Hong Kong to Host World's First Asian Wine Competition

Allen Gibbons, IWSC executive director, and Raymond Yip Allen, HKTDC assistant executive director (right), signed the memorandum of understanding to incorporate the inaugural Hong KongWine & Spirit Competition as a new initiative of Hong KongInternational Wine & Spirits Fair next year. The competition will featureChinesefoodand winepairing and introduce the 'BestWine from China' .

HONG KONG, Dec 09, 2008 -- The Hong KongTrade Development Council and (HKTDC) and the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) will jointly host the world's first truly Asian winecompetition -- or the "HKIWSC" -- as part of the 2009 Hong KongInternational Wine & Spirits Fair in November.

Following the Hong KongSAR Government's elimination of duties on winein early 2008, the HKTDC created the first Hong KongInternational Wine Fair, which took place in August. The event will be renamed as Hong KongInternational Wine & Spirits Fair in 2009.

HKTDC decided to incorporate the first Hong KongInternational Wine & Spirit Competition (HKIWSC) in 2009 as a new initiative to create a favorable environment for the wineindustryin Asia.

"We are delighted that the International Wine and Spirit Competition has accepted HKTDC's invitation to organizethis 40-year old competition for the first time in Asia, which we are confident will attract huge interest from both the tradeand mediaworldwide. It will be one of the key highlights of the 2009 fair, and along with activities such as winetasting, seminars, a conference and voting for favorite wines, will add value and prestige to the event," assistant executive director Raymond Yip said.

The HKIWSC is being developed in conjunction with the IWSC in London, the world's most prestigious wineand spirit competition organizer, and a panel of Asia's most respected wineexperts will help develop the competition parameters and criteria.

"We are very excited by the opportunity offered by the Asian marketand working with such fabulous partners will allow us to offer the definitive guide to quality wines and spirits in Asia," IWSC executive director Allen Gibbons said:

The competition will featurefoodand winepairing categories, where judges will identify the topwines to match popular traditional Chinesedishes, including braised abalone, Peking duck, Cantonese dim sum, and Kung Pao Chicken.

The competition will also include the "BestWine from China" category, the first trophy of its kind anywhere in the worldto represent the authentic Asian flavor of the competition and in view of China's burgeoning wineproduction industry.

Asia's most esteemed winejudges from China, Japan, Korea, Singaporeand Taiwan -- including the first international guest chairman of judges, Dr Tony Jordanas well as the competition's director, Asia's first Master of Wine, Debra Meiburg, will add to the prestige of the first-ever HKIWSC. Categories will be judged by country, region, variety and style, and trophies awarded will reflect the unique sensibilities of the Asian palate.

The competition results will serve as a definitive guide for contemporary Asian wineconsumers. Additionally, price point categories for the most popularstyles of wines will offer wineconsumers a comprehensive directory of the world's best wines for all occasions and situations.

Results of the judging process will be announced during the opening night of the 2009 Hong KongInternational Wine & Spirits Fair, which will be held from November 4 to 6, 2009 at the Hong KongConvention and Exhibition Centre.