The latest country to start exporting wine to Hong Kong is Japan.
Sceptics may raise their eyebrows, but Japan has in fact been producing wine since 1875. It has its own indigenous white grape variety called koshu, believed to have come to the country from Central Asia via the Silk Road.
To appreciate koshu, wine tasters need to recalibrate their palate. Do not expect the upfront aromatics often found in some New World wine styles. It has been described as having aromatics of yuzu (a Japanese citrus), mikan (mandarin), peach and white pepper. Koshu is a discreet, understated and almost ethereal wine - resembling lighter styles such as pinot grigio and muscadet. Wine critic Jancis Robinson describes it as "Zen-like".
The wines can be found in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Singapore and now Hong Kong.
Ayana Misawa, a vintner from Grace Winery, a leading koshu exporter, believes the wines have evolved from being sweet and often oxidised, to a drier style to appeal to the international palate.
Yamanashi prefecture, about 100 kilometres west of Tokyo, is the home of koshu and is said to be the ideal site for the grape as sunshine allows the fruit to reach optimum ripeness.
Viticulture is labour-intensive due to the high humidity, which causes vine diseases, and heavy rain, which require the bunches to be wrapped individually in plastic. It is definitely a labour of love.