The SCMP today reports that the wine industry has exploded in a few short years to be worth HK$5.5 billion dollars (subscription required).

We’ve taken the liberty of showing you a few choice quotes:

The piece revolves around former HSBC banker turned wine merchant Gordon Yuen Tien-yau of Perfect Vintage, which deals in mostly fine and rare wines from France.

This quote will probably have him living in infamy in certain French circles:

“I never imagined I could drink a glass of Lafite at breakfast time.”

The rest of the article discusses some interesting data:

Government statistics show the wine business has ballooned since wine duties were scrapped in 2008 as part of efforts to turn Hong Kong into an Asian wine hub. It has proved to be the right move – revenue from the industry is up 30 per cent from 2007.

New wine shops or wine-related companies hired more than 5,000 full-time staff in that two-year period, bringing total employees in the industry to about 40,000 by the end of 2009, according to the latest statistics available from the government.

Government statistics show mainland purchases of wine in Hong Kong surged 80 per cent to HK$558 million in 2009, up from HK$308 million in 2007.

Some Hong Kong investors like to invest in wine, betting it will outperform the stock market. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 50 Index, a benchmark comprising high-end wines, rose by 57 per cent last year, outstripping gold which gained 29 per cent, and the Hang Seng Index with its meagre 5 per cent advance.

Our take is that this is merely the tip of the iceberg. The demand for good quality wine will grow as people become more educated and learn the differences between wines and their regions, and we think that it’s not just the wine bottle selling that is going to grow but ancillary services like education and storage that are also going to boom.

A great time to be a wine lover in Hong Kong…

The VinitiPortugal event at the Grand Hyatt earlier this week was a great event – 49 wine producers came to Hong Kong for a 3-city tour of Asia. Everyone was delighted and surprised at the quality of the wines available for tasting and we have to agree!

We sat down with Miguel Nora the area manager of ViniPortugal to get his take on what is being done to promote Portuguese wines in the highly competitive Hong Kong market.

Viniportugal is based in Portugal but travels the world to promote Portugal

Miguel has been to Hong Kong 4 times in 8 months. Every year they do a grand tasting like this, and this year its the biggest with 49 wine makers brought to Hong Kong – that represents a 30% increase from the last grand tasting.

The Viniportugal tour started here in Hong Kong with the next stop in Shanghai and then Moscow.

The people at each of the tables are either the export managers or the actual wine makers – with about 70% of the wines available already in the Hong Kong market and 30% are looking for distributors. Each of the Portuguese wine makers are in different stages with some coming to Hong Kong 5-6 times a year to investigate the market while others are just starting to get into the market.

There were 2 seminars to support: one on white wines and one on red wines. Both well attended.

Miguel cites cultural difference as a challenge, of course, and the distance – but hel tells us that Portugal only woke up 10-15 years to the export market with only 20-25% of Portuguese produced wines being exported outside of Portugal. Domestic consumption is going down and so they look to the export market as well as showing the world the beauty of Portuguese wine.

Another challenge: Education. A difficult barrier when compared to other European wines – in Europe Portuguese wine is in the Top 6 here it’s a challenge to get to Top 10. One of the reasons is the 300 different grape varieties – some specific to Portugal – that makes it a challenge to people who only know the main grape varieties.

Macau is a good starting place – the Portuguese food and wine influence is strong there and its something they are building on with the Mainland visibility base because of the influx of gamblers from China.

Viniportugal is focused on the media, trade buyers, sommeliers, F&B managers and even wine educators as we caught a few wine teachers in the crowd and even Master of Wine Debra Meiburg was at one of the seminars – and she was impressed by the quality of the wines on display at the tasting.

We were impressed with the showcase that Viniportugal put together at the Grand Hyatt ballroom and we encourage everyone to seek out some of the spectacular Portuguese white wines especially the next time you are out looking to try something new.

Some of the wine producers tables at the show mixed with export managers, local distributors and wine makers.

One of two seminars held giving an introductory overview to white and red wines, the regions and the varietals. Invaluable insight for those wanting to get to know Portuguese wines.

Here is a photo gallery of the Viniportugal event that we reported about here:

We turned our HOFEX 2011 booth into a Winebuzz TV studio and invited the movers and shakers in the Hong Kong wine scene to talk about how they see the current status of wine culture in Hong Kong and what the future looks like.

Christian Pillsbury is the Managing Director of Applied Wine – a very interesting company in Hong Kong, basically they help arm restaurants with the best wines from around the world – not just from France – like an outsourced sommelier. A great concept for the exploding wine scene with too much choice by restaurants and bars. Christian talks about how his company works and how he wants to expand Hong Kong wine lists past Bordeaux.

More video interviews from HOFEX 2011 here.

We turned our HOFEX 2011 booth into a Winebuzz TV studio and invited the movers and shakers in the Hong Kong wine scene to talk about how they see the current status of wine culture in Hong Kong and what the future looks like.

Joey Luo the Area Manager for Bacchus Fine Wines came by the Winebuzz.hk booth to give us some insight into the China market, how the Hong Kong market exploded after the tax abolishment and how Burgundy wine is always popular in Hong Kong.

More video interviews from HOFEX 2011 here.

After a thunderous rain burst this morning, now turning back to sunshine, we’re now starting our third day at HOFEX 2011 here in Hong Kong and it continues to be a strong event for the wine and food industries.

While we’re covering mostly the food and spirits portions of the show, the food booths from around the world are amazing.

Here is a photo gallery of some of the sights at Day 2 of HOFEX 2011:

Well, its that time of year where we lock up the cellar, bring up a few bottles to enjoy with friends and family and let ourselves decant for the next few days. We’ll be back in January with all new stories and features for the wine-loving community of Hong Kong.

And of course drink responsibly, there’s no reason not to in Hong Kong with the number of great transportation options.

See you in 2011 – it’s promised to be the best wine year yet!

While most table decanters can be very sophisticated, they do take some time to let a wine breathe and sometimes you just don’t have time to wait! Well now there’s a new gadget that helps you get to wine tasting faster…

The Spreathe is an in-bottle aerator that you stick in your freshly opened bottle of wine and, within a few minutes, it decants the wine for you there and then! The way it works is that it gently moves wine through air by multiplying the wine/air surface contact; allowing wine to breathe 10 times faster than regular decanting.

You can get one free (regular price is HK$230) at AtStyle Wine right now when you buy a case of mix New Zealand wines from now till January 4, 2011.

Here are a few questions and answers about the Spreathe that you may have:

We make perfect wines, how could Spreathing improve my perfection?

Spreathing does not, and cannot, improve a wine, it only improves the enjoyment of wine. Use music as an example: it’s the same pianist, the same violinist, the same musicians, yet Spreathe simply synchronizing their music to come together as a symphony.

Every so often when I bring home a wine after a taste session, it just doesn’t taste the same, why is that?

When you go for a wine tasting, the wine has been breathing for a while and therefore tastes great. When you bring it home, chances are that it has not been breathing for long enough.

Are there guidelines as to how wines should be Spreathed?

There is nothing more honest than blind tasting..
Pour 2 ounces of wine into a “reference” glass” and, as you Spreathe your wine, blind taste it every 3 minutes until you find it “opened”. Go back to your reference glass every now and then to compare the difference. You will be surprised that you have been drinking wines not in the “golden moment” in the past.

What kind of wines should be Spreathed, and what kind should not?

This is a difficult question to answer mainly because nowadays most wines are mixed varietals, made with several grapes. However, generally New World wines need less breathing than Old World wines.

Young wines need less breathing than old wines.

Wines with pronounced bouquets like some Pinot Noir should not be Spreathing too long, probably no more than 10 minutes.

Wines with high alcohol content, e.g. beyond 15%, will need less breathing or no breathing at all.

Few people decant white wines but we found short spreathing (circa 3 minutes) actually improves some whites.

We are a wine producer, what kind of service can we expect from Spreathe Ltd. for suggested guidelines for our wines?

The best way is to get your own Spreather, and taste your wine until you find the golden moment, then add the “Spreathing suggestion” label onto the bottle.

You may also send in your bottles to us and our panel will taste it for you and give you suggestions. There is no fee charged at the moment.

Get your FREE Spreathe now and start opening up those bottles of wine faster!

Following up on our first day coverage, this year’s Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair 2010 has come to a close and, compared to last year, you can easily see that it’s grown by at least 50%.

Australia was the partner country this year with a vast pavilion dead center of the main hall, flanked by Spain and all the Hong Kong distributors. France, South Africa and Argentina poured out into a second hall to accomodate the record number of exhibitors this year.

Again we give kudos to the HKTDC for putting together such a huge show with not only over 700 booths serving wines from 29 countries, but numerous seminars all day long and the huge Cathay Pacific awards dinner on the first evening.

Even in three days there was no way you could see and taste everything, but that didn’t stop a lot of people from trying! While the trade days were brimming with international buyers and sellers running all over the halls, the majority of traffic was pushed into the Hong Kong aisles on the Open House day on Saturday, where booth attendants could get information on wines in Cantonese, but may have missed a chance to taste wines not yet available in Hong Kong.

We’re hoping to be able to bring you even more coverage next year when Italy is the partner country and will have an even bigger presence than they did this year.

Vist the HKTDC page for more photos of the Wine and Spirits Fair and a rundown of what happened at each of the booths. Enjoy, we know we did!

Hong Kong has its very own winery, so why not its very own wine laboratory?! Must Custom Winery is a new shop that has opened in Central that allows you to mix your perfect wine on the premises and enjoy it anywhere.

We recently sat down with owner Canadian Ed Stengel to talk about his new shop on Queen’s Road Central about why making your own personal label wine is the realization of the perfect wine dream.

Winebuzz.hk: Thanks for talking with us today – the first question is why should I make my own wine?

Because it’s fun! It is a great leisure for wine lovers, and you cannot find a place like us anywhere else in Hong Kong.We will guide you through the whole process in winemaking. Making your own wine is like a DIY wine, showing your sincerity in a gift when you want to deliver a message with surprise. After the initial making process, you will have to come back and bottle your wine a few weeks later. Therefore a winemaking-dating makes it a promised dating for the second time. A bottle of wine with the names of wedding couples written on it is also an ideal wedding gift for guests. You can even make the wine for your own wedding banquet dinner.

Having your own brand of wine is no longer a dream - First time ever, imagine that for only a few thousand dollars, now you can have your own custom wine blend made here, with a unique label that has your company or your name on it, for gifts to give to clients during traditional festivals. A restaurant or bar which offers a house blend of wine to pair with signature dish. With its own label also delivers a unique image to the customers. Name a special blend of wine exclusively under your own blend, or even with your own name or the one you love.

With the numerous wine shops in Hong Kong it seems I have many pre-bottled choices to choose from?

No doubt buying off the shelf is an option if you want to drink right away. However, commerical wine contains 3 times the sulphite and preservatives than ours. Continuous intake of sulphite can cause severe damage to our body such as cancer. Presrvatives are deadly for our kidneys as well. Also, custom winemaking offers a lot more options for your wine such as controlling the sweetness, oak intensity, adding fruit flavours, pepper flavours, or flower flavour – anything you can imagine. You can design your unique labels, pick the shrink tops you like, and have fun bottling your own wine.

Why do I need to do a custom blend?

A custom blend is a blend of wine mentioned as above, is a custom-made wine only for you. Your taste satisfaction is guaranteed. Many people may have experienced a situation – buying a bottle of wine off the shelf somewhere and try to drink it, but it can taste awful because of many possible reasons. A wrong wine goes with the wrong food, or a wine that is not of your own taste. Here you always taste the wine before you buy. We offer free food pairing advice, and we make sure your serving temperature is correct so you enjoy your wine always at a 100% satisfaction.

What types of grapes do you have for the custom bottling?

We carry a great variety of different grapes – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Pinotage… even some rare types of wine – Barolo, Rioja, Amarone, Brunnello, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, Zinfandel, and a lot more. For white wine we have – Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Viognier, Liebraumilch, Piesporter, etc. We also have special/fortifiedwine such as icewine, port, sherry. Everything can be custom made and our customer can join the process of winemaking.

How much does it cost?

For only a few thousand Hong Kong dollars you get 28 bottles of wine tailor-made for you.

Where does the wine come from or how does the bottling work?

Our must (grape juice and grape skin) comes directly from the best vineyard all around the world. We offer our unique bottling facilities for customers to bottle their own wine.

What is your address and store hours?

We open Mon to Sat 10am-7pm at 603, Peter Building, 58-60 Queens Road Central. Our website is still under construction but we have a group on Facebook. Or you can call us on (852) 2333-WINE(9463).

The 3-day Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2010 trade show happening in Hong Kong right now (last day is today) is an amazing juggernaut of a wine fair.

With over 700 exhibitors representing 32 countries from France to Argentina to Germany to Korea and beyond, this fair is cementing Hong Kong as a major wine hub especially for Asia. If you’re a wine lover, you need to be at this show.

Here is part 1 of Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2010 in photos:

More photos tomorrow.