It is under a drizzling rain that I arrive in Geneva. After two weeks of perfect weather, I can’t help wondering if that’s a bad omen. I was certainly hoping for better weather to shoot the vineyards.
Ngonista’s first conference brought together three homegrown spirits producers, a ProWine Asia presentation, and an industry panel – a homegrown, independent showcase for Vietnam’s wine and spirits scene.
Ngonista’s first industry panel – moderated by Lê Hoàng Khánh Vi, with Nimmi Malhotra, Mary Vu and Jack In Bartender – covered pandemic-era home drinking, the bar scene it created, how Vietnam compares to Hong Kong and Singapore on tax and GDP, and pairing wine with Vietnamese food without a rulebook.
Minkyu poured me a glass, and I was immediately transported into a very different universe. Where the Sparkling Magpie was festive and light-hearted, I felt like the Tiger Reserve would be the ideal companion to a late night of drinking with close friends, when the time has come for sharing confidences and life-contemplation.
We road-tested the Kairos electronic wine aerator – a contactless, mmWave-based device new to Vietnam – with three Ho Chi Minh City sommeliers:
Osaka-born sommelier Yu Yamamoto won the first-ever MICHELIN Sommelier Award in Vietnam for his work at Lua, a hidden Thao Dien wine bar turned farm-to-table restaurant. We sit down with him to talk about building a wine list from nothing, the natural wine debate, and the fast-rising Vietnamese scene.
At Wines Experience Ho Chi Minh City 2026, five sommeliers from Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand asked where Southeast Asia’s wine market is heading – and shared four bottles that made the point.
At Wines Experience Ho Chi Minh City 2026, we sat with three Italian producers: Cantina Maria Faretra from Puglia, Cantina Paltrinieri with their centennial Lambrusco, and Conte Collalto from Conegliano Valdobbiadene – plus a frank conversation about what the Prosecco name actually means.
At Wines Experience Ho Chi Minh City 2026, a NielsenIQ-supported panel asked what comes next for Southeast Asia’s hospitality and wine markets. The data was revealing. The answers were more so.
Just a train ride away from Tokyo City Center, Ishikawa Brewery is laden in history and traditions. Cellar Bridge takes you on a visit into the heart of sake and beer brewing.
