Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/365438
22 W i n e s & V i n e s s e P T e M B e R 2 0 1 4 S E P T E M B E R N E W S 360 E. State Parkway • Schaumburg, IL • 60173-5335 USA (847) 755-0360 • Toll-Free FAX: (800) 800-0320 International FAX: (847) 885-0996 • sales@kuriyama.com www.kuriyama.com The Kuriyama Value ™ Wine and Beverage Hoses POLYWIRE ® PLUS Suction & Discharge WSTF ™ Series Suction & Discharge 350LL Series Washdown CLEARBRAID ® Discharge FT ™ Series Suction 408LL Series Suction & Discharge Kuriyama of America, Inc. ™ 2013 Sc h a u m b ur g , Illi n o i s Anniversary 45th K U R I Y A M A O F A M ER I C A , I N C . 1968 H ong Kong—The Pearl of the Orient will welcome thousands of wine industry professionals once again Nov. 6-8, as the city hosts the seventh annual Hong Kong Inter- national Wine & Spirits Fair. The 2013 fair boasted more than 1,000 exhibitors and 20,000 trade buyers during the three-day event held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The same year, Hong Kong posted wine im- ports valued at more than $1 bil- lion. California exported $78 mil- lion worth of wine to Hong Kong in 2013, according to Wine Institute. Hong Kong represents a jumping- off point for many North American wine companies interested in enter- ing the Asian market due to the common lan- guage and western-influenced culture. As Wines & Vines reported in 2013, the growing middle class in mainland China is the next frontier for wine following government crack- downs on excess spending. California ex- ported $77 million worth of wine to mainland China in 2013. The fair also offers westerners a chance to experience wine the way Chinese do. "It doesn't matter what they match with. If they are happy, they continue, and that's enough," Li Demei, vice-general secretary of the Chinese Wine Association said of the west's emphasis on food and wine pairing. Representatives for importers serv- ing other Asian countries comprise a large percentage of attendees at the Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Fair. Ac- cording to figures from Wine Insti- tute, in 2013 California exported $101.6 million worth of wine to Japan, $18.3 million to South Korea, $12.7 million to Vietnam and $9.1 million to Thailand. Confirmed attendees from North America include the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, Pelee Island Winery of Ontario and Coastal Black Estate Winery from British Colum- bia, among others. For more information about the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, visit hktdc.com/fair/hkwinefair-en. —Kate Lavin Reaching Wine Markets in the Far East Exhibitors pour wine samples for trade and the public during the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair in 2013.