The Tokyo edition of renowned American wine critic James Suckling’s Great Wines World event returns Nov. 5 after making its debut last year. The event will be held at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.
Curated by Suckling, a globally influential figure in the world of wine, Great Wines World showcases more than 260 wines rated 92 points and above, from 150 of the world’s top producers across 35 regions. Under Suckling’s 100-point scale, a wine with more than 90 points is considered “outstanding.”
The first edition of Great Wines World was held in Hong Kong in 2014. Since then, it has taken place in cities such as San Francisco, New York and Bangkok. Last year’s inaugural Tokyo edition sold out.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect such a fantastic turnout at our inaugural Great Wines World in Tokyo, especially among people in their 20s and 30s,” Suckling told The Japan Times via email. “I was told by key members of the Tokyo wine trade that young people in Japan don’t drink wine, but we proved them wrong.”
Great Wines World Tokyo’s lineup is dominated by French producers, especially those from Bordeaux, such as Chateau d’Issan from Margaux and Chateau Calon-Segur from Saint-Estephe. Suckling says this is because Bordeaux vintners “believe that Japan is the best fine wine market in Asia, and therefore the best market for them in the region.”
Apart from catering to market trends, the wine selections of each Great Wines World event are also tailored to the demographics of the host city.
“The event in Miami has a higher percentage of South American wines because of the large Latin American community there, while the one in New York features more Italian wineries,” Suckling says.
Great Wines World Tokyo will be held in a walk-around tasting format.
“There will be guided tastings and short presentations by top winemakers,” Suckling says. “It’s an interactive experience that lets wine lovers connect directly with the people behind the bottles.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.