By Kim Tong-hyung
While Korea is earning its stripes as a wine-drinking nation, it remains to be seen whether it will ever be taken seriously as a winemaking region. If it does fail in its search for respect, it won’t be for a lack of trying.
A growing number of farming regions across the nation are competing to show they have game in the art of fermenting grapes, and with apologies to Yeongdong, Hwaseung, Daebu Island and Gimpo, Yeongcheon of North Gyeongsang Province looks to have the most convincing case.
Of course, Yeongcheon had a predetermined advantage as Korea’s leading grape-producing region. Its vineyards represent about 12 percent of the country’s grape-growing land to provide 13 percent of the fruit consumed nationwide. The area’s hot and dry weather rewards local farmers with sweeter grapes and municipal officials are now hoping the advantage will extend to their attempts to take a slice of the wine market.
Wine enthusiasts and farmers are responding to the regional government’s efforts to foster a wine industry, which began in 2008. According to the Yeongcheon Wine Business Organization, there are 17 wineries currently operating in the area, producing 30,000 bottles a year and combining for an annual 10 billion won (about $9 million) industry.
This is enough to make Yeongcheon the country’s most vibrant winemaking community but not enough for it to be even a blip on the radar for world-renown wine regions like France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy and the United State’s Napa Valley. Nonetheless, Yeongcheon officials express confidence that the seeds have been sown for bigger things to come.
``About 90 percent of the grapes produced in our vineyards are grown for eating and 10 percent for winemaking. We believe the proportion of winemaking grapes will increase in the next few years as our wine industry receives further recognition,’’ said Kim Ji-hyun, a senior marketing official at the Yeongcheon Wine Business Organization.
``Right now, the wines produced in Yeongcheon are consumed domestically as our industry has yet to achieve an economy of scale where we can think about exports. Still, we believe we can carve out our presence in niche markets if we successfully differentiate with foreign wines in style and grape varieties.’’
The room for growth is obvious. Korean wine accounted for just 3 percent of wine consumed in the country last year. In comparison, locally-produced wine control 40 percent of the market in Japan, a country that is much more advanced in winemaking skills and experience.
It’s hard to believe but Korea actually had its own winemaking boom. Modern winemaking in the country started in the late-1960s under the reign of military leader Park Chung-hee, who promoted fruit-based beverages to reduce the amount of rice and grain used in alcoholic drinks.
Locally-produced wine enjoyed huge popularity from the early 1970s to the late `80s, thanks to Oriental Brewery’s Majuang, Jinro’s Chateau Montbleu and Haitai’s Noble Wine. After the country liberalized its import markets in 1987, however, most of the local brands perished in competition with foreign offerings, with Majuang left standing as the lone survivor.
Of the wineries in Yeongcheon, Hankook Wine, which produces a variety of reds, whites and bubbles under the Vincoree brand, is the largest. Independent producers and farmers also make wines under the Ciel label, managed by the regional government.
Yeongcheon winemakers are clamoring for recognition, and Hankook Wine and Cave Story, another Yeongcheon winery, provided their products for banquets during Association de la Sommellerie Internationale’s World Sommelier Competition held recently in Daejeon.
While Korea is new on the world’s winemaking map, it can’t model itself after major New World regions like Chile and the U.S., which take full advantage of their market size and favorable conditions in viticulture to produce massive volumes of quality wines at cheap prices.
Korea’s chance at relevance will hang on its ability to produce distinctive vintages that reflect the special characteristics of the geography, geology and climate of its regions.
So while Yeongcheon has enjoyed some success in growing major wine grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and chardonnay, Kim says its future will depend on finding its own grape variety.
A good candidate is Muscal Bailey A, commonly called ``meoru’’ by Koreans which is capable of producing wine with distinctive and earthy flavors. And while Campbell grapes, Koreans’ favorite for eating, aren’t normally considered for wine, Kim says those grown in Yeongcheon have ample sugar content for winemaking.
``We get about 20 degrees Brix or more for our Campbell grapes grown in the area, which is good enough to make wines with around 11 percent alcohol content without adding sugar,’’ Kim said.