Oregon Pinot ‘has a lot to offer’ in Asia

One of Oregon’s oldest wine producers, Adelsheim, is making its mark on Asia as it seeks new distribution channels.

Catherine Douglas of Adelsheim Wines in Newburg, Oregon

Speaking to the drinks business HK at Kerry Wines’ annual tasting, Catherine Douglas, manager of export sales for Adelsheim said she believed that although Adelsheim is still relatively unknown in the region aside from China and Hong Kong there is the potential for steady growth.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for us out here. We are still new to the market and to be honest, we’re considering all of them at this point. We hosted a focused tasting in Shenzhen recently which was very well received, and from there we’ll look at other regions around China that we haven’t had a presence yet to see how we should market ourselves and educate consumers more about our wines.”

Douglas pointed out that Oregon Pinot Noir is different in structure and style from other Pinot Noir from around the world and that this could fit in with consumers’ tastes in Asia which prefer the “lighter styles.”

“Our Pinot has bright acidity and tannins and is very approachable when young – unlike other Old World Pinot Noir which takes longer to evolve. There is vibrant fresh fruit and people have commented on how drinkable it is either on its own or with food.”

Adelsheim’s top export markets by volume include Canada and China, but Adelsheim has a big presence in Hong Kong and has recently expanded its reach in Asia by signing on with a new distributor in Singapore which is due to be formalized in January.

“We’re affordable and very accessible and I think for us, Hong Kong is the most mature market in Asia. But with the reception we’ve received so far, I think we can gain a strong foothold here.”