Claudia Capelvenere of Castello del Vino recalls how her mother created one of the largest wine companies in Hong Kong and how she has continued that legacy
Let’s be frank… Hong Kongers like a drink. Whether it’s an after work happy hour or Instagram-worthy cocktails you’re after, the city has a number of great bars to suit any occasion. But what about when you want to enjoy a nice glass of wine at home? We sat down with Claudia Capelvenere of Castello del Vino to find out how the family owned and managed company became the pioneer Italian wine importer in Hong Kong.
The tale of Castello Del Vino
It’s hard to believe that there was a time when wine was not readily available in Hong Kong, but Managing Director of Castello del Vino and Valdivia, Claudia Capelvenere remembers back when her mother paved the road for Italian wines into Hong Kong. Now, she continues to push the boundaries by looking for creative ways to showcase wine in the city.
Hi, Claudia. We’re big fans of Castello del Vino. Tell us how the business got started in Hong Kong.
So, my mother started the wholesale business, Valdivia, in 1975 after my father had been transferred to Hong Kong with Alitalia. She was actually a laboratory technician by trade, and back then in Hong Kong there were only really French wines available on the market. My dad, being Sicilian, couldn’t keep drinking French wine, so he got my mum to start the company, even though she knew nothing about wine. And from that single idea we became the pioneers of Italian wine in Hong Kong.
In those days, don’t forget, there were hardly any freestanding restaurants, so it was all hotels, and she would deliver one bottle of wine to each of them for many years. Back then consumption of wine was really minimal, and my mum really had to train herself about Italian wines because she did a lot of education on the market, as no one else had the knowledge.
So how did she build up that wine knowledge?
My mum’s a very smart lady, and as she was working with all of the Italian wine suppliers, she went to Italy and learned directly from the vineyards. And my father is actually from the restaurant trade, so he had lot of wine knowledge already, which helped of course. He actually started working at the age of six in Sicily when he would be singing and dancing on the tables to try and attract clients to the restaurant. So my mum learned very quickly, and gradually more and more restaurants and bars opened up in Hong Kong and the company just expanded and expanded.
When did wine really start to become popular in Hong Kong then?
Well I joined the company after I finished university in 1994, and already then there was big consumption, but nothing compared to what it is now. And in the 80s and 90s, wine dinners were a really novel thing because suppliers weren’t visiting as often, not like these days where they happen every month.
What have you seen change in the world of wine since you started with the company?
When we first started we brought in the very traditional types of Italian wine, like Chianti and so on. Pinot Grigio wasn’t as well known, it came about a little bit later. So it was the more traditional wines that were popular in Italy. But nowadays, vineyards can create over 100 wines because it’s so much easier to export than it was back then.
While we are the Italian wine specialists in Hong Kong, we do also stock labels from New Zealand, Australia and further afield. We also like to try different ways for people to experience wines, rather than solely hosting wine dinners. We’ve had people enjoy tastings out on the harbour for example, and it’s nice to give people new and unique experiences.
And how else has the company changed since its inception?
Well it didn’t take long for mum to realise she couldn’t just deliver a single bottle to hotels! As the business grew and we got our own fleet we expanded and developed and we opened Castello del Vino as the retail branch back in 1996. That gave us scope to bring in Italian food products like cheese and salamis, and we were the first ones in the city to do that. We also started to offer wine delivery to homes and offices, and people can mix cases to really try all the different varieties we offer and enjoy wholesale prices.
Anything special we can look forward to from Castello del Vino in the coming months?
We do like to set trends, and we often bring in a new grape or a new region, in fact, we’re now bringing in English wines. We’ve got a brand from The Cotswolds that’s won awards from Decanter, so I do like to keep things new and creative.
Castello del Vino, G/F, 12 Anton Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, p. 2866 0587, 灣仔晏頓街12號
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