Son’s Talk: What’s Trending
This year’s Wine & Dine Festival 2025 and Wine & Spirits Fair were as lively as ever, but what was more intriguing were the several distinct trends emerging clearly on the ground...
High-end consumption has not receded. Local patrons remain willing to pay for fine wine, especially when faced with Bordeaux or Burgundy Grand Cru estates, or top-tier Scotch whisky. Generous spending was a common sight—I personally witnessed someone paying 100 tokens (HK$2,500) for a single 40 ml glass of DRC Romanée-St.-Vivant Grand Cru; another person spent 200 tokens (HK$5,000) for half a serve (just 7.5 ml) of Highland Park 56yo...! Rather than saying the market lacks money, it’s fairer to say it’s waiting for a compelling reason. When rarity, narrative, and experience are woven into an unrepeatable "here and now," paired with a visible sense of ritual—high-end guests can taste supreme vintages in plain view, amplifying both their prestige and the memory. What they are offered is not just fine wine, but the "privilege of being noticed." When this social halo is tied to scarcity, the decision to spend becomes direct; otherwise, even the most expensive wine is just a price tag.
On the other hand, low and no-alcohol beverages are no longer a polite footnote at the end of the wine list but have moved to center stage as new protagonists. The younger generation’s inquiries and conversion to tasting No/Low options are noticeably faster than in previous years. They are not seeking a mere "substitute" that mimics traditional alcoholic drinks but a choice with flavour and attitude: low-ABV cocktails, No/Low ABV beers, and non-alcoholic sparkling teas with layered aromatics—a refreshing style that finds a new balance between health and socialising. For brands and distributors, this is no longer a secondary product line. I've recently gotten to know many sparkling tea brands whose sales in hotels and restaurants are rapidly growing, and they frequently feature at luxury brand events. Whoever can articulate their brand image, product packaging, flavour profile, and food pairing in a compelling way stands to gain both reputation and market share in the coming years.
As for the promotion of Chinese spirits in Hong Kong, this year saw greater effort and clearer differentiation. Successful booths, for the most part, understood how to use the market language that resonates with the Hong Kong audience: packaging and visuals adopted international designs, quality narratives were specific and clear, pricing was simple and transparent, and the on-site experience tempo was just right. They better understood how to present products in a format more readily accepted by Hong Kongers—for instance, translating Baijiu (white spirit) or Huangjiu (yellow wine) into cocktails, introducing lower-ABV versions of Baijiu as an entry point, or even serving them as ice cream, sorbet, or desserts. This ensures the first contact is one of pleasure and curiosity, not intimidation, naturally drawing crowds. Brands that further provided clear tasting notes, pairing suggestions, and small (50–100 ml) sample bottles were visibly more popular. It’s also worth noting that if Chinese spirits can collaborate with cross-scene partners like Michelin-starred restaurants or artisanal coffee shops, the results are far more effective in reaching young and middle-class consumers than relying solely on traditional Chinese cuisine! Conversely, those who insist on transplanting mainland China’s standard promotional tactics and visual layouts to Hong Kong often result in confusion and an "outdated" perception: the product itself might be good, but the campaign fails at the last mile of cultural translation and channel execution.
We witnessed high-end consumption pursuing the demonstration of the Ritual of Scarcity; No/Low drinks embodying the trend of Healthy Light Socialising; and the promotion of Chinese spirits highlighting the importance of Cultural Translatability. Whether it’s a top vintage, a crisp sparkling tea, or an innovative Baijiu rendition, consumers are ultimately paying for the experience and meaning imbued in the product. I remain confident that Hong Kong is a city willing to pay for good content and good stories. The market does not lack resources; it lacks a reason that is simply irresistible. Therefore, we at Wine.Luxe will continue, as always, to organise and arrange more stylish, interesting, high-profile, and innovative wine trend events in the coming year. Stay Tuned!!!
今年的美酒佳餚巡禮2025及Wine & Spirits Fair依然熱鬧，但更令人玩味的，是場內幾股清晰的潮流……
高端消費並沒有退潮。本地客仍然願意為好酒買單，尤其在波爾多、布爾岡Grand Cru列級名莊、或者蘇格蘭頂級威士忌面前，豪爽之舉屢見不鮮——我親眼看見有人為了一杯40 ml DRC Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru，揮手便是100個Tokens（$2,500）；又有人用200個Tokens（$5,000）飲了半份只有7.5 ml 的 Highland Park 56yo……！與其說市場缺錢，不如說它在等待一個漂亮的理由。當稀缺、故事、體驗被織成一個不可複製的「此時此地」，再加上一點可被看見的儀式感——— 高端客便能在眾目之下品嚐頂級佳釀，面子與記憶同時被放大。給他們的不只是好酒，而是「被注目的資格」。當這份社交光環與稀缺性綁定，出手就有了更直接的理由；否則，再名貴的酒也只是一個價格標籤。
另一方面，低酒精與無酒精飲品已不再是酒單末尾的禮貌性選項，而是走到舞台中央的新主角。年輕一代對No/Low的詢問與試飲轉化，明顯比往年迅速。他們追求的不是模倣傳統酒精飲品的「替代」，而是有風味、有態度的選擇：講究香氣層次的無酒精氣泡茶、低ABV雞尾酒、No/Low ABV啤酒等，能在健康與社交之間找到新平衡的清爽風格。對品牌及經銷商而言，這已經不是附庸的產品線，最近認識了很多氣泡茶的品牌，他們在酒店及餐廳的銷售額越來越高，在各類奢侈品牌的活動中也屢次登場，誰能把品牌形象、產品包裝、味道結構與食物配對說得動人，誰就有機會在未來幾年收割口碑與份額。
至於中國酒類在香港的推廣，今年更見力度，也更見分化。成功的攤位，多半懂得使用香港受眾聽得懂的市場語法：包裝與視覺採用國際化的設計，品質敘事具體清晰，價格簡潔明白，現場體驗節奏恰到好處；更懂得用香港人更易接受的形式去演繹，例如把白酒、黃酒轉譯成雞尾酒，推出低酒精度的白酒版本作為入門梯級，甚至以雪糕、雪芭或甜品來呈現，讓入口的第一秒先是愉悅與好奇，而非門檻；於是自然聚攏人氣。更進一步如果能清楚標示Tasting Note與用餐配對、並提供小支裝（50–100 ml）的品牌，受歡迎程度明顯更高。更值得提醒的是，如果中國酒能與米芝蓮餐廳、手工咖啡店等跨場景合作，比單靠傳統中菜更能觸達年輕與中產客群，成效更佳！另一邊廂，如果仍沿用內地慣用的宣傳手法與視覺編排原封不動地搬來香港，結果往往是「看不懂」與「老氣」：產品或許不差，卻敗在最後一公里的文化翻譯與渠道落地。
我們目睹了高端消費追求稀缺儀式感的展演；低/無酒精飲品體現了健康輕社交的趨勢；而中國酒的推廣則凸顯了文化轉譯力的重要性。無論是頂級佳釀、清爽的氣泡茶，抑或創新的白酒演繹，消費者最終買單的，是背後被賦予的體驗與意義。我始終相信，香港是一座願意為好內容、好故事付費的城市。 市場不缺資源，缺的是一個讓人無法拒絕的理由。所以我們《Wine.Luxe 酒.派》會在來年繼續一如以往，組織安排更多時尚有趣、注目度高、以及創新酒潮流的活動，Stay Tuned!!!