Tag: Singapore

ProWine Asia switches to Annual Cycle (Alternating Between Singapore and Hong Kong)

Unknown-2ProWein has been organized by Messe Düsseldorf for more than 20 years as the most important trade fair for wine and spirits worldwide. In 2013 the successful concept was exported to Shanghai in the form of ProWine China, in a venture with China International Exhibitions Ltd, a member of Allworld Exhibitions. Once a year the wine sector from Mainland China meets here every November. April 2016 then saw the arrival of ProWine Asia in Singapore that was initially planned as a biennial event. Due to its great success and the great demand on the part of exhibitors ProWine Asia is now to run every year, alternating between Singapore and Hong Kong. The first ProWine Asia in Hong Kong will be held from 8 – 11 May 2017.

By extending ProWine Asia in Hong Kong Messe Düsseldorf is continuing its successful cooperation with the international Allworld Group. Like in Shanghai and Singapore ProWine Asia in Hong Kong will run in parallel with a leading food fair, in this case HOFEX. The contractual partners are Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. and Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd. (HKES), a member of the international Allworld Exhibitions Network. HOFEX in Hong Kong is the most important trade fair for food and drinks in the region and next year it will be celebrating its 30thanniversary. The last HOFEX in May 2015 attracted over 38,000 trade visitors from the food and catering trade. The former wine segment “Wine&Spirits@Hofex” will now be merged into ProWine Asia at the Hong Kong location and will be further extended with the help of Düsseldorf know-how. While ProWine Asia in Singapore predominantly addresses the South East Asian region ProWine Asia in Hong Kong is directed not only at the local market but also at other Asian markets such as Macao, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. 

“With ProWine Asia in Singapore we have already made a very successful entry on the South East Asian wine market. Extending ProWine Asia was therefore simply a logical consequence, especially since we boast very great experience with our partners. The annual scheduling in combination with the alternating venue has immense potential. At the same time, we provide the sector with the perfect date with ProWine Asia being held in the first half of the year. With these strong cornerstones we offer all internationally operating producers an all-round carefree package for the entire Asian continent,” says Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. DanielCheung, General Manager at Hong Kong Exhibition Services Ltd adds: “We are delighted that we can offer such a qualified platform for the wine sector in parallel with HOFEX. With the experience we have gained over the past 30 years with HOFEX we know that trade visitors will very much welcome this offering in Hong Kong – especially because it comes care of such a strong brand as ProWein.” 

ProWine Asia in Hong Kong and Singapore is like ProWine China in Shanghai a pure B2B trade show. The first edition of ProWine Asia in Hong Kong runs from 8 to 11 May 2017 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In the following year ProWine Asia will then be held again in Singapore from 24 – 27 April 2018. Further information, and soon also registration documents for exhibitors, can be found at www.prowineasia.com.

The Mystery is Solved: The Most Expensive Champagne in the World was Purchased by “Buyan” a Singapore Russian Restaurant

History was made when Buyan Russian Haute Cuisine & Caviar Bar located in the Republic of Singapore, won the world’s most expensive Champagne in a fierce bidding war. Buyan, which offers both inexpensive traditional Russian fare as well as Russian haute cuisine meant for the Tsars, has paid €30,000 (SGD 43,630) for a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, which is estimated to be 170 years old.

All 145 bottles discovered in the shipwreck were opened, tasted and re-corked with the best two bottles acquired by Buyan. These historical bottles which still have bubbles – indicative of their fine quality – will indeed be drunk one day, but not in the very near future. The Veuve Clicquot Champagne itself is said to have “notes of linden blossoms and lime peels” and was pronounced by world renowned Champagne expert Richard Juhlin, who tasted some of the bottles last year as, “…great… wonderful… with an intense aroma…”

Buyan also paid €24,000 for Juglar, a now-defunct house of champagne that used to be one of the favourites of Napoleon I. He awarded a gold medal to the House of Juglar in 1810, 19 years before the estate was bought over by Jacquesson.
These two bottles will be added to Buyan’s existing collection of seven bottles of 1907 Charles Heidsieck & Monopole Champagnes found in another shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. These were part of a Swedish cargo sunk by a German U-boat during World War I in 1916. These bottles were also on their way to the court of the last Tsar Nicholas II, great grandson of Nicholas I.

Another historical wine in Buyan’s possession is the oldest drinkable wine in Asia, a Vin Jaune from 1821, which will not be put up for sale. Buyan currently also owns 20 bottles of the world’s most rare vintage wines – some of which pre-date the two world wars and are actually available on their wine list including a 1877 Chateau Margaux, a 1883 Lafite Rotschild and a 1859 Mouton Rothschild.