The week in pictures: Hong Kong

WSET’s CEO Ian Harris was in Hong Kong last week for the official celebration of the WSET Hong Kong office opening. Earlier this year, Harris was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to the wine and spirit industry over the last 40 years.

At the cocktail reception, Ian Harris was presented with a daunting task of cutting a rather large roast pig. He said when he was in Hong Kong last time to celebrate the first office, he cut a smaller pig. Now almost a year later, the pig is much bigger, reflecting the growth of the Asian market!

Ali Campbell and Astro, original members of the British reggae band UB40, introduced the latest 2015 vintage of their ‘Red Red Wine’, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in early April while in town to kick off this year’s Rugby Sevens.

Named after their chart-topping hit song Red Red Wine, the band referred to the wine as a palatable, easy drinking and quaff-able. Giving advice on how to serve the wine, the band’s lead singer Ali Campbell joked that one can put a glass on top of a large speaker, and the bass will aerate the wine itself.

Patrick Sabaté, owner and founder of Champagne Boërl & Kroff, holds a magnum of his Champagne at a dinner hosted by its importer One Red Dot recently in Hong Kong. The wines that make up the Boërl & Kroff vintages come from three plots of approximately one hectare each, composed of old vines in the village of Urville. Pinot Noir is the dominant grape variety in the blend, followed by Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

The Champagne house makes a vintage Champagne, all in large formats in exceptional vintages, but since 1997, the wines that do not fit the criteria or standards to produce a ‘grand vin’ Champagne are turned into a wine called ‘B de Boërl & Kroff’ as shown above.

Napa’s Bond Estates presented five of its single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons at a media luncheon hosted by its importer Altaya Wines. From left to right are ‘Melbury’,  ‘Quella’, ‘St. Eden’, ‘Vecina’ and ‘Pluribus’. 

Scott Gould, director of Napa’s cult winery Bond Estates, was in Hong Kong to present five of its single-vineyard Cabernets. Speaking to wine journalists in Hong Kong, Gould expressed his concerns regarding China’s retaliation to increase American wine tariff as a part of retaliations to Trump administration’s decision to hike up aluminium and steel prices.

Guillaume Deglise, CEO of Vinexpo, gave a presentation on what to expect at the upcoming Vinexpo Hong Kong in May. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Vinexpo in Hong Kong. It’s estimated that more than 1,300 exhibitors from 30 countries will participate in the upcoming Vinexpo Hong Kong from 29 to 31 May at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Wine Australia’s regional general manager for Greater China, David Lucas (right), highlighted issues such as intellectual property rights, Chinese social media management, and a nascent e-commerce model for wine sales in mainland China at a panel discussion moderated by Vinexpo with Guillaume Deglise; and attended by Wendy Chan, general manager of Telford International’s wine and spirits division; and Lu Yang MS, corporate wine director of Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts. 

Reflecting on how the wine tariff removal in Hong Kong in 2008 has changed the city’s wine industry, Lu Yang MS, corporate wine director of Shangri-la Hotels and Resorts, underlined that despite the cut, consumers are yet to reap benefits from the policy, especially when ordering wines at restaurants where the mark-up of wine prices is described by Lu as “criminal”.