Wine Enthusiast Establishes Presence in Hong Kong
CPA-turned wine educator, Debra Meiburg
Growing up in California's Sonoma region, Debra Meiburg, a chartered public accountant by profession, never thought she would have a grape career based in Hong Kong.
Now she gives wine lectures, writes a weekly newspaper wine column and is currently working on her dissertation for the prestigious Master of Wine title.
The former wine professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York, says "work hard, play hard" Hong Kong is the best place for an oenophile like her.
"I grew up in Sonoma wine country surrounded by vineyards but unfortunately my family was never in the wine business. I became a CPA but my true love was languages.
In my earlier years, I was an exchange student in El Salvador, Central America and traveled a great deal in Germany when I was young. Somebody suggested I tried working in this part of the world so I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong for three years and after that, ran a non-profit exchange program, AFS Intercultural Programs.
In the 1990's, I took wine courses from the Wine Institute of Hong Kong as it seemed the fun thing to do. My fascination with wine became a 'hobby gone wild' and years later, I found myself seeking the highest title in the wine world: Master of Wine.
There are only 243 Masters of Wine in the world, but none in Asia, yet. For the Master of Wine title, there is no set curriculum, so we have to rely upon past exam questions and other Masters of Wine for guidance. I met two very good friends in Hong Kong who study with me.
To get more experience, I worked at several wineries in Chile, as a cellar hand in New York, pruned vines at a top winery in Bordeaux and spent all my free time attending wine conferences around the world.
Homeward Bound
I met my husband, Patrick, in Hong Kong and in 1997, when he was transferred to Rochester, New York, I became a wine professor at the School of Hospitality at the Rochester Institute of Technology where I taught wine appreciation and started a hospitality program targeted at international business and dining.
Three years later, we came back to live in Hong Kong and I have regarded it as my home since then. All that time, I was still studying and tasting wines from the classics to New World, writing a column for wine and also for a lifestyle magazine.
Two things launched my wine speaking career in Hong Kong. First, a friend asked me to donate a wine course for a charity function, which resulted in my conducting a wine tasting event in the auction winner's home. Attendees included pregnant women and some other tipsy guests and I was rather worried how the whole evening went.
As it turned out, it launched my career as some of the guests hired me to do wine appreciation classes for their corporate clients. Hong Kong is such a word-of-mouth village. If Hong Kong people like and trust you, you can achieve anything here.
Companies value client relationships, so they are willing to invest in my programs. I don't think I could be nearly as successful as a 'corporate edutainer' anywhere else in the world; at least, I would not be able to command the fees I have been given.
Hong Kong is an affluent city; it's a 'work hard, play hard' kind of place where people have the financial means and are willing to spend on pleasures and pay for education.
Most of my engagements are for Hong Kong Chinese attendees but the level of English is very good which makes my job easier. I speak a bit of Cantonese, so I often make comments in Cantonese to liven up my lectures.
There is a vibrant international community here which is comforting to me as an expatriate. There is such a thirst for knowledge in Hong Kong which is good for me as I love teaching in a classroom setting and watching people's eyes light up.
Hong Kong is seen as an important wine market and the gateway to China which is the fourth largest wine bottler in the world. We have top level wines here and top wine producers and distributors come to Hong Kong. The city's proximity to the world's largest and fastest growing market is a distinct advantage and the consumption level is very high.
Recently, I gave a lecture on the Hong Kong and China markets in the Master of Wine Symposium in Napa Valley. It generated huge interest. My presentation was very well attended by over 600 people in the global wine industry as all eyes are on China. I pointed out the unique characteristics of these markets – for example, the bulk of wines drunk are red wine which is perceived as healthier and luckier and wine labels are often in red or gold or a combination of both.
I am so lucky to be in Hong Kong as it is a very international city and has access to a wide range of wines which you can't get anywhere else. The city has a great lifestyle. Where else in the world can you hike in the hills in the morning, go to a wet market in the afternoon and then attend a glamorous Gucci party in the evening?
You can only do it in Hong Kong."
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