EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW SELLING TO CONSUMERS TODAY IS MULTI-FACETTED. IT’S LIKE A MATRIX: TASTINGS, EVENTS, DINNERS, SHOWROOMS, RETAIL, LOCAL PUBLIC WINE FAIRS, POP-UP SHOPS IN MALLS, AND CLUBHOUSES Antonio Y.L. Koo Founder & Managing Director, Ponti International Limited and Ponti Wine Cellars A Finger on the Pulse of Hong Kong Distribution Ponti boss Antonio Koo says Vinexpo is an essential element in learning and networking Antonio Y.L. Koo is founder and managing director of wine retailer and wholesaler Ponti International and Ponti Wine Cellars. Appointed by France as an Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit in 2008, he is a graduate of Tufts and Boston Universities. We asked him to tell us a little more about his businesses. In Hong Kong, we have three divisions, Ponti Wine Cellars is the premium retail merchant. Brix is the more middle-range every day drinking wines. Ponti Wine Cellars would be the more exclusive high-end, more burgundies and more old-world. Brix is more new-world. Ponti Trading is the wholesale distribution section. How is demand evolving in Hong Kong? If we look at direct-to-consumer, when I came into the wine business in 1988, there was already direct-selling, but on a much smaller scale. In those days, you had maybe 30 companies. It grew over time, but there were still only around 50 or 60 key companies before 2008. Since the government abolished the duty on wines in that year, 230-250 serious companies have come into the market. Of course, you always have the 80:20 rule, with some very sizeable companies, but still you have 250 serious companies. Licences to import wines are now numbered in the thousands. Distributionwise, of course many now work with the Internet, because not many companies can endure the high rental prices in Hong Kong. Shop rents can be over €10,000, so many operate out of warehouses with a nice website, or they find off-prime locations or work in commercial buildings. Consequently, selling to consumers today is multi-facetted. It’s like a matrix: tastings, events, dinners, showrooms, retail, local public wine fairs, pop-up shops in malls, and clubhouses doing wine fairs with 15- 20 suppliers every six or 12 months. What are your company’s key selling points? What sets your company apart from the others and makes you successful? We have a large portfolio of exclusive brands that I source with my team. We visit the wineries, and go very in-depth with the story detail, so we have some very, very strong brands we have developed. Some of them have a larger volume; over a thousand cases, even five thousand cases. But we also have a lot of gorgeous boutique and highly rated, very delicate wine brands – but not necessarily pricewise. We always try to source every-day drinking wines. The majority would sell anywhere from HK0-1,000… How is Singapore going for you? We have a very small operation there. In Singapore, likewise, we also do more boutique brands distribution, to selective more premium F&B outlets. We also have a team that does the selling direct to consumers. How important is Vinexpo for you as a sourcing and networking platform? I have been involved in Vinexpo for many years. Both Vinexpo Bordeaux and Vinexpo Hong Kong are very essential for trade people to attend. First of all, Vinexpo Hong Kong for example is very convenient for buyers from Greater China, also Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and so on. Sourcing-wise it’s very valuable. You have over a thousand exhibitors, from many, many different countries. In my case, I have been in the trade for 30 years, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to come to an event like this. It’s still essential to see new brands, do the tastings, communicate, socialise with your principals and your suppliers. You have many training sessions which are great for my staff, but also for myself. You learn something new every day, and then you attend the tasting sessions and master training sessions. So there’s a variety of things from which one can benefit and learn Ponti was established in 1988 as a gourmet food and wine retail store in the basement of the renowned Shui Hing Department Store on Nathan Road, Hong Kong. Today, Ponti International operates 5 companies out of Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, with approximately 90 employees. Their multi-channel distribution network includes wholesale, retail and direct marketing, and their wholesale customer base comprises over 700 outlets. 10 VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 2 / WEDNESDAY 30 TH MAY 2018
SPECIAL FEATURE: SPIRITS & COGNAC GUSTAVE EIFFEL ARMAGNAC – A FRENCH FIRST Keeping Up Spirits – Market Data Since 1989, Gustave Eiffel wines have been commercialised by Philippe Coupérie Eiffel, a direct descendant of the great French engineer, and now, Armagnac has been added to the offering, thanks to a partnership with Armagnac Castarède. It was already in 1900 that Gustave Eiffel bought a vineyard in the Bordeaux region, and part of the estate still belongs to Valentine’s descendants. Eiffel wine has been commercialised by Philippe Coupérie Eiffel since 1989, and Armagnac Castarède has now been selected thanks to the quality of their Armagnacs, their avant-gardist image and the family values of the House. Armagnac Gustave Eiffel is a true reflection of the attachment of the Gascony’s values and traditions. The Gustave Eiffel range is composed of VS, VSOP and Extra XO, which has already received a Gold Medal Level 3 / Stand V-45 Latest statistics released in the Vinexpo/IWSR report (2016- 2021) indicate that for spirits, premium price points are generally performing better than value globally, with mainstream standard brands developing at a healthy rate. Whisky is expected to perform particularly well, especially Scotch and US whiskey, and to a lesser degree gin and tequila. This development broadly reflects the premiumisation trend with premium andabove segments growing the fastest. CHINA: LOCAL SPIRITS DOMINATE Locally-produced spirits such as Baiju make China one of the top five spirits consumers. Since 2011, while consumption of national spirits has declined, a drive to premiumisation is apparent and premium Baiju will benefit. Over the next years, China is expected to be a key driver of the premium trend in Baiju, Gin and Tequila. Cognac is forecast to show overall growth in the period. SOUTH KOREA: WORLD LEADER IN SPIRITS CONSUMPTION With 31.5 litres of spirits consumed per year per adult, South Korea ranks first on the podium of alcohol lovers, far ahead of Russia (19.27 litres) or Japan and China. Like other Asia-Pacific markets, consumption of spirits in South Korea is dominated by Shochu and Soju. Both categories are expected to decline by more than 1% by 2021. Imported spirits such as Scotch – expected to lose more than 300,000 cases - and Vodka, are also in decline. An exception is US whiskey which is forecast to increase volume sales by 2.7%. JAPAN: SCOTCH IS A FAVOURITE In Japan, consumption of Scotch whisky is set to grow more than 9% by 2021 to reach 1.56 million cases. Nonetheless, Japan is both a major producer of premium whiskey and an importer of US whiskey. It is promoting the US whisky sector hard and by 2021 Japan is expected to be the region’s largest US whiskey market. Consumption of US whiskey in Japan is expected to rise more than 10% by 2021 reaching in excess of 1.3 million cases COGNAC LARSEN LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVITIES FOR ASIAN MARKET Cognac house Larsen is launching two new Cognacs at Vinexpo Hong Kong. Larsen VSOP Reserve and Larsen XO Reserve have been created especially for the Asian market and follow Larsen’s new long-term exclusive partnership with Asiaeuro, signed in December 2017. Asiaeuro is now distributing the entire Larsen range in China and Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. A veritable “star” product, Larsen XO Reserve, is a blend of eaux-de-vie from mainly the Fins Bois and Petite Champagne Crus. Robert Andrieux, Master Blender at Larsen, has used 40 different eaux-devies, the youngest 10 years-old and the oldest between 20 and 30 years-old. Long barrel-ageing gives the Cognac a deep, amber colour, while the palate is a complex layering of ripe fruit, prunes, nuts, toasted cocoa beans, liquorice and moka. The mouthfeel is soft and silky and the finish is long and aromatic Level 3 / Stand T-45 vinexpodaily.com VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 2 / WEDNESDAY 30 TH MAY 2018 11
