NEWS ADVERTORIAL VINEXPO
NEWS ADVERTORIAL VINEXPO ACADEMY: TALKS, TASTINGS & MASTERCLASSES Vinexpo Hong Kong offers a unique programme of talks, tastings and masterclasses, bringing together leading figures from the world of wine and buyers from the Asia-Pacific region within the Vinexpo Academy. Australia, this edition’s Country of Honour, has various themes planned for each day, including the different styles of Australian Pinot Noir, Margaret River Chardonnay, the grand tasting of First Families of Wine, the launch of Penfolds fine white wines and a talk on the various Australian terroirs. Chile will showcase its iconic wines with masterclasses by Seña, Clos Apalta and Viña Almaviva, which is also celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year. Italy has scheduled a number of events, including the Valpolicella 50 th Anniversary Tour, the exclusive international launch of Solaia 2015 with the celebrated wine critic, James Suckling, events organised by the Gambero Rosso guide including the Tre Bicchieri “en primeur” tasting and a masterclass with Debra Meiburg MW, focusing on Prosecco. France, as the world’s top exporter to China, naturally features prominently in this year’s Vinexpo programme. While the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux will be showcasing the 2015 vintage, several tastings are also planned with the Graves Crus Classés and St Emilion Grands Crus Classés. Master Sommelier Yang Lu will uncover the mysteries of the Burgundy climates, while his colleague Sarah Heller MW will talk about the extensive number of different Rhône Valley terroirs. For Grenache Day on Wednesday 30 May, Vinexpo Hong Kong will highlight this grape variety coming from Spain with several talks and tastings showcasing French, Australian, Spanish and US Grenaches. Finally, Vinexpo will take stock of the Chinese market the China Market Conference which is traditionally held on the first day of the exhibition. This year, the participants will also have the opportunity to practice their blind tasting skills with World’s Best Sommelier Paolo Basso, in the traditional Vinexpo Challenge. The winner of this fun and professional competition will leave with a magnum of Bollinger Grande Année 2007 © Michel Jolyot Bodega Norton, Mendoza, Argentina “Signature Winemaking” by Bodega Norton Leading Argentinian winery introduces new identity for premium wines Just like a hand-written signature is a mark of a promise, premium wines under Bodega Norton’s new “Signature Winemaking” umbrella authenticate the brand’s distinct heritage, knowledge, passion, quality and value reflected in every bottle. With more than 120 years of experience, Bodega Norton is one of the most celebrated Argentinian wineries in the world. They are internationally recognised for mastering Malbecs at different price points and select premium wines, now distinguished under the new “Signature Winemaking” portfolio umbrella. Present in over 60 countries, the winery was founded in Mendoza, Argentina at the foot of the Andes Mountains in 1895 by European engineer, Edmund James Palmer Norton, with vines imported from France. In 1989, the property was acquired by Austrian businessman, Gernot Langes- Swarovski, well known for his namesake crystal company. Overcome with the beauty and culture of the land, the Swarovski family foresaw the potential for Argentinian Malbec to influence the world and recognised the superior quality of the vineyard’s surrounding terroir. by a family vision. Its winemaker David Bonomi was recently recognised as one of “South America’s Top 10 Winemakers” by Decanter magazine. Bodega Norton maintains five estates in the heart of the so called “Premium Winemaking Area” known as Lujan de Cuyo. The unique terroir of the region offers a combination of dry soil and cold air from the mountains that results in red and white grapes, aromatic and concentrated, perfect for making bold and elegant high-end wines produced from vineyards that are between 30 and 90 years old. Additionally, Norton preserves the oldest and largest underground wine cellars from the 20 th century, dated from 1895. Nowadays, it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Mendoza More information @ www.norton.com.ar Today, the company is helmed by Langes-Swarovski’s son, President and CEO Michael Halstrick, who is inspired Level 1 / Stand EF-5 8 VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW / THURSDAY 24 TH MAY 2018
NEWS ADVERTORIAL Traditional or Submarine? Champagne Drappier has announced the release of two products that will allow consumers to directly compare its wines matured in seawater compared with the traditional wine cellar. In June 2015, the Champagne house submerged a number of its bottles in the sea, off the coast of Brest, in Brittany. The project, called “Immersion”, was inspired by the seas that covered Champagne 155 million years ago, depositing billions of small shells that were later transformed into the region’s acclaimed Jurassic kimmeridgian limestone. Underwater, the bottles were kept at the same temperature and light level as those stored in Drappier’s cellars. The wine was stored at a depth equal to the pressure that compresses gas in the bottle. Available in selected retail stores in the UK, France, Italy and Japan, Drappier has released a giftbox of two bottles, containing one bottle aged under water, the other in its cellars. CHAMPAGNE IMMERSED IN THE ATLANTIC Housed in a wooden box, complete with ink illustrations by the house’s creative director, Charline Drappier, the Immersion series offers a unique tasting experience that provides the chance to compare different ageing conditions. Each “immersed bottle” is delicately packaged so that the shells, which grew on the bottle as it aged, are not damaged Level 3 / Stand T-60 The Italian Signature Wines Academy is back with its own stand at Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018. ISWA is made up of eight leading companies in the Italian wine sector whose products “faithfully reflect the most prestigious appellations, have decided to pool their efforts under a shared vision, create synergies and launch a strategic alliance, enhancing the concept of the interplay between tradition and innovation”. Italian Signature Wines Academy: Spotlighting Wineries with Great Wine-Making Histories United by a shared vision, strengthened by their similarities in being families with “great wine making histories” and believing in their ‘Italianness’ with impassioned enthusiasm and pride, they have pooled their age-old operational experience in the sector and their modern, consolidated skills for the purpose of targeted promotional projects. The stated objective is to open up new, ambitious avenues for Italian quality wine, which, in established as well as emerging markets, exhibits considerable opportunities for reinforcement and growth. ISWA focuses in international markets, in particular in those markets where Made in Italy products are not yet well established. In this way, their presence at Vinexpo Hong Kong represents a concrete effort to “face the challenges of the future together”, offering to the markets the best production and the finest Italian wine brands Level 1 / Stand DE-56 vinexpodaily.com VINEXPO DAILY / PREVIEW / THURSDAY 24 TH MAY 2018 9
