A crash course on the latest trends and developments in the world of wine and spirits looks set to be one of the leading attractions at Vinexpo Asia Pacific 2006, being held next month at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, reports www.ehotelier.com.

A formidable body of experts will offer valuable insights into the products to be showcased at the event as well as in-depth analysis of the key markets at the Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 'University', an ambitious programme of lectures, seminars and tastings offering professionals a great opportunity to gain an understanding of an range of specialised subjects in a short time. "Vinexpo Asia-Pacific will bring together the vast majority of the key players in the wine and spirits business in the region and their international suppliers. It will provide an unparalleled opportunity for the exchange of ideas and information between experts in the field," said Vinexpo Chief Executive Robert Beynat, A report on worldwide trends in wine and spirits consumption from Vinexpo partner, International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR), will arm participants with the information they will need to formulate marketing strategies over the short to medium term in a number of mature and developing markets. IWSR has analysed prospects up to 2009-10 globally with a special emphasis on China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Australia.

Other events that have created a buzz of interest include masterclasses by Tony Jordan, CEO, Cape Mentelle, Cloudy Bay and Domaine Chandon (Green Point), and by Shinya Tasaki, who became the first Japanese to be awarded the first prize in the World's Greatest Sommelier Concours in 1995. He now runs the Shinya Tasaki Wine Salon and is internationally recognised as a leading educator.

"Wine belongs with food and increasingly people are recognising that it is an ideal complement to Asian cuisines," explained Beynat. "Accordingly, we have organised a number of special tastings during which participants will learn to create new harmonies between Eastern dishes and Western wines." The Hong Kong-based food and wine consultant Simon Tam will present a session in which Chinese food is matched to a range of suitable wines and another tasting will focus on finding partners for characteristic dishes from other parts of Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia and Japan.

Each seminar will contain two parts, a theoretical presentation including, for example, cultural differences in taste preferences and a profile of ideal wines paired with specific cuisines and a lunch with Asian dishes paired with both suitable and unsuitable wines. There will, of course, be an abundance of wine tastings. More than 40,000 bottles are expected to be opened over the three days of the show.

The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (with 68 owners) will present the 2003 vintage for expert appraisal, while the Cercle de la Rive Droite will also invite professionals to familiarise themselves with 'The ex-pression of Right Bank Merlot'. Both event are scheduled for May 23. Saint-Emilion wines will be in the limelight on May 25. The Saint-Emilion Grands Crus Classés will present the 2000 to 2005 vintages and the Saint-Emilion Winegrowers' Association will organise the Grands Crus Classés Challenge, a knockout tasting competition of the 2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages of 32 owners featuring an expert jury of well-known wine journalists and tasters.

Sopexa, the organisation which promotes French food and drink overseas, will present four seated tastings of wines from Alsace (May 24), Burgundy (May 23), Languedoc (May 23) and Provence (May 24).

On May 23, t he Deutsche Weininstitut will present the much-anticipated 'Wines of Germany: Riesling Renaissance'. Wines from China, Chile, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand will also be highlighted in major tastings.

"People come to Vinexpo to establish and strengthen business relationships, but also to learn. The Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 'University' will arm them with a wealth of new and relevant information and deepen their understanding of a complex subject and a demanding business," Beynat concluded.