• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Hong Kong news - new book by Robert Ferguson, Wild Creatures of Hong KongWhat’s new in Hong Kong?
        • where to shop in Hong Kong, shopping malls, chain stores, boutiquesThe ultimate guide to shopping in HK
        • Exciting summer programmes for kids
        • Hong Kong’s Best Bookshops
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • Designing Circularity ExhibitionTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • Hong Kong news - new book by Robert Ferguson, Wild Creatures of Hong KongWhat’s new in Hong Kong?
        • Great podcasts we are listening to!
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • Exciting summer programmes for kids
        • SCMP Posties summer camps - journalismInteractive camps for budding journalists – & more!
        • International schools in Hong Kong - HKABest International Schools In Hong Kong, Primary to Secondary
        • Choosing a university and finding the right fit
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • Fabulous fabrics that last!
        • BoConcept Danish furniture and interior design services in Hong Kong - roomsetBoConcept celebrates a decade in Hong Kong!
        • Home news - new furniture - FLEXAHome news: décor, furniture & more!
        • Best mattresses for a great night’s sleep!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
        • Travel news - hotel deals - SuralaiTravel News and Hotel Deals
        • Boat sailing around the PhilippinesSailing the Philippine archipelago
        • Pets and Planes: 5 Things to Consider
        • Sri Lanka - Where to go for a girls tripWhere to go for a girls’ trip
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • 10 places to buy alcohol online
        • Ruby Tuesday Hong Kong - burger mealTaste Test Burger Edition #2: Ruby Tuesday
        • Win a dinner for 2 at Basin (worth $2,000)
        • Beef & Liberty burgers in Hong Kong - Falafel burgerTaste Test Burger Edition #1 Beef & Liberty
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • where to shop in Hong Kong, shopping malls, chain stores, boutiquesThe ultimate guide to shopping in HK
        • beauty news, new spa - YUN WellnessBeauty news: The latest launches!
        • Fashion news and shopping in Hong Kong - FREY new collectionFashion news: the latest launches
        • hair treatment at Glow Salon in Hong Kong4 hairdressers and their styling solutions
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • 11 great gyms & studios to keep in shape
        • recurrent miscarriages – causes, risk factors, ivf treatmentHealth help: A focus on recurrent miscarriage
        • lung cancer - symptoms and treatmentLung Cancer: 8 Common Myths
        • Osteopathy in Hong KongOsteopathy for Body Aches & Pains
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

Do you drink wines from Asia?

20 January, 2017 by Expat Living 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/why-are-the-french-investing-in-wine-in-china/

The Asian region has come of age when it comes to wine. In 2016, Eddie McDougall began to take his love of locally-produced wines one step further by championing them with the launch of the Asian Wine Review. The review is the first and most comprehensive guide to wineries, and a rating guide for over 300 Asian-made wines. Here, we ask Eddie, aka “The FlyingWinemaker”, to provide a little snapshot as to what’s happening right on our doorstep.

wine, wine expert, The Flying Winemaker, Asian wine, Hong Kong wine
Eddie McDougall, aka “The Flying Winemaker”, says Asian wine has come of age

CHINA

China remains by far the largest Asian manufacturer of grape wine and continues to pull away from the rest of the region by volume, producing an average of 11.5 to 13.5 million hectolitres per year over the past five years. If you bury yourself in some history books, you’ll discover that production began in China in 1892 with the establishment of Changyu Winery, so it’s not exactly a new concept. Significant investment in Chinese production by Pernod Ricard, Moët Hennessy, Diageo and Rothschild is enough to assure even the most ardent doubters that Chinese wine will shortly become a large and ever-present component of the global scene. For me, it is the emergence of non-internationally backed boutique producers in China and their quality that displays the country’s best indication yet that the “culture” of wine has taken a firm hold. The cellaring potential of red wines by the likes of Silver Heights and newcomer Wens are undeniable.

INDIA

India’s viticultural history dates back to the Persian era, circa 300 BC, and these foundations were then built on after the settlement of the Portuguese in Goa many centuries later. Though their beginnings were rocky due to the phylloxera infestation brought in from Europe, the winemakers in India had to traverse themselves to establish a more agriculturally sustainable and commercial wine industry, which only commenced in the early 1990s. What excites wine lovers is that this market is willing to attempt truly interesting and eclectic varietals such as nero d’Avola, tempranillo and sangiovese. This alternative approach to winemaking is the best way forward to produce an identity for Indian wines on the global scene. Key wine-growing regions are in Nashik, close to Mumbai, and the Nandi Valley, near Bengaluru in the south.

wine, wine expert, The Flying Winemaker, Asian wine
Eddie McDougall says the days of Asian wine as a gimmick are over

JAPAN

Strictly speaking, the most experienced wine-producing Asian nation is Japan. The country is masterfully churning out impressive white wines, and I’ve seen wonderful examples of the Japanese white varietal Koshu win several competitions internationally. Well-regarded regions include the Yamanashi Prefecture, Hokkaido and Nagano. All these regions have special varietals that perform better than others; for example, I have begun seeing success in pinot noir production. A modern trend that the Japanese industry has unsurprisingly taken strongly to is natural wine production. Eclectic methods of winemaking such as the use of qvevri, an old Georgian technique with egg-shaped fermenters, also showcase Japan’s willingness to bring purity back.

ASIA – it’s happening now!

It’s clear from all this that I am convinced that Asian wine firmly deserves its place at the dinner table. The days of Asian wine as a gimmick are over. Some of the infrastructure, such as French châteaux replicated in Chinese fields, may still scream kitsch, but what matters is the Asian wine revolution happening inside the bottle. Formally trained local winemaker talents, alongside international winemakers placed in the region, are at the forefront of this change. Wines of Asia are no longer “coming”; they’re well and truly “here”!

If you’re interested to learn more, visit asianwinereview.com and flyingwinemaker.asia

This article first appeared in the Dec/Jan edition of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.

Love wining and dining? So do we! Check out our wine and dine section.

Categories: Recipes & Groceries Wine & Dine Tags: Asian wine Hong Kong Wine The Flying Winemaker Wine Wine And Dine

Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox
Get the latest events, stories and special offers sent to your inbox

You May Also Like

Ruby Tuesday Hong Kong - burger meal

Taste Test Burger Edition #2: Ruby Tuesday

Beef & Liberty burgers in Hong Kong - Falafel burger

Taste Test Burger Edition #1 Beef & Liberty

Win a dinner for 2 at Basin (worth $2,000)

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.