Ever since Bubble Wonderland set up the first Hong Kong wine pop-up shop last March at Fashion Walk, the Causeway Bay area has turned into a Mecca for similar projects. In the past 12 months, there’s been Whisky Live, Vinothek Berlin, Spectacular South Africa and the just-finished Spanish Wine Passion. Now, Bubble Wonderland is back at Fashion Walk with a new name – Sparkling Summer.
Pop-up shops are attractive because they can offer a holistic experience rather than just wine. In addition to wine, which is the main theme of all these pop-ups, there are food and lifestyle products. Some even offer travel and cultural experiences. With travel restrictions still in place, consumers can find solace at these pop-ups. People who aren’t interested in wine don’t usually visit wine shops, but they might be attracted by these pop-ups because of their diverse offers. The pop-ups act as brand ambassadors of wine and the countries they represent.
With Sparkling Summer, over 100 sparkling wines from major wine countries are being showcased, including champagne and crémant from France, Franciacorta and Prosecco from Italy, cava from Spain and Cap Classique from South Africa, plus bubblies from Australia, New Zealand and Japan and sparkling sake.
The highlight is the sabrage zone. Sabrage is the technique of opening a bottle of sparkling wine using a sabre. This activity is in collaboration with Bollinger champagne house, famous for being James Bond’s preferred champers.
On weekends, Sparkling Summer conducts lifestyle workshops such as champagne and sparkling sake pairings with caviar and fragrance candle workshops featuring Bern and Atelier Cologne. I can’t think of a better way of spending a few relaxing hours in the bubbly and fragrance worlds, forgetting about the worries of today.
This pop-up consists of two phases. In May, Sparkling Summer will join forces with French GourMay, the local food and wine festival dedicated to French gastronomy, for Rhômantic Bistronomy. Bistronomy refers to French bistro fare using seasonal produce cooked with haute-cuisine methods in order to create a deliciously accessible dining experience. This year, diners can enjoy bistronomy dishes with wine from Côtes du Rhône, a wine region in southern France and the partner of French GourMay.
From now until 29 May, you can visit Sparkling Summer at Shop 2, 2–4 Kingston Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay (opposite Food Street) for a taste of sparkles from around the world and enjoy hearty wines from Côtes du Rhône. The pop-up is open daily from 12–7pm. Activities and workshops can be found here.
The pop-up trend is going strong in Hong Kong. Vinothek Berlin, the German wine pop-up that debuted last year, will return to Causeway Bay in June, at the same Kingston Street location as Sparkling Summer. Stay tuned for more information!
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