Uncorked!: Burgeoning Asian Wine Market Proves Source of New Friends & Business Associates

By Tom Shelton, President & CEO

After more than three decades, I wonder at times just what it is about the wine business in particular that is so alluring. Setting aside for the moment my fascination with the subject of wine, it is clear that the network of associates and friends developed over the years through what one of my early mentors describes as the “belly-to-belly:” nature of the wine business is sustaining in itself. I was reminded of this on a recent marketing visit to China, Japan and Korea.

In many respects the emerging awareness among Asian consumers of high quality wines from California is reminiscent of early eighties in New York when wine consciousness was dominated by European producers. Over the past five years our importer in China, ASC, has grown from a start-up focused on the Beijing market to a company with close to 400 employees and nearly national reach.

In South Korea, Joseph Phelps Insignia has become an important luxury wine brand through the efforts of the Nara Foods team. To be sure, Joseph Phelps Vineyards has enjoyed a presence in Hong Kong and Japan for nearly 20 years, but even in these more mature markets there is a renewed and contagious enthusiasm for California wines largely due to the unrelenting efforts of the people behind Fine Wine Vintages and Jeroboam.

My first visit to South Korea, nearly seven years ago, was a direct result of the incredible persistence of Hi Sang Lee whose passion for wine and California is single-handedly changing the Korean wine market. Hi Sang’s Nara Foods is among the largest importers of wine to Korea and now dominates the luxury segment. Podo Plaza is a seven story building in Seoul devoted to wine education, research and service standards. The multi story wine school and library is supported by Vin-ga, a street level bistro/wine bar, and a rooftop fine dining restaurant. The enthusiasm for wine represented by the Podo Plaza initiative is inspirational.