Aussie wine out in force in Hong Kong

By James Wells in Hong Kong

Over 50 Australian wineries have joined 1000 exhibitors from 38 countries at the 2014 Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair.

This year 20,000 trade buyers attended the event, including 180 trade buyers from Australia with a number of new countries exhibiting at the fair including Belarus, Colombia, and the Republic of Macedonia alongside new features such as a new whisky and spirits tasting zone.

According to Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) marketing manager, Toni Wade, the local contingent was the second largest in the show’s seven-year history, and as a nation Australia only ranked third behind France and Spain in terms of the total number of exhibitors. There were no New Zealand exhibitors present at the exhibition.

Watch the interview with Toni Wade on the video below.

The Wine Australia stand brought together a number of local wineries including Ferngrove, Bunnamagoo, Dandelion Vineyards, Gilbert Wines, Condo Wines, Farmer’s Leap, Aramis, Murray Street Vineyards, DB Wines, Credaro, Terra Felix, Littore Family Wines, Yarran, Hairy Arm Wine Co, Dal Zotto and Qualia.

Australian wineries were using the show to both attract new business and also support existing suppliers, customers and distributors.

Hear from Bunnamagoo's Chris O'Connor on the video below.

Grant Burge export sales manager – Asia, Fiona Darby, told TheShout she was attending the exhibition to support their Hong Kong distributor Enoteca and also “fly the Australian flag”.

During the show, the HKTDC organized a special night for high net-worth employees and clients from HSBC for any Australia exhibitor at the show with wines rated 90+ by James Halliday. There were 28 wines selected for the event, held for the second consecutive year.

Chinese-owned Australian winery dominates 

A giant exhibition booth purchased by Chinese-owned Australian winery Sunshine Creek, dominated the Australian contingent at the exhibition. Sunshine Creek's James Zhou subsidized the attendance of 16 Yarra Valley wineries to promote the district to an international audience, alongside his own winery and the companies he represents in Hong Kong and China. 

The Sunshine Creek stand featured: Bannockburn, Bird On A Wire, Craiglee, Del Rios, Dominique Portet, Goodman Wines, Grant Burge, Hoddles Creek, Jamshed, Joseph Perrier, Luke Lambert, K1, Mac Forbes, Maison Galhaud, Mount Mary, Philip Shaw, Punch, Roc De Boisseaux, S&N Wine, Sunshine Creek, Timo Mayer, Toolangi, Thousand Candles, Vinea Marson, Yarra Yarra, Yarra Yering, Yeringberg. 

The Sunshine Creek stand was the largest area booked by a single company within the show, but the stand is not expected to return next year, when the show runs from 5-7 November, 2015.

Watch the video below to hear from Parous Wines' Matt Head.