Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Award-winning wines shine at Vinessen Korea's tasting event
Michel Lamoot, CEO of Vinessen Korea, speaks during the company's grand tasting event at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Vinessen Korea
By Lee Gyu-lee
Wine importer Vinessen Korea opened its third grand tasting to the public, offering wine enthusiasts an opportunity to explore its award-winning selections.
The annual tasting event, held at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Monday and Tuesday, presented a wide variety of wines and other liquors from France, Italy and Portugal, inviting about 700 guests who registered in advance.
The lineup included wines from Château Malescasse of the Bordeaux region’s Haut-Médoc in France, Tenuta Casenuove from Italy and Quinta da Côrte from Portugal, as well as Ragnaud Sabourin cognac from the Grande Champagne region.
“Unlike last year and the year before, where we presented the entire production line, this time we prepared with a focus on new lines so existing customers won't get bored. And this year, we organized more of a party atmosphere to promote our wines to general customers, inviting not just business-to-business personnel but also individuals for (the) business-to-consumer market,” Kim Young-kwan, senior manager at Vinessen Korea, told the Korea Times during the event.
“Though we mainly deal with (businesses such as) hotels, restaurants and wine bars, we invited the general public to introduce our company to a wider audience and allow them to make direct purchases at good prices.”
Guests taste wine at Vinessen Korea's grand tasting event at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Vinessen Korea
For nearly a decade, Vinessen Korea, the top ninth wine importer in the country, has been working with Vinessen France, founded in 2005, to distribute carefully selected high-quality wines from across France to the Korean market. From classic French wine to Italian and Portuguese wine and trendy spirits, the company keeps a diverse beverage portfolio to supply to Korean consumers through renowned hotels, restaurants and wine bars.
Michel Lamoot, CEO of Vinessen Korea, noted the company is dedicated to meeting the Korean consumers’ values in quality and price of wine, directly sourcing from wineries to provide selections at reasonable prices.
“More and more people are getting better knowledge about wine (in Korea) … Customers are looking more and more to have a feeling on the nose and on the palate when they taste wine. And here, we are very much looking for quality as far as wine is concerned,” the CEO said.
“We are buying wine directly from makers in France with no middleman and in Korea (and) we're distributing without (a) middleman as well. So we are recognized today as an import company with the best value for money.”
Maud Kessler, global sales director at Vignobles Austruy, introduces wines at Vinessen Korea's grand tasting event at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Vinessen Korea
In order to provide the selections that meet Korean consumers’ high standards, the company focuses on bringing in award-winning wines.
“We are looking for a wine with a medal. So most of the wines we are seeing have been rewarded at competitions. This brings a guarantee,” he said.
“(For example,) one might not know Château Marjosse wine from Bordeaux, but if (I tell) you this is a gold medal from Bordeaux, it becomes interesting. So this is very important for customers to know; it’s a gold winner, it means something.”
Representatives from local wineries in France, Vignobles Austruy and Ragnaud Sabourin, joined the event this year to meet Korean consumers and share its products in depth.
Noting that Korean consumers tend to be more open-minded than other country’s consumers, Maud Kessler, global sales director at Vignobles Austruy, shared its wineries’ pursuit of fresh yet elegant tasting wine that aligns with the consumers’ preference.
“It's important to be in Korea because you have a lot of things to do and to be learning from, and people are very interested in many new things … In Korea, I think French wines are more important and interesting because people are trendier,” she said.
Marine Deschamps, a representative from Ragnaud Sabourin, introduces the brand's cognac during Vinessen Korea's grand tasting event at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Vinessen Korea
“We are unique because it's family-owned and it’s important for us to get a wine which is elegant, easy to drink with mineral freshness … So it's very important to really open a barrel like now and not wait for years. It’s a new style.”
Marine Deschamps, a representative from Ragnaud Sabourin, which has offered a niche, premium cognac since 1850, shared that it intends to bring more recognition toward well-crafted cognac with its presence in Korea.
“It is our goal to share the craftsmanship of cognac since we are wine growers and we also have our brand. Our goal is really to offer an enjoyable moment to Korean people, to make them want to come to France and discover French history and know how making cognac is,” Deschamps said.
“I'm really impressed because (Korea) has very good culinary arts and is very open-minded to discovering new things. So I'm pretty sure that cognac is going to be more and more present in Korea as the time comes.”