The Vino 494′s popular wine line-up (Image courtesy of Galleria Department Store)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – What kinds of wine do shoppers who spend more than 100 million won annually at department stores prefer? According to data released on October 23 by Galleria Department Store, Burgundy wines and champagne dominate their luxury wine purchases.
An analysis of sales from The Vino 494, the upscale wine boutique that opened last month at Galleria’s Luxury Hall in Seoul, reveals that among VIP customers spending over 100 million won annually, 45% of wine purchases were Burgundies, while champagne accounted for 30%.
Burgundy, a region in east-central France, boasts the highest number of government-designated premier cru vineyards.
It’s home to the legendary Romanée-Conti, often called “drops from heaven,” which can command prices in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per bottle. The region is particularly renowned among wine enthusiasts for its Pinot Noir wines, known for their delicate flavors and challenging cultivation.
The Vino 494′s popular champagne line-up (Image courtesy of Galleria Department Store)
Artisanal champagnes are also gaining popularity among these elite customers, particularly RM (Récoltant Manipulant) champagnes — small-batch productions using grapes from single vineyards cultivated by the winemakers themselves.
“Our VIP clients gravitate toward wines with high exclusivity, similar to limited-edition luxury goods that others can’t easily obtain,” said a representative from The Vino 494. “We’ve noticed a growing preference for distinctive, small-production champagnes.”
The wine boutique specializes in rare and prestigious wines, including Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy, transported in temperature-controlled containers. In its first month of operation, the average purchase per customer was 990,000 won, with wines priced over 1 million won per bottle accounting for 43% of total sales.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
