Vinexpo Daily 2018 - Review Edition

PRESS CORNER
The Kiwi Connection @ Vinexpo
Simon Nash MW, Director of MN Consultancy, gives his thoughts and
opinions on this year’s Vinexpo Hong Kong
Simon Nash is not your normal kind of wine writer. His articles appear
in Wine NZ magazine – New Zealand’s premium quarterly independent
wine journal, but he also judges wines as a Master of Wine. We asked
him what his key tasks were at Vinexpo Hong Kong.
I came up to Vinexpo Hong Kong
partly to report back to our readers in
New Zealand as to what’s going on,
especially in the Asia region, and there
is no other window like this. I do a lot of
work in the trade in New Zealand, and
I keep wondering why are there not a
lot more people from New Zealand in
the retail channels and also distributors,
importers and so on, coming to Vinexpo
Hong Kong. It’s a unique once every
two-year window. I am a huge fan of
the show.
The other half of what you do is
commercial. Tell us a little more about
that.
I do quite a bit of matchmaking between
producers and importers from around the
world. It goes both ways – either New
Zealand out to the world, or other brands
into New Zealand.
that’s not quite where the Chinese market
is at. They still stay safe with red wines,
but you won’t see too many Chinese men
drinking Rosé now… But they will, once
Rosé gets more critical acclaim in its own
right here.
What do you like most about this
show?
I regularly go to Vinexpo Hong Kong and
also Vinexpo Bordeaux, and I find the
Bordeaux event is more oriented towards
even versus the last one two years ago.
There are more and more routes into
the market being developed, we don’t
need bricks and mortar, obviously. But it’s
gone beyond that; it’s wine clubs, and
all kinds of other routes to the market,
and I think that’s where this show is really
cutting edge. That’s why I encourage all
the people I work with and know in New
Zealand to come here, because this is
where things are happening. It’s just
happening so fast.
Thoughts on Vinexpo Daily?
It’s great. I love it. I’ve got my three
copies – day one, day two, day three,
and I just think it’s brilliant
I ENCOURAGE
ALL THE PEOPLE
I WORK WITH
AND KNOW IN
NEW ZEALAND
TO COME HERE,
BECAUSE THIS IS
WHERE THINGS
ARE HAPPENING
What have your thoughts been about
this show?
The ongoing growth of interest by China
in the world of wine is the most important
factor of course. At the last show, China
was just huge, but at this show we can
see a deepening of the understanding.
I think that’s what is coming through
with me. More and more of the Asian
attendees I’m seeing here are beyond
the point of “This is red and this is
white, or who are you?”, and now it’s
“I know this brand, and I like it, but I
wonder what the new vintage is like?”.
It’s very encouraging for the future.
The attendance at the workshops and
master classes is incredible. People were
queuing down the corridors to get into
them. I think that’s phenomenal.
Rosés still have a way to go here
though…
Indeed. Neither do people here know
sparkling wine very well, if you think
about it. In the third issue of Vinexpo
Daily, you talked about Provence Rosés
selling like crazy. I think you have to
have the confidence in your palate to
understand Rosé and really get it, and
the traditional channel, with a brand, an
importer, who has a retailer, and it gets
to the consumer. Here at Vinexpo Hong
Kong I love the dynamic, with Alibaba
showing their future retail concept,
and all the discussions on developing
new channels to the market. There are
so many ways into the Asian markets,
and they’re so much more tech-savvy,
and I believe that’s a key differentiating
factor that makes this show so exciting,
Simon Nash MW
Director of MN Consultancy
vinexpodaily.com
VINEXPO DAILY / REVIEW / TUESDAY 12 TH JUNE 2018 13