bring on the drinks!

Tis’ the season to be jolly and in this festive season, many of us find merriment in great wine. The term “great”, however, and reasonably, can and should take to mean different qualities, depending on who, what, and where.

Some find greatness in affordability. The American Express Tower Club Wine Awards 2010 honoured 128 wines this time, a record high. The Awards is unique as it recognises quality wines that are value for money. Categories are divided according to price tiers and the judging panel is made up of both wine consultants and members of from the public. The Auntsfield Heritage Pinot Noir 2005 Marlborough from New Zealand emerged as the Champion Wine. (See more winners on pg 28-30.)

And it seems that New Zealand wines are indeed on the rise in popularity in Singapore. The New Zealand Wine Fair held on November 2, 2009 in Singapore offered an exclusive showcase of over 200 premium wines from 60 of New Zealand’s top wineries such as Maria Villa and Church Road. The famed New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is leading the country’s wine growth with a 37 percent increase in its 2008 vintage. (Report on pg 31-35.)

Singapore is now New Zealand wine’s largest Asian export market, with over one million litres of New Zealand wine worth NZ$13.3 million (US$9.87 million) entering the island in the year to June 2009. This is a 320 percent increase in the value of New Zealand wine exports to Singapore since 2006. Other strong Asian markets include Hong Kong, Japan and China.

Not to be outshone by the New World, Spanish vintners are upping their market competitiveness and attractiveness via a design quotient. Research has shown that the savvier wine shopper will choose first by region and then by price. Old World Spanish wines may enjoy a longer or richer heritage but in a highly visual market, the label of the product also plays a mammoth role. (See pg 38-39.)

Little wonder then, that consumer demand is the single most important issue on the top of the minds of leaders in the food and drinks industry. Be it retailers or manufacturers, the issue of the economy and consumer demand ranks first in the year 2009. Kudos to the above-mentioned vintners who have identified this and are already in actively partaking in setting trends in the consumer market.

Placed second on the overall ranking is the subject of food safety. Given this concern and the stringent regulations in place for Malaysia’s Halal accreditation system, the Penang International Halal Hub (PIHH) is positioning itself to be Asia’s best in this field. Not only does the Penang State give priority focus on the PIHH’s development, the agency in-charge itself also actively upgraded its operations – the Penang Port is the first port in Malaysia to achieve the MS1900:2005 “Quality Management Systems - Requirements from lslamic Perspectives” for the provision of container handling services and dedicated warehouse services within Penang Port (pg 14-16).

But besides Islamic countries and their neighbours, more education and promotion must be done on the benefits of a Halal certification. Though it originated from religious beliefs, non-Muslims, especially in the West, must grow to understand that Halal is also about trustworthy food quality and safety.

And for our non-alcohol-drinking readers, check out our articles on the trends shaping drinks in general (pg 24-27), and on Australian dairy (pg 20-21). The former suggests that the future of drinks hinges on “glocalisation”. Authors of the article refer to “glocalization” as the tension between the global and the local, which opens up various possibilities for new product developments. For example, innovations in the beer segment are developing along three trend lines: “fusion”, “region” and the combined themes “health/lifestyle of health and sustainability”.

What do you think could be the trends that shape our future in this industry in the coming year? Share with us your views. Write us!

Nicole Liang
Assistant Editor