HiteJinro "Sincere About Wine, Putting 'Jinro' Name and Authenticity"

Interview with Kim Kyunghoon, Head of Premium Brand Team, Marketing Division, HiteJinro

‘Jinro Red Wine’ Released After 3 Years of Development... Collaboration with Italian Winery
Same Tasting Survey Conducted During Development Including Jinro... Focus on Consumer-Friendly Wine Development
Italian Sicily Nero d'Avola Brewed Using ‘Sundry’ Method... Characterized by Long Aftertaste

Kim Kyung-hoon, Head of Premium Brand Team, Marketing Division, HiteJinro

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] "'Jinro' is HiteJinro's most important and precious brand. Launching a wine under that name means we are committed to making the best wine that consumers can trust and choose without worry or doubt."

On the 11th, Kim Kyunghoon, head of the Premium Brand Team at HiteJinro's Marketing Office, said in an interview with Asia Economy that the trust in the quality associated with the Jinro brand in the soju market is equally valid when choosing wine, and the product made with sincerity to prove this is the 'Jinro Red Wine.'

Last month, HiteJinro officially launched its first premium wine under its flagship brand Jinro, the Jinro Red Wine. Although HiteJinro has imported and exported various wines over the years, this is the first time it has directly participated in development. Kim said, "As a leading domestic liquor company, we started the wine project with the idea that our consumers should be able to enjoy the best wine at a reasonable price," adding, "To create an accessible standard in the process of entering the advanced wine market, we applied the Jinro brand and the toad character."

He emphasized above all that the three-year development process focused on creating a consumer-friendly wine. Unlike most wines imported after expert tastings by brand managers of importers, Jinro Red Wine was made based on both expert evaluations and consumer tests. Kim stated, "We selected partner companies and candidate base wines based on three guidelines: quality, authenticity, and rationality. Based on this, we conducted numerous consumer tasting surveys, similar to the development process of soju and beer like Terra and Jinro, focusing on making a wine that is easy to enjoy and accessible to everyone."

HiteJinro 'Jinro Red Wine'

After conducting base wine development and comparative tastings with various renowned wineries from France, the United States, Italy, Spain, and Australia, the final selection was the base wine made from the indigenous variety 'Nero d'Avola' by the Carlo Pellegrino winery in Sicily, Italy. Kim said, "The top priority in the development process was undoubtedly taste and quality," and expressed pride, saying, "We did not insist on famous varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon but purely based on consumer choice, we completed a wine that combines the typical characteristics of red wine with our unique strengths."

Jinro Red Wine is harvested later than usual, allowing the grapes to dry slightly on the vine, then gently pressed and slowly fermented in temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, followed by aging for more than four months to stabilize before release. The 'sun-dry' harvesting method and restrained use of oak emphasize a rich fruit aroma and a long finish. Kim explained, "The base wine initially provided by Carlo Pellegrino had less complexity than now, but after several requests for modifications such as oak aging based on the strengths of high-end wines favored by Korean consumers, the current base wine was born."

HiteJinro currently states that Jinro Red Wine is settling into the market faster than any wine the company has sold before. They have already completed consultations with partners to ensure supply meets demand based on sales trends and have proceeded with a second order. Kim emphasized that Jinro Red Wine is the beginning of HiteJinro's wine project. He said, "This project started under our name and is not a simple one-time event; various consumer tests are currently underway." He added, "As the economy becomes tougher, consumers will be more cautious, so the wine market, which offers the 'joy of choice and consideration,' is expected to grow further. We will do our best to create wines recognized for quality by wine enthusiasts and easy to trust and enjoy for new consumers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.