Notes from the floor
On 22 October, a tasting by Bordeaux Wines set out to dust off the image of Bordeaux abroad. Easy-drinking whites, crémants and reds, family estates, career changers and a fair trade collective.
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.
We road-tested the Kairos electronic wine aerator – a contactless, mmWave-based device new to Vietnam – with three Ho Chi Minh City sommeliers:
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.
At Vinexpo Asia 2026, a panel on regenerative viticulture brought together growers from Mendoza, McLaren Vale and Marlborough, and the message from buyers was clear: they want proof, not promises.
From a vertical of vintage Port to Korean cheongju and Burgundy vodka: the off-site tastings, spirits, and what’s next for Vinexpo Asia.
At Vinexpo Asia 2026, the UNSIGNED pavilion brought together natural wine producers from five countries – and Tunisia made its Vinexpo debut.
