Australia named country of honour for Vinexpo Hong Kong

Vinexpo will highlight the wines and winemakers of Australia at its next event in Hong Kong, with the trade fair naming it as the country of honour for 2018 – the show’s 20th edition in the city.

2018 will mark Vinexpo’s 20th Hong Kong edition

Working in collaboration with Wine Australia, Vinexpo has promised a packed programme of Australia focused events, with Australian winemakers set to be showcased through dedicated spaces, talks and exclusive tastings.

“This is a brilliant opportunity to shine the light on the diversity and premium quality of Australian wine,” said Andreas Clark, CEO of Wine Australia.

“Greater China is our number one and fastest growing export market, so Australia taking the title of Country of Honour will help strengthen our position in the market, and enable us to showcase the breadth of fine Australian wine to some of the most influential people in the region.”

Australia is currently the world’s fifth largest exporter of wine and the second largest exporter to China, with Vinexpo expecting 25% volume growth in this market by 2020. 

“Australia is one of the most exciting wine-producing countries in the global market today,” said Vinexpo in a release announcing Australia’s appointment as its country of honour.

“The diversity of its terroirs and its regulation-free appellation areas have enabled Australian winemakers to stay at the forefront of innovation in experimenting with new grape varieties, and to achieve a move upmarket that has been praised by critics, sommeliers and consumers alike.”

Guillaume Deglise, CEO of Vinexpo, added: “This decision reflects Asian consumers’ growing appetite for Australian wines, and Vinexpo aims to celebrate the buoyancy of the Australian winemaking industry.”

Vinexpo is held in Bordeaux in odd-numbered years. Since 1998, Vinexpo Hong Kong (formerly known as Vinexpo Asia-Pacific) has taken place in even-numbered years, and in 2014, Vinexpo expanded to the Japanese market with the debut of a third biannual fair Vinexpo Tokyo.

The two have become key exhibitions of the industry in Asia. In January 2017 Vinexpo launched a new concept, Vinexpo Explorer, two days of business meetings and discovering vineyards. Vinexpo New York, which takes place for the first time on 5 and 6 March 2018, will open doors to the US market for international exhibitors.

Vinexpo Hong Kong will take place from 29-31 May 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.