Saigon Sommelier Association’s Post

In 1961, Algeria was the world’s largest wine exporter, surpassing France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain. Algeria exported an impressive average of 1.3 million tonnes of wine annually, ten times more than the next country. At that time, Turkey wasn’t even on the list, while Greece exported twenty-two tonnes and Cyprus nine tonnes annually. This continued until the 1970s. By then, Italy had claimed the top spot, followed by France and Spain, with Algeria dropping to fourth. Turkey never made it into the top ten, Greece fell off the list, and Cyprus was never included. These three beautiful Mediterranean countries missed the chance to showcase their culinary heritage and wine production to the world. Yet, the sun always shone upon them, and the history of wine has been on their side since ancient times. Today, Spain, Italy, and France occupy the top three spots, while Algeria no longer appears on the list. This information reminds us that change is inevitable. However, each new day brings new opportunities. With the Mediterranean’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and hospitality, we, as hoteliers, can offer our guests unforgettable experiences. Every day is an opportunity to discover and promote these treasures. May sunny days abound, filled with guests and shared experiences, as we rise together!

Canadian wines and spirits agency Wine Classics International has announced an important new agreement with Suntory Global Spirits in which Wine Classics International becomes Suntory’s duty free agent in Canada. Travel Markets Insider's Michael Pasternak met with Wine Classics International's Jonathan Hemi and Sherri Gidney at last month's Frontier Duty Free Association Convention and discussed the company's growing wine and spirits portfolio and its evolution since merging with Alexander James & Co. Read more below in Travel Markets Insider. https://lnkd.in/eg2VeEeq #dutyfree #travelretail Lola Milosevic

33rd Interwine The Australian Pavilion is looking forward to your joining! The 33rd Interwine International Wine Fair, which will be held at the Poly World Trade Expo Center in Guangzhou from October 31st to November 2nd, will continue to appear in the center, helping the road to recovery of Australian wine and providing an excellent display platform for Australian wine to restart the Chinese market! With the return of Australian wine to the Chinese market after three years of absence this year, Australian wine has immediately become a hot spot in the market. The popularity of Australian wine can also be seen from relevant import data: According to the data of the General Administration of Customs, from January to July this year, the import volume of Australian bottled wine was 13.54 million liters, a year-on-year increase of 7988%; the import value was 266.91 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 22546%. Among them, if we only look at July, the import volume and import value of Australian bottled wine are far ahead of France, making it the first source of wine imports.

Bounce has ranked Moldova second for their Best places to visit for wine connoisseurs (yay) Though it may not be the first country that springs to mind when considering wine tourism, the Eastern European country of Moldova is a hidden gem with a rich winemaking history that stretches back over 5,000 years. Moldova’s vineyards cover 122-kilo hectares, which works out as 3.6% of this small country’s area, more than any other on this list. The Codru region, located in the central part of the country, is one of Moldova’s most important and historically significant wine-producing areas. There are also 21 wine tours and tastings per million people, taking in the country’s extensive network of underground wine cellars, the most famous of which is the Mileștii Mici - Guinness Book Record holder. Read more - here -https://lnkd.in/emp6ANA8

Revolutionizing the Wine Industry: How ProWine Singapore 2024 Broke Attendance Records and What It Means for Global Markets! #ProWine2024 #WineIndustry #GlobalMarkets #RecordBreaking #WineLovers #TradeShowSuccess #WineEvents #IndustryLeaders #MarketTrends #NetworkingOpportunities

CAN YOU REALLY IMPROVISE WHEN REACHING A NEW MARKET? Last week's Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair was a prime opportunity for global producers to showcase their offerings and connect with importers and distributors. During the fair, I attended a presentation from a lesser-known winemaking region. While the intentions were good, I found the delivery terrible. I believe there are crucial lessons to be shared that can benefit wine professionals, prompting this post. 𝟏 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬: Difficulties to transition between slides, to use the pointer, or to launch videos do not look professional. 👉 Practice and familiarize yourself with the technical setup beforehand. 𝟐 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: Searching for words, typos, mistranslations or untranslated slides make your presentation choppy. In an international setting, it's essential to use proper English.  👉 Have your ppt and your speech checked, rehearse and everything will look more seamlees. 𝟑 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Skipping slides on stage makes it seem like no effort was put into understanding who you are targeting. 👉 Ensure the content is relevant and engaging. Review and adapt your slides to cater to the audience's expectations. 𝟒 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Only exceptional speaker coming on stage without a a visual support can put on a good performance 👉 Having a well-structured presentation enhances professionalism and clarity. 𝟓 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: The theme of the session was a wine region but none of the speakers presented the region They focused on their wine estate with many details. Because of the huge diversity of the wines, professionals often fall into this trap. As human brain needs shortcuts to memorize, it is easier to be part of a big category than to exist by yourself. 👉 Focus on simplifying your message to ensure better retention. Instead of overwhelming with details, provide a clear overview of your region's main characteristics before delving into specifics. 𝟔 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Speaking about you, or the nice weather and landscapes has nothing original. 👉 Relate your story and offerings to your customers' needs and desires. Share unique aspects that set you apart from competitors. In conclusion, I hope these wineries made valuable connections at the fair. They have invested significant time and money to attend the fair. Comparatively, spending to enhance their presentation is a marginal cost and could have significantly impacted their success. For future endeavours, consider seeking assistance to fine-tune your message and ensure it aligns with the quality of your products. #WinemakersGoingToMarketAbroad #HongKongWineMarket #AsianWineMarket  #InternationalWineSpiritsFair #HKIWSF #MarketingYourWinery

Did you know that Athens ranks in the top 5 searches when in comes to wine tourism? 🍷 As per the pie charts below, in 2023, travelers searched for Wine tours and Wine tastings in Greece with a priority on Santorini and Crete. However, Athens was also pretty high up the list! 🕵 Click here: https://lnkd.in/d8NwU-xk to check this great article on wine tourism in Greece. #Winetourism #Greece #Athens #Wine_Experiences

🆕 New Post Alert –> 2024 Bourbon & Banter Summit Recap Report "Join us as we recap the Bourbon & Banter Summit 2024 in Louisville, featuring exclusive tours, tastings, and unforgettable experiences." Click-through to read more. 🥃

The PM Spirits team had the privilege to chat with spirits expert Alexandre Vingtier who schooled us on Calvados. Amongst many other things, his explanation of how "traveling distillers"/"ambulant distillers" hold a special place in the Normandie region was quite eye opening: Unlike Cognac - and to some degree Armagnac - which are primarily commercial products, Calvados holds a more dual identity: it is both a commercial product and a personal, family-crafted spirit, making it not just a product but a part of daily life and tradition in Normandy where Calvados is made. In the region, ambulant distillers are still a thing: currently, there are 36 active such traveling distillers, to compare with 3 in Armagnac (and none in Cognac, at least to my own knowledge). That's mostly because while Normandy hosts around 400 registered commercial producers within the Calvados appellation, there are approximately three times as many farms producing cider spirits for personal use. These smaller operations may not be officially recognized within the appellation, but they contribute significantly to the local culture. The spirits produced on these farms are non-commercial endeavors. Although technically not "Calvados", these distillates are cherished locally and known as "cider spirits" or affectionately termed "calva", highlighting the stuff's everyday presence, often enjoyed at the end of a meal or with coffee and embodying a sense of local heritage and community.