Grape & Grain | How Asia's wine culture is thriving in different ways
Hong Kong may share a lot in common with Singapore, India and Malaysia, but the market here is more mature
Asian wine markets share many similarities, but are we all alike? To find out, I took advantage of the Asian talent that was in Hong Kong recently to judge the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition. I asked them about the trends, limitations and opportunities in their markets.
Our discussions revealed much common ground. Almost all Asian countries developed first with red wine, largely from France - no surprises there. And while Hong Kong shares a common history with erstwhile British colonies Singapore, India and Malaysia, Hong Kong's wine market is more mature than its counterparts - the city holds clout over its siblings in both vintage and stature.
Unlike Hong Kong and Taiwan, most Asian countries endure high wine import costs that drive up the cost. Levies - some as high as 400 per cent - hang in the air like Southeast Asia's annual autumnal haze.
But the differences are worth celebrating. Each Asian country has its own distinctive wine culture. India battles punitive taxation and burdensome bureaucracy. Despite this, Subhash Arora, wine guru and editor of delWine - India's first wine newsletter - estimates more than one million Indians drink wine, and the number is growing. Arora says the perfect storm of high tax and growing consumption means investment is being poured into local wine production and the benefits are beginning to filter down into better, export-quality wine.
Malaysia does not produce wine for export, but it does send sommeliers all over the world. Thomas Ling, the country's first certified sommelier, says wine and spirits education is expanding to feed the service industry's appetite for skilled Malaysian sommeliers. Local job opportunities exist, but they are concentrated in Malaysia's duty-free tourist zones. To stretch your ringgit further, set your compass to Langkawi, Tioman Island, Labuan or Lake Kenyir.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, appreciation of fine wine has peaked, according to Timothy Goh, director of wines at Les Amis Group Singapore and Jakarta. Instead, distributors have switched their attention to bright young things. The city's young finance executives are flocking to wine bars to expand their knowledge.