HK’s Wine and Spirits Fair in pictures

The Wine and Spirits Fair officially opened on 10 November and was officiated by Gregory So, secretary for commerce and economic development and Philip Yung, permanent  secretary for commerce and economic development of the HKSAR government. Benjamin Chau, acting executive director of the HKTDC highlighted Hong Kong’s key position at a tax-free haven for wine imports as well as its role as a major cosmopolitan Asian city.

“The success of the fair is due to a variety of factors: zero duties on Hong Kong wine imports since 2008, a large international exhibitor presence, high value-added business opportunities and networking activities, master classes, wine tastings and cocktail demonstrations,” he said.

dbHK’s managing editor, Rupert Millar and news editor, Lucy Jenkins share a joke at the The Drinks Business stand which was helpfully positioned next to the cafeteria area.

The stand was also festooned with previous covers of dbHK with the Drops of God picture attracting a lot of attention from fans of the Manga cartoons. 

WSET held a celebratory bash in honour of opening its first Hong Kong office and marked the occasion with a traditional Cantonese whole suckling pig. Lashings of Laurent-Perrier were also on offer which started the first day of the fair off on the right note.

The Japanese Kyushu Shochu stand had a major draw for visitors in the form of Take Kumamon – the official bear mascot of Kumamoto prefecture.

dbHK met with the dapper proprietor John Geber of Chateau Tanunda (from Down Under) which prizes its beloved old vines in the heart of the Barossa Valley. Highlights included the ‘grand dame’ 150 year old vine Semillon and the ‘old gentleman’ 50 year old vine Cabernet Sauvignon.

A slap up dinner of lobster with the new release of Cristal 2009, held at Zuma and hosted by the ever-exuberant Michel Janneau. Also on offer was the the artsy zero-dosage Louis Roederer brut nature by Philippe Starck 2006 and Louis Roederer blanc de blancs 2008.   

The Argentina Pavillon drew in a lot of visitors with Clos de Chacras in Luján de Cuyo pouring out hearty measures of its Bordeaux-style wines.

Wines of Spain in conjunction with Hong Kong wine educators, AWSEC, held a comparative tasting of some of its most championed varietals led by winemaker, Maria Antonia Fernandez-Daza and Corinne Mui of AWSEC.

Wines of Germany had a colourful stand which drew a lot of visitors to the sparkling wine masterclasses hosted by Romana Echensperger MW.

Santa Rita’s Carmen gran reserva Carmenere was a pretty addition to the HKQAA’s (Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency) cocktail reception where it was the official wine proudly displaying the official HKQAA wine registration label which proves its provenance.

A lovely line up of Cecchi wines in the Italy Pavilion, including its Maremma La Mora Toscana which is proving extremely popular in Hong Kong and across Asia.

JIA Group’s bartender, Ryan Nightingale in a Japanese Shochu cocktail demonstration. Japanese cocktails are becoming increasingly sought-after in Hong Kong following an influx of Japanese whisky bars popping up over the city.

Another wonderful Champagne moment: the launch of Clos Lanson 2006 to Hong Kong over lunch hosted in the Lanson Room of the Langham Hotel and led by Herve Danton, Lanson’s cellar master. 

Eventually dbHk beat a path to the Hendrick’s gin stand which provided a welcome relief from all the wine tasting. It seemed everyone else had the same idea as the queues to get a mere G&T were enormous. It was all worth it in the end as dbHK had a mini (and somewhat emotional) reunion at the stand, G&Ts in hand.