Chief Promoter of the Nagpur Wine Lovers Club (NWLC) Sharad Phadnis and two other members visited Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong and came back starstruck and more wine-wise. Sharad Phadnis, who is a subscriber of Sommelier India WINE magazine (pictured, left) shares his experience with us.
The end of May was a very busy one for all wine lovers, connoisseurs and serious learners, as they congregated at Wanchai, Hong Kong to be a part of the Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2014, organised by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industries. As promoters of the Nagpur Wine Lovers Club, three of us, Sunil Mankikar, Mahadeo Ikhar and I, also headed to Hong Kong with just one aim – to study the latest happenings of the wine world.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we were completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Exposition. In total, 32 wine-producing countries displayed wines and spirits in over 1,300 stalls, spread over three levels covering an area of 160,000 sq. ft at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wanchai.
Visitors like us who were interested in gaining wine knowledge had four different programmes to choose from presented by global wine experts. Each programme was more informative than the other. At the end of the programme, participants received an official Vinexpo Asia-Pacific Academy certificate. Sharad Phadnis and his friends raise a toast to wine at Vinexpo
The programme started with Paolo Basso – Best Sommelier of the World 2013 conducting a master class on blind tasting with eight outstanding wines. This was followed by a presentation on Asian food and Wines by Jeannie Cho Lee MW, journalist, wine critic and consultant.
Then there was a seminar by the Italian Trade Agency on the theme “Wine and Territory: A Unique Combination” on all three days. Our morning and afternoons were also kept busy by attending the sessions conducted by Debra Meiburg MW, Nelson Chow – President of the Hong Kong Sommelier Association, and renowned Italian oenologist, Barbara Tamburini.
Indeed, the Vinexpo Asia-Pacific was “a grand international wine and spirit exhibition.” It was so well-organised with information desks, seminars, wine and food pairing shows, restaurants, bars, and the works. We were very happy to be there and to be able to understand wine from a truly global perspective.