Betting on White Wine, Misha’s Vineyard Returns to Hong Kong

Riding on the growth wave of white wine, Misha’s Vineyard from New Zealand has made a strategic return to Hong Kong this October.

Misha Wilkinson, one of the founders and leaders of this family business, highlights the rising trend of white wine consumption in Hong Kong—and China more broadly.

“If you look at the statistics across China and Hong Kong, more people are choosing white wine,” Misha said, noting that local food preferences influence the growing trend. “A lot of seafood is eaten, and white wine is a better wine match.”

Misha also observed that the increasing personal consumption of wines has contributed to the rise of white wines, indicating a more developed market. “People are not just buying on prestige; they are buying because of taste, and that happens as people learn more and more about wine.”

Established by the couple Andy and Misha Wilkinson, Misha’s Vineyard is situated in the scenic lakefront region of Lake Dunstan in Central Otago, New Zealand’s only inland wine-producing area and the southernmost wine-producing region in the world. The vineyard’s high altitude and cool climate are ideal for the couple’s preferred grape varieties: Pinot Noir and white wine grapes.

In 2010, Misha’s Vineyard was recognized by Decanter magazine as one of New Zealand’s Top 20 Wine Producers.

Distributed by Amorosso Fine Wines in Hong Kong, Misha’s Vineyard offers five wines in the market, with two Pinot Noirs, two Gewürztraminers, and one Sauvignon Blanc. With prices ranging from HKD 168 to HKD 280 per bottle, Misha is confident about its market performance in Hong Kong, emphasizing the budget-friendly value for money.

“Perhaps people have traded down a bit in terms of the wines they are drinking, but that actually is good for New Zealand, because we don’t have the sort of sky-high prices of a Burgundy or Bordeaux,” Misha said.

Having lived in Singapore and Hong Kong for many years, Andy and Misha want to reflect this Asian connection to their products, with the design of the screw caps serving as a prime example. In the 19th century, Bendigo in Central Otago, where the vineyard is now located, was a popular destination for Chinese gold miners from Guangdong, the province near Hong Kong.

Coincidentally, Andy purchased gold coins from that field at an antique market and used their appearance as inspiration for the design of the wine screw caps.

Misha’s Vineyard wines primarily target the on-trade market of premium hotels and restaurants, while retail availability is provided through Amorosso Fine Wines’ stores, as well as Wine Cloud, the distributor’s online purchasing platform.