This year’s Wine & Spirits Fair will feature 27 group pavilions from wine-producing regions, trade organisations and governmental organisations around the world. There will be new pavilions from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Sichuan Council, the mainland’s Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, the Czech Grape and Wine Producer Association, Gifu Prefecture and the Niigata Sake Brewers’ Association from Japan, and the Trade Commission of Peru in Hong Kong. The fair will also launch the World of Olive Oil at the Vinitaly pavilion to promote various kinds of premium olive oils, with visitors able to enrich their knowledge and sample a selection of olive oils. Also new is the Organic Wine and Spirits Corner that will feature a range of organically produced beverages for visitors to try.

Other exhibits on display at this year’s fair will include:

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley from the famous United States winery Castello di Amorosa, which resembles a medieval castle, will be featured. The wine was awarded 93 points by renowned wine critic James Suckling;

Barahonda Organic Barrica 2015 is an organic product from the Barahonda winery in Yelca, Spain, which won praise from wine critic Robert Parker for being good value for money. The 2015 vintage is produced from a blend of Monastrell and Syrah grapes;

MasahiroOkinawa Craft Gin (Recipe 1) is the first handcrafted gin produced by a distillery in Okinawa, Japan. The distillery has been producing awamori, an indigenous distilled spirit, for more than 130 years. The gin is a concoction of Okinawan local produce such as bitter melon and pepper, giving it a unique flavour;

Pisco Huamani from Peru employs a 125-year-old recipe and a traditional Peruvian distillation method that uses freshly fermented grape juice instead of aged wine. It received a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition;

Wheat Blanc from Sweden is an organic beer that uses champagne yeast during brewing, giving it a fruity tone and a unique taste.

The fair will also feature a Liquor & Beverage Products zone, a Whisky and Spirits zone and a Beer zone, together with zones that promote the industry’s all-round development, including Wine Education, Wine Accessories, Equipment and Services and Wine Investment. Food-pairing products will be showcased in the Friends of Wine zone.

Asia Wine Academy Returns

Following a successful debut in 2017, the Asia Wine Academy, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism Management, returns this year. On the theme of “Seeking Greatness: Decoding Wine Quality”, Masters of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee and Sarah Heller will share their insights into Italian and French wines, exploring how wine style, regions and production methods will affect wine quality, and teach methods for assessing wine. Participants who complete the courses will be awarded a certificate.

Following a successful debut in 2017, the Asia Wine Academy, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism Management, returns this year. On the theme of “Seeking Greatness: Decoding Wine Quality”, Masters of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee and Sarah Heller will share their insights into Italian and French wines, exploring how wine style, regions and production methods will affect wine quality, and teach methods for assessing wine. Participants who complete the courses will be awarded a certificate.

At the Wine Industry Conference to be held on the first day, Master of Wine Debra Meiburg MW will host a session entitled “Driving Growth: The Flourishing Asia Wine Market”. Speakers include Sarah Heller MW, Wainwright Advisors’ Director David Wainwright and Wines of South Africa Asia Market Manager Marcus Ford, who will share their insights on the prospects and trends for the wine industry in the Asian market.

The 10th Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition Award Ceremony will be held during the cocktail reception on the first evening of the fair, with more than 60 awards being handed out. The winning wines will be displayed at the Wine Gallery during the fair and a Gala Wine Dinner, with a “Forest of Delights” theme, will follow the cocktail reception. Guests will enjoy a menu crafted by Amerigo Tito Sesti, Head Chef at J’AIME by Jean-Michel Lorain, a one-Michelin-star French restaurant in Bangkok.