Alice Wong is a Physical Therapist by day and Wine Educator by night – something she calls “the beauty of balance”. Five years ago, she founded Vinetude Asia to provide a broad range of professional wine education and consultation services, including personal coaching and official wine certification courses, as well as internal corporate training, event planning and portfolio management. She tells us about her passion for wine and where her business is headed.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
I relocated to Hong Kong from New York about eight years ago. My original profession was in physical therapy, and wine was purely a hobby for me at that time. I fell in love with Barolo at a cosy trattoria one snowy night, and from that point on I got completely hooked on Italian wines. In 2018, I became an official Italian Wine Ambassador through the prestigious Vinitaly International Academy from Verona. It was known in the industry to be an extremely difficult title to obtain, and I was very proud to be its first batch of graduates of the enhanced edition. Being a Barolo lover, I am also very involved with the Order of the Knights of the Truffle and Wines of Alba in Hong Kong, actively promoting the typical wines and food of Alba. Nevertheless, I never forgot my root in orthopaedics and sports medicine. So I’m a Physical Therapist during the day, and a wine educator at night. Therapy and Wine – why not? Some people think it’s a contradiction. I call it the beauty of balance. I am good at what I do, and I have the best of both worlds!
What inspired you to start Vinetude Asia and what does it offer?
I was very fortunate to have met great people over the years who prompted me to establish my career in wine. My network was genuinely built over a glass (or bottles) of wine, and I got to see how different people perceive wine. Some approach wine with passion, others with curiosity, yet quite a few are full of criticism. Aspired to build the bridge between the gaps, I founded Vinetude Asia with my fellow WSET Diploma graduates in 2017. We provide a broad range of professional wine education and consultation services, from personal coaching and official wine certification courses, to internal corporate training, event planning and portfolio management. We believe wine is fun and versatile. “There is a wine for everyone” forms the guiding principle of our vino pedagogy.
What is your favourite memory while running your business?
I love how my wine business opens the door for endless thrilling encounters. One of my favourites was being part of the “Vinitaly Marathon” in Verona. The annual campaign is the most symbolic for Italian wine, drawing tens of thousands of producers, merchants, and visitors to the city of Romeo and Juliet within those 12 days. For me, serving as a wine judge, tasting some of the rarest wines and meeting with legendary winemakers were truly memorable, not to mention the great friends I have made along the way. The sensation from the grand occasion was phenomenal, and the inspiration carried forward was long-lasting.
Are there any business or personal goals you are planning to reach this year?
Yes! Many wine events have come to a pause in the past two years due to coronavirus. With the situation seemingly improved in Hong Kong, I believe we are ready to raise the glass and celebrate! I already have quite a few projects lined up with several Italian government bodies to promote Italian wine and gastronomy via various platforms. One of which is Vino Condiviso, an elegant sit-down tasting event that allows wine lovers to discover over 60 Italian wines off the beaten path. My goal is to help more people decipher the complicated Italian wine systems, but in an enjoyable way!
In addition to large scale events, I also want to focus more on the American community here in Hong Kong. In the past 12 months, many of them have left and moved back to the U.S. for many different reasons. This has made life somewhat depressing for those who are staying behind, especially for foreigners without family support here. Therefore, my other goal this year is to bring some positive vibes to this close-knitted group through smaller, more intimate workshops and tasting events. Although it sounds counter-intuitive to allocate my resources to a potentially “shrinking population”, I truly believe the expat community here is unique and worth my effort.
How do you make yourself happy and ritzy in life?
Needless to say, a nice glass of Barolo would make me very happy! But there is more to it. Without stories, without people, there’s no true appreciation of wine (or anything in life)! So to feel the happiness, power and glamour in life, I connect to the world using wine as my medium. It can be a free-flow Champagne (or Franciacorta) brunch with girlfriends, a fancy and elaborate dinner with celebrity chefs, a reminiscence of an iconic vintage, or an intellectual discussion about grape varieties on the verge of extinction. Wine opens up my world. There’s a book called “Never Eat Alone”. For me, it’s “Never Drink Alone”! Indulge in a bottle of Vino Italiano with me and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
