Opening The fair is opened to the public on its final day, giving consumers a chance to sample wine, interact with winemakers and browse the Wine Gallery, which will showcase a wide variety of merchandise, including wine glasses, corkscrews, oak barrels and books on wine. In addition, the winning products of the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition, along with the winning entries in The Most Appealing Wine Label for the Mainland Market competition and all entries in The Most Beloved Wine and Spirits voting game will be on display at the Wine Gallery.