export American wine

[winetrade99]

Hello wine experts,

I live in VA and hope to export American wines to Hong Kong/China as a business venture. How can I go about to find quality wines? Should I work with wineyard directly or should I contact a wine wholesalers? Or should I start from getting wine from Cosco? Can someone give me some help and advice.

Thanks,
w99

[winoweenie]

Hate to say this WT99 but hope you are loaded. This fits into the old saw about how do you make a small fortune in the wine Business?....Start with a large one. WW

[wineguruchgo]

Hi Winetrade99,

Welcome to the wineboard!

Providing you have all of your ducks in a row (ie: licenses and such) there are a few ways to go. You can buy directly from the wineries or go through brokers directly in your area.

Please understand that you will need these wines temperature controlled because they will be on the open seas for weeks at a time. You also need a dependable shipper.

You also are going to need a distributor at the other end who is going to be reputable and again, keep the wine temperature controlled.

Please also understand that this may be great for right now, but the big boys (Southcorp, Mondavi) have been looking for properties in China for the past 5 years. If and when they are up and running you will have some severe competition over there.

Way too many variables for us to answer your question properly. You really need to get together with a legal team and people in the industry in Virginia. I'm sure you aren't the first one to think of this. I'm sure the Aussies have a great handle on the market because of their proximity.

Sorry I couldn't help more.

[winemonger]

I recommend you contact the WSSA. They are in Reston, Virginia and can help you figure out your logistics.

Best of luck!

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[url=http://www.winemonger.com]www.winemonger.com[/url]

[Innkeeper]

Hi Winemonger, and welcome to the Wine Board. We appreciate your participating here. We do wish you will only advertise on the appropriate thread, Adverising/Promotion; and remove your website from your posts by editing them. I'm sure all will understand. Thanks.

[Kcwhippet]

So, who, or what, is the WSSA? Never heard of an organization with those initials, at least not one relevant to wine.

[This message has been edited by Kcwhippet (edited 09-16-2004).]

[winemonger]

Sorry about use of website in signature. It's common practice on other boards, but I'm happy to keep it out when I am here.

WSSA stands for Wine & Spirits Shippers Association. I don't work for them, but I have worked with them and been very happy. They arrange all the logistics of getting your wine (and spirits, obviously) from there to here or here to there. That includes trucking, ocean freight, etc. etc. Very helpful if you are working in a country where you don't speak the language.