Wine Sales in East Asia Influenced by Manga

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Shizuku Kanzaki races against time to become a wine connoisseur in the four year-old manga series "The Drops of the Gods." What creators Yuko and Shin Kibayashi (under the pseudonym Tadashi Agi) didn't expect was the impact their work would have on the local wine market.

From a New York Times article: "In Japan, wine sellers grab copies of the magazine as soon as it comes out on Thursdays, quickly showcasing a featured wine in their stores or on their Web sites. According to Enoteca, a large chain, men in their 30s to 50s tend to ask for wines from the magazine, especially those priced around $30."

The wave of interest in wine because of the manga series has swept over South Korea as well, where the Kibayashis were treated like stars. From the same article, "...there was so little demand for Burgundy that even top hotels did not bother stocking it. But after the comic extolled Burgundy’s virtues, stores and hotels scrambled to secure stocks, which immediately sold out."

Thanks to Lette Teodosio for the link.

Read the full New York Times article.

Comments

wanderlust junkie said…
i love how Japan makes an interesting and creative mark into everything!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 2:15:00 AM GMT+8
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