Ian Harris： Completely new approach needed to develop the wine market in Asia

Ian Harris, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, agreed that education had to be fun, but said it was necessary to take a completely new approach to developing the wine market in Asia. "Introducing wine to people in the first place is often the key challenge, as we have to remember that the people we are talking to may never even have seen a bottle of wine."

While the UK is currently the biggest market for WSET courses with Hong Kong in second place, Harris predicts that China, currently fifth, will soon eclipse the UK. "If you are looking to grow wine in China, education is more important than marketing," he claimed.

"But most training is rejected because its benefits cannot easily be measured. However, if you think education is expensive, just imagine how much ignorance could be costing you and your business."