On 12 December 2024, Czechia participated for the first time in the International Wine & Liquor Promotion (IWLP) event held at the Regent Hotel in Taipei. Each year (now in its 15th year), the IWLP is held by the local Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei (IEAT), which organises the event to promote and develop the alcoholic beverage market in Taiwan. The Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (CECC) collaborated with the National Wine Center on the event.

The National Sommelier, Mrs. Klára Kollárová, selected a collection of seven Czech wineries for the occasion, which included various wines, from white and red to sparkling. Klára Kollárová personally participated in the event, so not only did she represent Czech wineries, but also took personal responsibility for the selection and presentation of the wines. During the event, tastings were held, where visitors had the opportunity to taste and get detailed information about individual wines and the wineries that produce them. It seems that the Pálava variety could have interesting potential for the Taiwanese market due to its natural sweetness and the unfamiliarity of this originally Moravian variety in this part of the region.

This year, IWLP featured wines from 30 foreign countries or regions, New Zealand, Luxembourg (also a first-time participant, beer), Hungary, Germany, Argentina, Chile and Czechia, and local alcoholic beverage distributors from Japan, USA, France, Italy, Spain and other Asian countries (70 member companies importing alcohol). A total of 700 professional buyers attended the event.

We presented Czech wines from:

Vinné sklepy Kutná Hora
Vinařství THAYA
Zámecké vinařství Bzenec
Vinařství Mikrosvín Mikulov
Vinařství Škrobák
Krásná hora
SYFANY

A mini catalogue of Czech participation is attached.

Consumption, import, and sale of wine in Taiwan

Taiwan is still more of a minor market for wine, meaning that wine rarely forms part of weekly food and beverage purchases. However, demand for quality foreign wines has been growing among affluent Taiwanese for a long time. According to local association data, approximately 23 million litres of wine will be consumed in Taiwan in 2023 (which translates to roughly 1 litre per person). Of this amount, red wine dominated (56%), followed by white wine (40%), and sparkling wines accounted for 4% of consumption. Taiwan is almost entirely dependent on wine imports, with the value of wine imports exceeding 96% of Taiwan's total wine consumption. In 2023, wine imports worth over 300 million tonnes were imported. Imports from France, the USA, Italy, and Australia dominate, accounting for around 84% of total wine imports, and according to experts these imports are managed by around 40 local operators.

According to the value of sales (60 %), wines are mostly sold through establishments such as restaurants and hotels (i.e. for immediate consumption). The remaining 40% is sold through the retail channel, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, liquor stores, convenience stores, and online platforms. However, greater e-commerce sales of wine in Taiwan are hampered by laws that prohibit online sales of alcohol due to age verification issues (i.e. alcohol can be sold through e-commerce, but merchants must make extra efforts to verify the age of the customer).

The demand for quality red wine and white wines from the new world wine regions in Taiwan is growing, even among young professionals who are increasingly interested in gastronomy and wine. In addition, sparkling wines and wine-based cocktails are also on the rise. Taiwanese are increasingly interested in creative ways to consume wine, which includes innovative recipes for wine cocktails. This rapid increase in demand for quality wines and innovation in alcoholic beverages gives Czech wineries a great opportunity to establish themselves in the Taiwanese market.

 

Kateřina Heinischová, Head of Economic Section, Czech Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei