Robert Beynat, CEO of Vinexpo, sips a glass of wine at a press conference yesterday for Hong Kong's wine expo this year. EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY

The growing mainland taste for wine has brought a rush of exhibitors, filling all available exhibition space at Hong Kong's premiere wine expo. Foreign wine producers are looking for a breakthrough, as the mainland's vast market discovers the refinement of wines, while traditional markets are ailing.

Offering a preview of this year's exhibition yesterday, Vinexpo chairman Dominique Heriard Dubreuil said there is a long waiting list of exhibitors for the May 25 to 27 event. "Asia will be the driving force for years to come. Despite the surrounding economic turmoil, producers want to take advantage of Vinexpo to expand trade contacts and business," she said.

Some 800 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions will take up the expo's 8,500 square meters, which is expected to attract more than 9,500 trade visitors, she said.

French wine exports fell 17 percent last year due to US and European consumers cutting back on luxuries, especially champagnes and cognacs, according to the Federation of French Exporters of Wine and Spirits (FEVS).

Federation chairman Claude de Jouvencel said developments in 2010 remain uncertain.

The Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE) reported export value dips triggered by consumers shifting to cheaper brands. The ABARE did note the only export market defying the downward trend was the mainland.

According to figures released by the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR), the mainland is set to consume 105 million cases or 1.26 billion bottles annually worth HK$79 billion, by 2013. Some 957 million bottles of wine were consumed on the mainland last year.

The mainland also was responsible for 68 percent of all still, light wines consumed in Asia in 2008, roughly 3 percent of the global total, with Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong rounding out the top four in Asia.

Chief executive officer of Vinexpo Robert Baynat contrasted global consumption rising 3.57 percent from 2009 to 2013 with Asia's increase of 25 percent, the mainland's rise of 31 percent and Hong Kong's projected increase of 70.8 percent.

Hong Kong's lucrative wine import market is expected to nearly treble in value, from HK$1.1 billion in 2004 to HK$4.64 billion by 2013.

Baynat said the phenomenal growth in Hong Kong's wine market was in a large part due to the 2008 budget, which led to the abolition of the 40 percent wine duty.

Hong Kong last year supplanted London as the world's second-biggest wine auction market after New York, auctioning some HK$449 million worth of wine in 14 auctions.

(HK Edition 03/03/2010 page1)