Chairman Lee Pil-woo of Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Alumni (SNU-ACADA), concurrently chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul.

In France, one of the world’s largest wine producers, wine is part of their life. Napoleon Bonaparte brought with him wine when he embarked on a campaign to Russia. The British also love to exchange toasts, saying, “Our Love, Like Wine, Gets Better with Time.”

In Korea, Wine Korea, a homegrown winemaker, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with global wine juggernauts. The Korean winemaker, which has now reached adult age, produces the wine brand “Chateau Mani.” Wine Korea has made strides as one of Korea’s top-class wineries. In particular, starting with exporting its brand to Southeast Asia, Wine Korea is expected to emerge as a global winemaker as the company has been making inroads into China and it’s market of 1.4 billion people, as well as such global winemaking countries as France, Germany and the United Kingdom. 

There are some 20 winemakers in Korea. Wine Korea’s stature is outstanding among Korean winemakers. The company ranks 1st in terms of taste, brand, market share and popularity among Korean sommeliers.  

Chairman Lee Pil-woo, who owns Wine Korea, has offered a helping hand to grape growers in Yeongdong, which has grown one of the richest farming centers in Chungcheonglbuk-do. (Photos:Chairman Lee’s Office)

What’s behind Wine Korea’s success? 

Yeongdong is the largest wine production center in Chungcheongbuk-do, which accounts for 76 percent of the province’s total annual wine production or 12.7 percent of the nation’s aggregate wine production. The brand Chateau Mani made its debut in 1995, 21 years ago. Yeongdong County, with a 50 percent stake and 190 grape growers, formed a cooperative to produce homegrown wine.

Chairman Lee Pil-woo of Seoul National University’s Advanced Center for Administrative Development Alumni (SNU-ACADA), concurrently chairman of the Association of Chungcheongbuk-do Residents in Seoul devotes himself to boosting the wine industry there. Chairman Lee, also a native of Yeongdong, has been aggressively investing in Wine Korea after acquiring a majority stake in the company from Yeongdong County. 

Wine Korea suffered hard times with annual losses before Chairman Lee took over the company. Yeongdong grape growers’ worries grew when county authorities disposed their stakes, since its shutdown could create havoc among grape growers. 

Given grape growers’ precarious situation, Chairman Lee made up his mind to invest in the company, giving them a ray of hope. Lee offered a helping hand to grape growers who had borrowed loans with cheap interest rates through the postal office and Nonghyup. 

Chairman Lee’s decision has led to a force behind Wine Korea’s remarkable growth every year. Yeongdong has become one of the richest counties in the province, particularly thanks to the development of the wine industry to which Chairman Lee contributed.

Chairman Lee usually buys wine products from Wine Korea in person for use at various events and distributes them as gifts, and his acquaintances also do the same in the interest of Wine Korea. “I extend whole-hearted thanks to Chairman Lee, the biggest shareholder, and all rank-and-file employee efforts have contributed to improving annual business performances, turning around to profits,” said a neighborhood resident.

Chairman Lee’s tenet on human development is to cultivate youths who are talented but poor into assets for the state. True to his commitment to human development, Chairman Lee has been contributing his own money to nurture talented manpower. Lee has offered scholarships to some 3,000 students for the past three decades. Chairman Lee donated 100 million won to the country for a scholarship program 13 years ago, and the scholarship has now swelled to 12.7 billion won from which some 300 students benefit annually. Many of the scholarship beneficiaries have now become prosecutors, lawyers, senior officials of the central government, professors and students who continue to study overseas. 

An inside view of the Wine Gallery.

An inside view of the oak barrel storage.

Why does Wine Korea call its own brand Chateau Mani? 

The brand is named after Mt. Mani, Yeongdong’s famous mountain. The brand uses such edible grape varieties as Muscat Bailey A; Cambell Eaely; and Delaware. Chateau Mani products contain low tannin, strong acidity, but high sugar content. Wine products of the brand are wonderful since they are fermented in oak barrels in a cave. 

Wine Korea produces some 1 million bottles per year; there are five kinds of four wine red wines and one white wine. 

The brand has won premier prizes at diverse drink competitions. It was picked as a toast wine for the “Korea Sparkling” event in New York in 2007, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism in which U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and diplomats from several countries were on hand. 

Wine Train, run by Wine Korea, offers a one-day train tour between Seoul and Yeongdong, departing from Seoul Station.

The wine train program, running twice weekly since 2006, is gaining popularity among young couple, newlywed couples and adults. Visitors can taste wine and hear a sommelier’s lecture while traveling on trains decorated with wine bars. More than 25,000 travelers enjoy wine trains annually.

Upon arriving at Wine Korea via a bus from Yeongdong Station, travelers can tour such facilities as an underground wine cellar, a wine outlet, a wine bar and a gallery. Some 100 oak barrels and 50,000 wine bottles are put in a cave that the Japanese imperial army dug during its colonial rule of Korea. 

The wine train tour program includes foot massages in wine, which is gaining popularity among Chinese and Japanese tourists, who enjoy it because of relaxed muscles and brisk blood circulation. The tour goes on to the ancient great musician Park Yeon’s memorial in Yeongdong. 

Yeongdong is seeking to put the town on the Unesco’s World Heritage list. Visitors experience traditional Korean music. 

Yeongdong, a center of homegrown wine, promises to loom large as traditional Korean music emerges as part of Hallyu around the world. The rise of Yeongdong is owed largely to Chairman Lee’s dedicated patronage.

A collection of Chateau Mani products. (Photos: Chairman Lee Pil-woo’s Office)

(from left) Chateau Mani White, Chateau Mani Sweet Red, and Chateau Mani Dry Red.