From the International Edition of HKTDC
10 April 2013
Robert Beynat, Chief Executive of Vinexpo
New data confirms what the plethora of wine businesses pouring into Hong Kong already know: the city is the most mature, most vibrant, wine market in Asia.
The latest International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR), commissioned by Vinexpo, covers 28 producer countries and 114 wine and spirits markets.
Robert Beynat, Chief Executive of Vinexpo, said that with overall wine and spirits sales of US$142.5 billion in 2011, including US$18.6 billion worth of wine, in the Asia-Pacific, the regional industry is booming.
Wine Trade Nerve Centre
"Hong Kong has set itself up as the nerve centre of the international wine trade in Asia," Mr Beynat said. "China, which has become the leading Asian market in both value and volume, is a priority target."
Mr Beynat announced the findings during his latest visit to Hong Kong last month. "We visit Hong Kong at least twice a year and, of course, more time when we are preparing Vinexpo Asia-Pacific," which takes place every two years in Hong Kong, alternating with Bordeaux, France. "It is very important for us to be here," he said.
Regarded as the widest, most accurate and most detailed body of information on the world's alcoholic beverage market, the IWSR database shows that the mainland became the world's fifth-largest wine consumer in 2010, and has the fastest take-up rate.
With annual per-capita wine consumption of 5.3 litres, Hong Kong has seen its wine consumption double between 2007 and 2011, topping three million nine-litre cases.
"On average, Hongkongers drink twice as much wine as the Japanese, with 2.7 litres per person per year, and the Singaporeans, whose annual per capita consumption is 2.3 litres. Hongkongers predominantly prefer red wine, which accounts for 82.5 per cent of all wine consumed in the city. But they are also open to sparkling wines, which represent 3.6 per cent of total consumption. Hongkongers drink twice the Asian average of sparkling wine."