Wine & Gourmet Taipei is Taiwan’s largest wine event and every year, international wineries find new business partners and importers when participating. Apart from getting in contact with the major distributors, their brands will be promoted through our various channels to facilitate a smooth entry to the market and raise awareness to their products among the consumer base. Wine & Gourmet Taipei is the only professional exhibition in Taiwan that integrates the entire supply chain of the wine industry, covering both local and international wine agents, wineries, professional wine cellaret and high-quality accessories. WGT also includes a variety of gourmets, master classes and extensive programs.
The Wine & Gourmet will take place on 3 days from Friday, 28. May to Sunday, 30. May 2021 in Taipei.
There’s a lot to like about Taiwan, a tiny island country. Taiwan, which is situated 180 kilometers east of China and has a population of approximately 23 million people, is an important and growing market for wine.
Taiwan is one of Asia’s top five wine markets, with Euromonitor predicting that demand will rise rapidly in the coming years, surpassing 25 million litres by 2021.
Since the 1990s, when drinking wine was a status symbol for rich businessmen, Taiwan’s wine industry has expanded dramatically. Modern wine connoisseurs are increasingly looking for varieties that offer more than just old-world prestige and a steep price tag.
Wine drinking in Taiwan
The new wine demand in Taiwan is being pushed ahead by sharp young female buyers, and wine intake in Taiwan has increased by 8.5 percent in the last seven years.
Taiwanese wine drinkers are used to consuming wine with their meals. In Taiwan, drinking wine in restaurants is common and widely embraced. Taiwanese people prefer a night out at a restaurant to a night out at a western club. Food and wine go hand in hand in Taiwanese culture, and wine is becoming more popular in this sense.
The wine industry benefited from the growing interest in and success of local wine events like the Wine & Gourmet Taipei Festival, the Taipei Wine & Spirits Festival, and the Taichung International Wine Exhibition. These events encourage wine enthusiasts to learn about various types of wine, as well as specific grape varieties and growing regions from around the world.
According to a recent Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) survey, 54 percent of Taiwanese adults drink at least regularly, and among these drinkers, 30.8 percent favoured wine, while beer consumption remained strong (30.6 percent) and liquor trailed far behind (29.4 percent ). 45.8 percent of Taiwanese do not drink at all, and 0.2 percent of those polled did not respond.
According to Statista statistics, Taiwan is still one of the world’s least wine-consuming countries (when opposed to spirits and beer).
Taiwan is well-known for its pearl milk tea, pineapple cakes, and fried chicken, among many other traditional foods and snacks. But did you know that Taiwan also makes award-winning chocolates? Continue reading to learn more about Taiwan’s one-of-a-kind tree-to-bar chocolates.
In Taiwan, the tree-to-bar idea in chocolate production is still relatively recent. Chiu, Taiwan’s first bean-to-bar chocolatier, planted his first trees in 2003. He successfully manufactured chocolates from scratch for the first time in 2010, kicking off the trend of cacao cultivation and chocolate production in Pingtung, Taiwan. Many people are unaware that Taiwan grows cacao and makes chocolate, considering the fact that it has only been around for about a decade!
Taiwan not only produces special tree-to-bar chocolates, but they have also won several awards! Taiwan received its first prize at the World Chocolate Awards in 2017. Fu Wan Chocolate’s Tie Guan Yin tea-flavored dark chocolate was a favorite of the judges. As a result, this distinct Oriental flavor was awarded a gold medal.
Red wine used to account for more than 80% of the market. Powerful wines such as Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz remain common, but with many younger wine drinkers choosing white wines, their appeal is dwindling. White wines account for 10% of the overall market share. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling are common white wine varieties. Taiwanese customers are increasingly interested in light and sparkling wines.
Sweet wines, such as the world-famous Tokaj wine, are popular in Taiwan. This is a common trait of a modern wine market. Rosé wines continue to be a very niche commodity. White and rosé wines are the most common for those under the age of 35.
Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor is one of Taiwan’s most popular kaoliang brands. It is made on the island of Kinmen, as the name suggests. The regular 58 percent and 38 percent alcohol bottlings are the range’s mainstays. Kinmen’s kaoliang production can be traced back to the Chinese Civil War, when Chinese nationalist general Hu Lien urged Kinmenese farmers to cultivate sorghum in order to manufacture hard liquor because importing alcohol from Taiwan was financially burdensome. Kaoliang liquor has become an essential part of Kinmen’s economy and plays an important role in Kinmen society.
Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation manufactures Yusan Kaoliang Chiew (Chinese: ; pinyin: Yùshn Goliáng Ji). It is named after Yushan, Taiwan’s highest peak. One of the most notable brands in the line is a “X.O.” kaoliang that was aged in tanks for five years before bottling.
Matsu Tunnel 88 Kaoliang Liquor (Chinese: ; pinyin: B B Kngdào Goliáng Ji) is manufactured by Matsu Distillery in Nangan Township, Lienchiang County. The name is taken from Tunnel 88, an unfinished military tunnel that the distillery took over as a storage space for their kaoliang and aged rice wine.
According to the Kantar Brand Footprint 2020 survey, Taiwanese purchased 86 million items from I-Mei Foods Co. last year, making it the No. 1 organization for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
This meant that an estimated 7.7 million Taiwanese households, or 88.9 percent of the total, had purchased an I-Mei product at least once.
The report examined 1.5 billion buying decisions made in the previous year and found that 7.7 million households consumed an I-Mei beverage per 10.1 days on average, with dairy and soy beverages leading the way. About the fact that the Taiwanese food industry was under intense scrutiny during food safety scandals in 2013 and 2014, the organization maintained a positive reputation for quality.
Other FMCG brands on the list included Kuang Chuan, which came in second with 61 million purchases by 6.65 million households, and FreshDelight, which came in third with 46 million purchases by 5.85 million households.
Taiwan is a bit different in handling the global COVID-19 pandemic, as its citizens have not experienced major lockdowns as a result of the disease, unlike other countries, the pandemic has however had a considerable impact on consumer’s ability and desire to socialize in bars, restaurants, and even at home.
RTDs alcohol or Ready-To-Drink alcohols has increased volume sales in 2019, appealing to demand among females and younger drinkers of legal age by offering various sweet flavors and innovative products. RTDs are usually associated with a lower percentage of alcohol which fits perfectly to consumers’ preference to avoid high levels of intoxication, along with the trend towards healthy living evident in the country at the end of the review period.
While companies have changed their product lines to produce medical alcohol to help combat the Covid-19. Low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beers have the potential for growth, driven by the health trend evident in Taiwan. This is likely to be boosted by increased awareness of the relationship between overall health and obesity on the severity of COVID-19.
The food and beverage industry is one of the most essential components of several economies across the world. The 2020 global food and beverage market size is estimated to be $7 trillion. Changing consumer lifestyles and consumer preferences, growing demand for organic food products, and evolving consumption and selling patterns are the key trends in the global market.
Taiwan’s food and beverage market size are poised to report a strong growth rate over the forecast period due to increasing population, rising disposable incomes, coupled with changing trends and product innovations. The increasing number of restaurants, fast-food chains, and food delivery apps such as grub hub, caviar, and others enhance the availability to consumers, resulting in strong growth in the food and beverage industry. Besides, the rising demand for organic, natural, and fresh foods among consumers due to rising health awareness is the major factor expected to enhance the demand for the food and beverage market.
Taiwan’s food and drink industry will still continue on a positive growth path in 2021, despite a slow down in food spending growth due to the high base effects in 2020 as consumers shifted their purchasing patterns amid high levels of unpredictability due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Market Research’s forecast in alcoholic drinks spending growth to return to growth this year while spending on non-alcoholic drinks will only see minimal growth in 2021. Over the medium term (2021-2024), they forecast food and drinks spending growth to remain positive, supported by positive economic growth and increasing disposable incomes.
Tseng Noodles or Zheng Noodles is one of the most famous brand noodles in Taiwan. The noodle is very famous and different from other noodles because of its handmade ribbon style ramen. Aside from its peculiar look, the noodle itself is made of quality products and has chewy texture. Tseng Noodles are simply amazing!
Their Tseng Noodles Scallion with Sichuan Pepper Flavor is equally impressive. It has a nice and tasty salty soy and oil with a fiery Sichuan pepper hit which has a nice heat level. The heat works well with the flavor, which makes everything balance.
Tseng Noodles has successfully distributed and exported its products internationally. It has found its way to Costco, Jason’s Market, and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, expanding its market to the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, and Malaysia.
Kuai Che was founded by the son of a young couple who were working hard from Chiayi to the north, they gathered in the Nanmen Market to sell dried meat. The son who was living with his grandparents was taken back to Taipei by his parents and was taught how to do business in the market together with his sister.
The family owned a small stall in the market, eventually grew into ten stalls and has adapted to online marketing techniques to inject vitality into their business born in traditional market. The packaged was changed and launched, invited people to join on Facebook with 48% discount as part of the strategy. In just 6 months, Kuai Che, was promoted to the top 100 popular online sellers.
Kuai Che is the producer of Pork Paper or Pork Jerky, one of the Taiwanese people’s favorite past time snacks. They prefer and insist on doing the traditional process in making the Pork Jerky which is hand-baking. All their pork jerky is made from fresh pork hind leg, marinated in ancient soy sauce that has been brewed for 180 days and baked at high temperature after vacuum massage. Thickness, maturity, and color must be taken into account at the same time. The heat is a unique technique.
The company’s signature can be described as think and thick. Their best-selling almond thin crispy paper takes an average of 1.5 hour to complete each piece. The thickness is only 0.01 cm, it is thin, transparent, and crispy. In order to prevent chipping, it is necessary to manually insert them one by one during packaging. They also have a 1 cm signature thick pork jerky, which is made in limited quantities every day to ensure freshness. It is rich and firm, and the gravy is sweet.
This year, they have re-developed a new product “Vitality Bar”, which has become the new favorite of group buying among office workers.
