Exploring Asia In a New Light, With a New Vibration
Courtesy of Unsplash | Photo by Simon Zhu
This week Matthew and I turn East, with him much more deeply entrenched as he reports from Hong Kong on events and developments there.
Our attention to the region is a little like moths to a flame. That’s because Asia Pacific is the home, indisputably, of future growth in the drinks industry.
You may have seen recent headlines and noteworthy announcements about the energetic, compelling wine scene from geographically diverse locations such as Mumbai (headquarters of Sonal Holland, India’s first Master of Wine, and her dynamic Wine Academy), Singapore (site of Asia’s first opening of the UK-based private wine club, 67 Pall Mall, in February 2022), and Beijing (center of ongoing, problematic negotiations over the large-scale wine trade with Australia, whose tariffs are finally expected to be lifted by the end of the month).
News like this, and much more, have registered for me as an interested observer of the wine industry’s continued love affair with Asia, both as a promising base for new, enthusiastic consumers and as a vast commercial opportunity whose potential has barely started to be understood and tapped by traditional producers and exporters of wine.
In Germany a few weeks ago, as part of the globally-oriented ProWein trade fair, I benefited from time spent with a number of wine media colleagues from the Asia Pacific region. Three in particular whose work caught my eye are representative of the current dynamic and forward-thinking approaches to wine and its context.
In Korea, YouTuber Jae Young Lee (whose wineking channel boasts nearly 600,000 followers) strikes a highly personable and very authentic chord, on topics ranging from wine and food to travel and language. He’s currently planning a wine retail pop-up that will, undoubtedly, be a hot ticket.
In Singapore, Daniel Toh Hooi Goh runs Spirited Singapore (among other platforms) and, though he’s clearly well-versed in the appreciation of wine, is also keenly attuned to beverages of all sorts that “fit” best into Singaporean cuisine and culture. Spoiler alert: they are not at all what you think.
From her base in Hong Kong, Natalie Wang runs Vino Joy News, the authoritative and trusted platform for news, data and analysis of the Chinese wine industry. That is no small feat. Wang’s robust website content is published in English, and she is a go-to resource for commentary and advice on empowering local teams to grow their brand in the Asia Pacific region.
Which brings us to Matthew, and what he’s seeing this week in Hong Kong.
Courtesy of The Peninsula Hong Kong
I'd dreamed of getting to Asia. The food. The architecture. The speed. The innovation. All calling to me for years. I never thought my day would come...until it did.
Boarding the Cathay Pacific plane from Los Angeles International en route to Hong Kong International Airport quickly excited me, as I had options to taste new Chinese wine. Wines I had heard about through the grapevine, but had limited access to. On the 14.5 hour flight across the Pacific I was able to taste a Marselan by Silver Heights Vineyard and a Cabernet Franc by Grace Vineyard. Those two wines alone represented a 50% increase in the amount of Chinese wines I'd tasted in my life.
Arriving at the airport, my hosts for the week were The Peninsula Hong Kong, an absolute institution in HKG and around the world. Quickly I was shown why they are so revered the world over.
Pick-up was done in a Peninsula Green Rolls Royce from their fleet of 14. Talk about an impressive way to step onto Hong Kong soil. The thirty minute journey to the hotel became an exciting adventure.
Once we arrived at the hotel, a welcoming crew of 7 hotel employees were there to greet me, including the Hotel Manager, Patric Hadorn. This was the level of excellence to be expected during the entirety of my stay at The Peninsula.
The next day I sat down to lunch in The Verandah Restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, joined by Assistant Chef Sommelier, Wintage Ng. We spoke about the hotel's wine program, how they stay up to date with international desires from a hip clientele, excitedly we focused on their private label collection, and I even got to try another new Chinese wine. This time, a Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Legacy Peak in the Ningxia Helan Mountain region. The delicacy of oak used, the kiss of tobacco with cassis and blackberry, and length on the finish made me very hopeful for the future of wine produced in China. I am now beginning to see the light.
This experience goes to show you, a place you long to visit and a topic you're underexposed to can in the blink of an eye become a new destination to explore and a topic of curiosity worth investigating more. Life is special like that. Stay hungry, stay thirsty, stay curious.
