Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair Now Asia's Largest

Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair Now Asia's Largest

Partner Country Italy to Feature More than 200 Exhibitors

24 October 2011 -The HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, now the largest wine fair in Asia, opens next week. The fair's fourth edition, 3-5 November, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, has attracted some 930 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions. Georgia, Israel, Latvia, Malta, the Slovak Republic and Sweden are participating for the first time, helping boost exhibitor numbers by 37 per cent over last year's event.

Italy, this year's wine fair Partner Country, features the largest group pavilion, with more than 200 exhibitors, up 80 per cent over last year, according to HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau, who spoke at today's wine fair press conference. "The Vino Sangiovese Forum is one of many activities that will focus on the Partner Country. There will be a special tasting area at the Vinitaly Pavilion dedicated to Italian wine education. The organiser, Veronafiere, is also offering a forum on Italian wine, seminars, sommelier-led tastings and wine-pairing cooking demonstrations," Mr Chau said. "And the Gala Wine Dinner, the fair's signature event, will feature an Italian theme."

Bottle Stars

Today's press conference included a wine and spirit tasting provided by 50 of the fair's exhibitors. Highlights included a traditional Georgian wine made in ceramic jars buried underground for fermentation and the Italian wine produced to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Unity of Italy.

Quails' Gate Winery will also take part in the fair. A selection of the Canadian company's wine was poured at a dinner attended by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, when the royal couple visited Canada earlier this year. Featured spirits will include a bottle of Dupuy 1940 Cognac. The bottle, priced at HK$111,000, is one of only two in the world, and can be purchased at the fair.



Wine Investment

Major exhibit categories this year include: Liquor & Beverage Products; Wine Services (storage, education and packaging); Wine Accessories & Equipment; and Friends of Wine (bakery products, confectionery, seafood, pasta, etc). In addition, a Wine Investment Zone will debut at the fair. The zone has attracted such industry leaders as America's biggest auction house Acker Merrall & Condit; wine agent Berry Bros and Rudd, a royal wine supplier since 1903; Liv-Ex, the world's only online wine-trading business; Octavian, the world's largest wine cellar; and Wing Lung Bank, the first Hong Kong bank to provide wine loans.

Special Events

The fair presents some 50 special events, including the Wine Industry Conference (3 November), the Asia Top Sommelier Summit (4 November), featuring sommeliers from some 10 countries and regions, and the third Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition. Open to spirit categories for the first time, it has received over 1,700 applications, up 32 per cent over last year. The competition's guest judge, Alberto Antonini, is an Italian oenologist and wine consultant.

Fine-Wine Tasting

The last day, 5 November, will be open to the public. It will include a Wine Auction and Investment Forum, along with a variety of seminars, a "World of Spirits" Master Class, and two "Grand Tasting of Finest Wine" sessions, one spotlighting Spain, the other Italy. "The Most Beloved Wine" voting game award presentation will also take place. "Public visitors may receive a free Lucaris crystal wine glass on a first-come, first-served basis," Mr Chau said.

Corkage-free day will take place this year again. Fairgoers need only present a business card a