Hong Kong’s wine market ‘no longer about Bordeaux’

Linden Wilkie from the Fine Wine Experience in Hong Kong speaks to db about the changing patterns in the city’s wine consumption, noting a shift away from Bordeaux.

Speaking just after the opening of Fine Wine Experience’s new retail outlet in Sheung Wan, the company owner, Linden Wilkie said how Bordeaux has dropped in favour to Burgundy in the Hong Kong market recently.

“This has only happened in the last couple of years though. In 2011, I brought a 1959 Grands Échezeaux to a client dinner and the guests didn’t bat an eyelid. It was competing with the likes of Petrus and Lafite and unfortunately, people just weren’t interested.”

However, perhaps disappointed with the last few en primeur campaigns, consumers are looking for alternatives to Bordeaux as evidenced by recent Burgundy-dominated auctions and Fine Wine Experience was quick to be at the forefront.

“Our Burgundy tasting with Allen Meadows was hugely popular and again, not just with serious collectors. Previously Burgundy was just for the very elite, but now more casual enthusiasts are interested which reflects a huge change in the market.”

The rise in interest for premier cru and village wines and that buyers are looking for more “everyday wines” to have with dinner as opposed to an impressive entertainment evening with colleagues, is a trend which Wilkie has also noticed over the last three to four years.

“Wine is becoming less of a social currency and we have a lot of new customers interested in new winemakers such as Olivier Bernstein, for example.

“The era of ‘guanxi’ (the traditional Chinese system of networking) is not so important any more. We’re definitely looking at a younger and broadening market. People just want to enjoy a glass after work without a formal sit down dinner organised by wine merchants.”