Photo credit: Danis Lou, Unsplash
Frédéric Cayuela is one of our Account Managers in Tokyo, having worked around the world in the wine trade for the last 12 years. Here, he shines a light on the Japanese market – what’s changed since he’s been based there, and what the future might hold.
My initial interest in wine began as a teenager. I was in Roussillon in the South of France, curiously observing my grandfather drinking his daily glass of wine. My palate was too young, not yet seasoned, so the finer flavours were lost on me. But this memory, combined with my first harvest at the age of 14, stirred an early interest in wine.
My experience in the wine industry spans 12 years, two of which are here at the Berry Bros. & Rudd office in Tokyo. With about 25 different certifications, I am the embodiment of a “wine nerd”. During my time in France and Singapore, I worked in wine sales; and in Japan, I worked in wine media and as an instructor at the renowned Academie du Vin in Tokyo.
Japan is a very mature wine market. When I arrived here five years ago, I was thrilled to meet some of the most knowledgeable Burgundy and Bordeaux experts I have ever encountered. That said, the Japanese market has undergone a significant transformation over the past few decades. The high-end French labels that were dominant in the ’90s and early 2000s have given way to a growing
This Article was originally published on Barry's Wine Blog
