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Headlines T DE CEMBER NEWS NEWS BY TE S NEW UC DAvIS WINE CHAIR BUSy he Viticulture & Enology Department at the University of California, Davis, con- tinues to grow. Dr. David E. Block, a V & E professor and bio- chemical engineer, took the helm of the department in July, following Dr. An- drew Waterhouse's five-year term. The department is look- Dr. David E. Block Officials from Hong kong and Italy participate in a ribbon-cutting at the opening ceremonies of the Hong kong International Wine & Spirits Fair in November. Next Stop: Hong Kong S H Wine and spirits fair touts city as prime gateway to enter China's massive market ong Kong—Planning a trip to China, travelers are often told that Hong Kong makes a good jumping- off point for exploring the massive nation with a population of 1.3 billion. The same could be said for wineries looking to break into the Asian market, according to a panel of industry experts based in the city-state. Speaking at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, professor K.C. Chan, Hong Kong's secretary for financial services and the treasury, said that those in the wine in- dustry relate strongly to terroir—charac- teristics of the land. Hong Kong's terroir, he said, is at once separate and part of China, Asia's fastest growing market. In 2008, Hong Kong—a special administra- tive region of the People's Republic of China—removed what Chan said winer- ies might consider a weed from a fertile marketplace: The region reduced its wine tax from 40% to zero. Coupled with its infrastructure and bi- lingual environment, this makes Hong Kong a logical place for newcomers to use as a launching pad, said Christopher Wong, Hong Kong's deputy secretary for 14 Wines & Vines DeCeMBeR 201 1 commerce and economic development, who spoke at the opening ceremony held in early November Since the tax change, wine imports into Hong Kong grew from $367 million (USD) in 2008 to $895 mil- lion in 2010, accord- ing to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). During the first eight months of 2011, imports totaled $857 mil- lion—an increase of 65% over the same period in 2010. Simon Tam, China's head of wine for Christie's auction house, said that while Shanghai and Beijing offer direct flights to cities around the world, mainland China still looks to Hong Kong for wine solu- tions. According to the HKTDC, 22.6 million of Hong Kong's 36 million annual visitors come from mainland China; Hong Kong affords them the opportunity to taste and buy wines from all over the world. "Hong Kong provides that landing plat- winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Hong Kong port." form for West looking to get in touch with the East," Tam said during the fair's Wine Industry Conference. — Kate Lavin ing for a new faculty member on the viti- culture side, has a full and productive experimental winery and is conducting research on alcohol tolerance in yeast. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Chair David Block." WISCONSIN AvA CONSIDERED teven DeBaker's petition to establish the Wisconsin Ledge Viticultural Area is nearing fruition. On Oct. 14, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published its Notice of Proposed Rule- making and opened DeBaker's petition for public comment. If approved, the Wis- winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Wisconsin ledge." consin Ledge AVA would encompass some 3,800 square miles in northeastern Wis- consin including Door, Kewaunee, Mani- towoc, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Washington, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Calumet, Outagamie and Brown counties. W FIRMS LINk UP FOR NAPA vENTURE est Coast Wine Partners LLC, backed by the Steward family of Quails' Gate Estate Winery in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and Dan Zepponi, former president of Quails' Gate neighbor Mission Hill Family Estate winery and its sister, Ar- tisan Wine Co., is planning to open Plume Winery in the Napa Valley within the year. winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "Napa venture."