For Asian Wine Professionals, the Path to Success Begins With Focus and Determination
story and photos by Wilfred Wong
How do Asian wine professionals navigate an industry that is sometimes uncomfortably Western-centric? It isn’t easy. Since the early 1970s, I have stayed steadfast in my goal to become an expert taster and a thorough student of the industry; early in my career, I was often the only Asian at any given wine tasting or conference. I did not let that deter me, however, as I kept my focus on doing what I had to do and wanted to do. In the meantime, the ethnic makeup of the wine industry has diversified over the years, but it still has a long way to go. After interviewing more than 20 Asian wine professionals, I found one commonality between them: focus and determination.
Upon arriving in Canada from Guyana as a child, Robert Chin, CEO of the Aquilini Beverage Group, became active in athletics and passionate about table tennis, winning national titles as he represented Canada internationally; that energy and competitive spirit served as his launchpad to the wine industry and continue to define him today. After spending most of his career at E. & J. Gallo Winery, the 30-plus-year industry executive is now on a mission to make Washington State, particularly the Red Mountain AVA, part of the fine wine conversation with his growing team at Aquilini, a leading North American beverage producer offering a portfolio of wine brands, ready-to-drink products, and spirits.
Taipei-born and -raised Angie An is the founder of online retailer Angie Somm. Recalling her father asking her as a young adult, “So when are you going to get a real job and stop bartending?”, she admits, “I had a difficult time explaining what I do and what I wanted to achieve.” This experience mirrors my own at age 23, when, after tasting an incredible aged German Riesling, I realized that wine was more than just liquid in a bottle. But I had to figure out how to build a career in a nontraditional way, as I was sometimes overlooked because of my Asian heritage; while I seldom faced blatant racism, I often felt like people were questioning if “this Chinese guy [could] be a real taster.” I simply ignored the skepticism and continued undeterred down my chosen path, and when I first met An, I recognized that same sense of determination and seriousness about her work. She is one of the few Advanced Sommeliers who is a bilingual speaker of Chinese and English.
Husband-and-wife team Dave and Lois Cho launched artisan winery CHO Wines in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in April 2020. While continuing to work as a nurse family practitioner, Lois serves as the director of operations; Dave, for his part, is the first Korean American winemaker in the state, having been bit by the wine bug when he and his band, Dave and The Cousins, performed at wineries in Southern California. I recently tasted their first releases: the 2020 Pique Me Piquette, 2019 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, 2020 Laurel Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé, 2020 Pétillant Natural Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé, 2020 Laurel District Pinot Noir Blanc, and 2015 Laurel Vineyard Blanc de Noirs. Their focus on making wines of purity, with a sense of place, is admirable.
Winefornia CEO/CFO Jeannie Kim and winemaker/owner Cecil Park are realizing their longtime dream of creating a sustainable wine company based in Napa Valley that assists its clients in winery/vineyard development and provides custom winemaking services in addition to making their own wines. They call themselves a “grape pair”: Kim is the CEO of Bridge Hospitality Management Group as well as the restaurateur behind San Francisco restaurant SAMS American Eatery and gastropub Fermentation Lab, while Park, the first female Korean American winemaker and viticulturist, manages over 80 vineyards throughout Napa Valley and Sonoma County. I recently tasted several wines from their expanding portfolio, including the excellent 2020 Innovatus Carneros Viognier, the savory 2014 Innovatus Napa Valley Cuvée Red, and the 2015 Winefornia Sonoma Valley Syrah.
Philana Bouvier is a dynamo. She is the cofounder of Be the Change, whose mission, in her words, “is to create a diverse alcohol beverage industry [built on] companies committed to creating real change through diversity and equality training, measurable results, and long-term policy”; she is also president of a recently formed sales and marketing company, Demeine Estates, which supports a dynamic and growing portfolio of domestic and international luxury wine producers. First-generation Vietnamese, she was born in Bangor, Maine, and began her career in Hawaii as a beer merchandiser.
Since then, she’s held several leadership roles in the industry, including EVP/general manager and senior vice president of new business development for Young’s Market Company and vice president of fine wine/supplier business development for Republic National Distributing Company. In 2019, she was recognized with SevenFifty Daily’s “Drink Innovator of the Year” award for spearheading efforts to advance women into wholesale C-Suite positions by increasing their access to high-level decision-makers and persistently challenging male executives to get in on the effort. She’s also been featured in Forbes and was named one of San Francisco magazine’s “Most Dynamic Women” in recognition of her fierce commitment to diversity and inclusion in the wine and spirits industry.
David Akiyoshi, a 35-year industry veteran, is currently the director of winemaking at LangeTwins Winery in Lodi; he long held the same position at Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, where he was instrumental in improving the quality of the label’s wines. He’s no stranger to major projects: When I was at BevMo! from 1995 to 2014, he was helping to launch Gen5, which was initially a private label and later became a national partnership between LangeTwins and Vino del Sol. Gen5 has now sold over 250,000 cases in the United States and has previously been ranked among the top 50 Zinfandels in the country, according to Nielsen data.
Wine and spirits expert Quinton Jay was already a seasoned wholesale professional when he opened Bacchus Wine & Spirits in Millbrae, California, in 2014. His retail shop is more than your local liquor store: Located inside of Pape Meat Co., it hosts butcher demos and consultations as well as wine dinners that aim to take the mystery out of food and beverage pairing.
Fah Sathirapongsasuti is co-owner and assistant winemaker at Sunset Cellars in Fairfield, California; Jin Zhang is wine club director/head sommelier at K&L Wine Merchants in San Francisco. Together they represent a new breed of Asian wine professionals, entering the marketplace at a time when the field is competitive and expanding.
With a background in science, Sathirapongsasuti is determined to make an impact on the industry as he takes on more winemaking and managerial responsibilities. “I am not shy to wear my Asian-ness with pride,” he says, noting that he is helping to build a coalition among BIPOC wine professionals both locally and online through groups like Asian Wine Professionals. Zhang’s extensive resume in hospitality includes back-of-the-house stints at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, and Jardinière, Liholiho Yacht Club, and Nari in San Francisco; she joined K&L Wine Merchants at the beginning of the pandemic. Both Sathirapongsasuti and Zhang stand out as rising industry stars to watch. The journey for the Asian wine professionals of yesteryear was different than the one we’re taking today. While there is still work to be done to improve diversity, standing out has become less of a stigma as our differences become more accepted. As comedian Steve Martin once said in an interview, “Be so good they can’t ignore you!” This is the mantra of the people showcased here.
