Announcing Virtual Whisky & Wine O’Clock Asia Pacific

By popular demand, The Moodie Davitt Report’s ‘Virtual Wine O’Clock’ event comes to Asia Pacific next week — but with a twist (and maybe some ice…).

The first-ever ‘Virtual Whisky & Wine O’Clock’ will be held Wednesday 22 April at (7pm Singapore/HK time, 9pm Sydney time).

To date, two Virtual Wine O’Clock sessions have been conducted via Zoom, welcoming a total of 110 travel retail wine lovers (you do not have to work for a wine company or be a wine buyer) from all over the world. The first was set (virtually of course) in Italy — home to some of the world’s greatest wines — and the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. And last week we visited Spain, a great wine-making country but similarly hard hit by the outbreak.

Check out the highlights of our last Virtual Wine O’Clock in the video above

The home country for the first Virtual Whisky & Wine O’Clock will be New Zealand, birthplace of The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie; and home to the mighty All Blacks (what’s one loss to England between friends?), a fine travel retail industry, and undoubtedly one of the most outstanding political leaders in the world, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

In wine terms, the country is especially well-known for its outstandingly fruity and clean, crisp whites (led by Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough); its elegant New World Pinot Noir; some thrillingly zesty sparklings; and some excellent Cabernet-led blends. It even has a small craft whisky-making industry.

Why the whisk(e)y addition? “Well, wine not?” replied Martin Moodie. “Many of Asia’s leading travel retailers are whisk(e)y aficionados so if they would prefer to sip on a fine single malt from Scotland, a dram from Japan, Taiwan or Ireland, then great.”

Entry is free to all and no sponsorship or selling is allowed. As with the last Virtual Wine O’Clock there will be a fun wines & spirits quiz (no googling allowed) and some great prizes (liquid of course). The only other rule is that all participants must have a glass (or more) of wine or whisk(e)y to hand and to share their choice (virtually) with other guests. You don’t have to be a wines & spirits executive or buyer, just a member of the travel retail community who likes a good glass of wine or a quality dram.

To register, please email Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com headed Virtual Whisky Wine O’Clock. Zoom details will be sent out next Tuesday.

Some familiar faces in the travel retail community joined us for a ‘digital toast’ via zoom during our second Virtual Wine O’Clock event

Food & Beverage The Magazine eZine