Australian wine is meeting the Chinese market at Vinexpo 2018, the 20th anniversary edition of the world’s leading wine event. Vinexpo Hong Kong is bringing together two themes that, on the face of it, may not strike you as bedfellows: redefining commerce using technology, while getting back to basics and keeping it real at the same time. Is it a case of worlds colliding or the answer the wine world has been longing for when trying to reach the masses? Drinks Trade Publishing Editor Ashley Pini reports from Vinexpo 2018.
Redefining commerce and seamlessly integrating the online and offline retail worlds to make the shopping experience as engaging and streamlined as possible - seems to fly in the face of understanding terroir and a focus on the people, place and stories.
How can consumers really understand the work that has influenced the world of wine on so many levels without either experiencing it, or get to directly meet someone who has? But, here in Hong Kong, the regions leading wine show is attempting to do both; and the Asian wine market is here in force to listen.
Tmall’s “Future Bar”, owned by China’s leading online retailer Alibaba, was unveiled on the opening day of Vinexpo, inviting attendees to witness robot waiters and face scanning technology integrated with online payment. Walk-in, get served, enjoy, walk out. No need for human interaction in what is clearly a very efficient and “seamless” (that word again) way to drink wine.
Mike Hu, a senior director at Tmall, said the goal of 'New Retail' is to make shopping more personal, more engaging and more convenient.
“China really is at the forefront of consumer engagement right now,” Hu said. “Shopping here is mobile, it’s fun, it’s interactive, and the wall between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores is coming down. This kind of comprehensive shopping experience is what Chinese consumers have come to expect, so wine sellers need to adapt if they want to be successful here.”
At the same time, on the other side of the hall, 151 Australian wine producers are personally showing their wines and happy to talk to the 20,000 visitors streaming through the doors and share their stories, insights to family winemaking, challenges of weather, place, time and … terroir.
This year Australia is here in force, thanks to the injection of an Australian government grant and strong support from regional winemaking associations. Australia is the country of honour, hence front and centre at all events and wine lists around the show.
“This is the culmination of two years work”, said Stuart Barclay, head of marketing at Wine Australia. “I sat here two years ago with the CEO of Vinexpo and said I wanted to be the country of honour in 2018. That was before we received the grant from the Federal Government, so the stars have really aligned and allowed us to present Australian Wine to the Hong Kong, China and wider Asian market.”
“So far the show has been fantastic” said, Darren De Bortoli, Managing Director of De Bortoli Wines. “The government has shown significant support to make this happen and Australian Wine is making a real impact here at Vinexpo. The technologies they are showing assists us in bringing our message across to so many more people, it’s really exciting"
As conflicting as the themes seem to be it all works. The same robot waiters are supported by interactive displays bringing the winemakers to the consumer in store, restaurants and bars.
Visitors are lapping up the huge contingent of Australian winemakers here, and the idea is for consumers to get the same experience - via technology.
Australia’s presence at the show is in no small terms thanks to the strong support of Wine Australia and the recent government wine export grant.
The event is big. No doubt. But it’s also personal when you stop and listen and hear the stories, taste the wines and meet the winemakers, families and, in many cases, the head of the business.
Pictured main: The Serafino team at Vinexpo
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