December 12, 2016
South Burnett wines will be featured prominently in Hong Kong’s most influential wine magazine in 2017.
Nelson Siu, the CEO and editor-in-chief of Hong Kong’s Wine Luxe magazine, will be paying a flying two-day visit to the South Burnett in January to research a feature on the region, along with his company’s multimedia director Matthew Ma.
While here, he will also be given an insight into the region’s ability to airship local wines directly to Hong Kong through Wellcamp Airport’s new weekly overnight freight flights.
The trip has been organised by South Burnett Wine Industry Association (SBWIA) president Jason Kinsella, who first met Mr Siu on a trip to Hong Kong earlier this year.
Mr Kinsella would like the South Burnett’s wine industry to open export trade links with Hong Kong, a country that imports more than $1.8 billion worth of wine each year.
Australia’s share of the Hong Kong wine market has grown from 9 per cent to 18 per cent in the past three years, but at the moment no Queensland wines are available there.
Mr Kinsella said he was very excited about Mr Siu’s visit, which could be the first step into a new market for the region’s wineries.
The trip has drawn support from fellow SBWIA members, the South Burnett Regional Council, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Mr Siu and Mr Ma will be flying from direct from Hong Kong to Coolangatta Airport on Friday, January 6 for a lunch at Cassis Restaurant, followed by visits to Cranes Winery at Booie and Kingsley Grove Estate at Stuart River before overnighting at Taabinga Station and vineyard.
The following day Mr Siu and Mr Ma will visit Tipperary Estate, Clovely Estate’s Steinhardt Road and Clovely Lane vineyards, before lunch at Moffatdale Ridge, an afternoon visit to Clovely’s Murgon winery, and then an evening barbecue with South Burnett wine producers at Barambah Homestead.
Mr Kinsella said the SBWIA will be following up the visit with export training for members and preparation for exhibiting at HOFEX, Hong Kong’s largest wine show, next year.
- Related article: Local Wines To Feature In Hong Kong
