Inspired by love and passion for wine, premium wine producer Two Eights (Australia) puts the emphasis on quality. Balancing traditional winemaking methods with modern technology, it produces wine in small batches, each truly handcrafted from grape sorting at harvest to fermentation and bottling. Apart from growing its own grape varieties in the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and Geelong, Two Eights collaborates with other winemakers through its Handpicked Wines brand, which is known for premium signature regional wines. "Two Eights is in the business to provide high-quality products that our consumers can appreciate and love," says managing director William Dong. "We want to produce wines that are well-recognised by customers around the world - and it all comes down to quality." Headquartered in Australia, the company has offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Japan and on the mainland. Asia, particularly China, has driven Two Eights' business in the past seven years, and is expected to further fuel sales as Chinese consumers continue to demand for high quality. "Our position in Asia is very strong," Dong says. "We are growing the most desirable varieties in our own vineyards, buying premium grapes and working with the best winemakers to bring the finest wines to Asia and the rest of the world - all under one roof." Handpicked Wines ranks among the top five wine brands on the mainland and No 1 among imported wines in many provinces. It has earned numerous awards, including the Blue Gold Award at Sydney International Wine Competition 2010, Gold Award at Perth Royal Wine Show 2011 and Gold Awards at Boutique Wine Awards 2011. Internationally, Handpicked Wines also won Gold Awards at the Citadelles du Vin, Hong Kong International Wine Challenge and International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2011. It was voted Best Wine Brand in the Chinese Restaurant Industry and among Top 10 Meritorious Wine Brands of the 60th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China. With 15 wine varieties from Italy, Chile, New Zealand and Australia, Two Eights plans to add 25 more varieties to its portfolio in the next two years. It will also expand its selection from Australia and explore products from Argentina, France, Spain, the United States and other premium wine-growing regions. "We are pushing to have a portfolio that everybody can enjoy," Dong says. "We welcome partnerships worldwide but are willing to wait for the right opportunities to come - because as with our wines, quality comes first. We seek partners that understand the business, have the passion and possess the drive like we do."
