If there’s a place where wine lovers Asia should be this weekend, it was in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival. ICC and CIVB (Interprofessional Council of Bordeaux wines), co-organizers of the event, can be proud of the success of this event, which goes beyond their expectations.
Indeed, while the previous edition already showed 170,000 visitors, it should display this year more than 200 000 visitors on only 4 days. This craze has even surprised many winemakers from Bordeaux, who quickly found themselves in almost out of stock. Indeed, in the beautiful village of Bordeaux crafted for the occasion, nearly 150,000 tastings were offered, a number that could reach almost 250,000, considering that from the Saturday, some labels were no longer available.
Among the reports I have collected many were keen to emphasize the great atmosphere that reigned over the area with the presence of a young audience (30-35 years), with a warned and feminine presence higher than the one encountered on the French trade shows … I must say that they are the first to enjoy white wines, including sweet that go very well with Chinese cuisine.
For those who are not yet convinced of the potential of the Chinese market, it should be noted that it has been sold last year in China, more than 80 million bottles, making it the first place of Bordeaux wine in the world. That is why, given the popularity of this event, many questioned the fact of the duplicate in other Asian city.
As for the indirect effects of this event, we can expect a resurgence of Chinese visitors in the properties, and dice this winter. In fact, France is already a popular destination for Asians, many agencies referrals visitors to vineyards. In addition to sales of Bordeaux wines, this is a region that is highlighted during this type of event.
Remains to welcome these future visitors and for that, much progress has to be done in terms of wine tourism, especially in châteaux. Nevertheless, the world is changing and private initiatives are welcomed as the site Wine Tour Booking, awarded recently by the price of Oenovation.
China is well and truly awake and we can only be happy that it starts to prefer the Bordeaux wine to sake.
