Veuve Clicquot oenologist Frédéric Panaïotis, in town to launch the 1999 vintage, says Hong Kong's luxury image is a perfect fit for the brand

Hong Kong is an important market for prestigious French Champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, with its sophisticated consumers leading world trends.

According to oenologist Frédéric Panaïotis, who visited the city in November to launch Veuve Clicquot's 1999 vintage, it's not the size of the Hong Kong market that matters, but the exposure it delivers to the brand.

"We don't want to be everywhere; we just want to be in the best places," he said. "An international presence is very important to us. For our customers who travel the world and know and love our brand, they expect to find it in the best hotels. In Asia, that means we must be in Hong Kong."

Veuve Clicquot, part of the LVMH Group, has had a presence in Hong Kong for more than a century and has set up its regional headquarters here.

Luxury image

Currently, the Hong Kong market is a stand-out performer, growing 20 per cent per year for the brand, while some other markets are quite flat or even losing ground. "We see Asia and in particular China as the place of the future, more so than Europe," Mr Panaïotis said.

He says Hong Kong has a luxury image that other cities find hard to match. "We see Hong Kong going in the direction of Japan, where people value quality over price - and they're prepared to pay for it. This is evidenced by the fact that top restaurants - such as Petrus at the Island Shangri-la - sell top-end wines (including vintage) by the glass."

China is going the same way, Mr Panaïotis added. He said Hong Kong would be Veuve Clicquot's platform to the mainland, where the increasingly affluent and brand-conscious consumers' appetite for luxury goods includes fine wines and Champagne.

In 2004, Veuve Clicquot chose Hong Kong as the first Asian location to host its prestigious Business Woman of the Year award. CEO and president of Veuve Clicquot Cecile Bonnefond said at the time that Hong Kong is the door to Asia. "It's where you have to be if you want success," she said.

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