Despite its ancient history of wine production and a climate well-suited to vine growing, Lebanon’s wine industry has experienced a series of setbacks over the centuries. Elie Maamari, export and marketing director of Château Ksara, told of the major milestones in the country’s wine history with a review of its current status. [...]
Armas winery is located in the heart of the historic world of wine, in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia. Victoria Aslanian recounted how her family has preserved the 100-year-old tradition in its wine casks. Read the complete Article (pdf)
Baijiu is at the very core of the most noble and ancient Chinese craftsmanship, explained Jinzhong Ai, winemaker at the Beijing Red Star Co., Ltd. Produced by fermenting and distilling sorghum – a grain widely grown across China – the spirit has been made using age-old rituals for over two thousand [...]
A staple of the Korean drinking culture, soju has experienced good times and bad since its inception in the Middle Ages. In recent years, its popularity and sales have been trending up, as Sungwhon Jung, head researcher for the world’s leading distiller of soju, Hitejinro in Seoul, explained. Read the complete [...]
Perhaps in Asia more than in many other parts of the world, wine growing is a story of trial and tribulation. Weather conditions can be extremely challenging, forcing producers and researchers to be more resourceful than elsewhere. A case in point is Chien-hao Chen, [...]
Widely recognised as the cradle of wine, Georgia is not only home to a multitude of indigenous grape varieties, it has also developed unique techniques for producing wine. Giorgi Samanishvili, chairman of the country’s National Wine Agency, provided an overview of the history and [...]
Derek Sandhaus began his presentation by showing pictures of Machu Picchu before and after the trees had been cleared away to demonstrate that greatness can hide in plain sight, and to suggest that the situation with baijiu is similar. Baijiu lays claim to one [...]
Like everything else in the country, wine production has developed at breakneck speed in China with area under vine for wine grapes rising to 100,000 hectares in just a couple of decades. Weidong Huang, a professor at the China Agricultural University, reviewed the current [...]
The Koshu grape has been grown in Japan for centuries and has become an emblematic white varietal. Its present-day international success, however, was given a boost by OIV’s official recognition of Koshu as a grape variety in 2010. Shigeki Kida, chairman of the KOJ [...]
Like many Asian countries, Korea has a long-standing liquor culture. After colonisation in the 20th century nearly put paid to this heritage, production and consumption are now enjoying a renaissance, as former industry executive and professor Jong Ki Lee explained. Read the complete Article (pdf) [...]