Europe Meets Korea: Wine Comes to Traditional Market

A ‘Wine Café’ will open at the traditional market in Yeongdong, Chungbuk Province, which has been designated as a special industrial zone for the production of grapes and wine. (Image : Yonhap)

YEONGDONG, Jan.26 (Korea Bizwire) – A ‘Wine Café’ will open at the traditional market in Yeongdong, Chungbuk Province, which has been designated as a special industrial zone for the production of grapes and wine.

The local government plans to invest 200 million won to open a wine café next to the parking lot of the Yeongdong traditional market.

When it opens in May, the café will be managed by the market committee.

A space to sell and taste wine produced in the area will be created, and an exhibition area holding various wines from all over the world will entertain wine lovers who visit the facility.

Officials from the local government commented that they first planned to open the café near Yeongdong Station. However, they changed the location to the traditional market to boost foot traffic in the area and at the same time promote wine from the region.

Wine produced in Yeongdong. (Image : Yonhap)

Grapes are grown on 2,200ha in the region, which represents roughly 12.6 percent of all the vineyards in Korea.

Since the area was designated as a special industrial zone for the production of grapes and wine in 2005, 43 wineries were established to achieve the goal of developing wine with 101 different tastes.

An annual wine festival has been held over the past five years, and European techniques were benchmarked to improve the quality of wine produced in the region.

The local government has been operating a wine academy since 2008, and has seen 454 participants complete the course, which includes classes about wine fermentation, manners, and how to taste wine. (Image : Yonhap)

In addition, the local government has been operating a wine academy since 2008, and has seen 454 participants complete the course, which includes classes about wine fermentation, manners, and how to taste wine.

By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)