Kevin Wang is new to the wine industry but has big plans. Photo Supplied
Kevin Wang is new to the wine industry but has big plans. Photo Supplied
An international student on track to complete a viticulture degree in Hawke's Bay says he hopes to take his winemaking skills back to China in the future - where there is big potential for the wine industry.
China is only a small market when it comes to wine exports from New Zealand.
New Zealand's wine exports were worth about $1.9 billion in 2021, most of which went to the US, the UK and Australia.
Just $28 million worth of those wine exports went to China.
"In China, wine is not really a big part of the culture, but it is a good potential market because there are so many people there," Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) student Kevin Wang, 20, said.
"I thought that because I am bilingual it would be to my advantage to study wine here and then bring it back to China one day."
Wang and his twin sister moved to New Zealand from Beijing at the age of 15 to complete their schooling, first in Auckland, then Hawke's Bay.
A trip to Church Road Winery sparked Wang's passion for wine. Photo / NZME
A trip to a winery with his wine-loving father was enough to convince Wang to enrol in the Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine Science course at EIT in 2020, after finishing up at Havelock North High School.
"We wanted to explore the region and ended up at Church Road Winery [in Napier] which I found really interesting.
"I thought 'why not try this', and that is how I decided to come to EIT," he said.
"When I realised that I wanted to study wine, I went to the high school career adviser, and he told me there were two options – EIT, or going down south to Lincoln University.
"I felt it was better for me to just stay in Hawke's Bay and study here."
Wang is in the final year of his degree and is also working part-time at Trinity Hill's Cellar Door.
He hopes to continue working there after graduation, before heading overseas to gain experience in France and Italy.
While he has missed being able to travel home to China to see his parents during Covid-19, Kevin says he has loved studying.
Recently, Wang also featured in a marketing campaign by Education New Zealand.
EIT School of Viticulture and Wine Science head Sue Blackmore congratulated Kevin on doing a great job as an Education NZ ambassador.
"We are also looking forward to welcoming back students from outside New Zealand's borders to enrich the experience for all our students."
