But not content to be mere imbibers, many in the territory want the government to help them cash in on the region's booming wine appetite. In response, trade officials are considering policies aimed not only at making it easier for local connoisseurs to get their hands on fine vintages but also at turning Hong Kong into the region's distribution and trading hub for wines. While it will be a few months before new policies are announced, some of the proposals are outlined in a report the government commissioned from Arthur D. Little, the U.S.-based consulting firm. At the moment, say Hong Kong wine distributors, it's nearly impossible to turn a steady profit.
High tariffs keep the better wines out of the reach of all but the well-off.
Those who do supply buyers elsewhere in Asia have to store their wines in expensive bonded warehouses. Customs officers say Macau is also the conduit for a lot of Hong Kong's smuggled cheap wine. Even with such a need for reform, few distributors expect action soon. Past efforts to tear down the barriers have been stymied by the Finance Department, which doesn't want to lose tariff revenues, and by the Health Department, which worries about the health effects of wine on Chinese drinkers. Other distributors say that unless storage charges drop, wine from Hong Kong will remain too costly for export, even if government policies change.