A new Hong Kong-based international wine magazine and website, Le Pan, is set to launch in June – with Kiwi wine writer/judge/educator Emma Jenkins MW signed as one of only six global wine editors.
The title will be published by LPM Communications Limited (a division of Goldin Group, Hong Kong) and has an amibitious mission statement: “To become the leading voice in the world of fine wine”.
Emma Jenkins teaches general wine education and the more specialised WSET courses throughout NZ and takes an active role in the MW education programme. She has written for a wide range of consumer and trade magazines.
“Le Pan is the only consumer wine magazine to have six Masters of Wine and a roster of renowned wine professionals on board,” says publisher/ceo Jeannie Cho Lee MW (who is the first Asian Master of Wine).
“Our experts will cover all the major wine regions and review a vast array of fine wines including rare vintages not available to other publications,” she said.
A large-format, glossy monthly of more than 200 pages, Le Pan claims to be “raising the bar” in publishing, presenting exceptionally strong lifestyle content alongside expert wine reporting, interviews and tastings. The wine to lifestyle ratio will be 80:20, giving wine collectors a broader perspective on their passions in life, whether food, art, fashion, design, collecting cars or watches, or adventurous travel – all the accoutrements of modern-day fine living.
“We ventured to create something special: the world’s finest wine and lifestyle magazine,” says Cho Lee. “The voice of Le Pan is international, educated, sophisticated and assured.”
She says Le Pan’s Hong Kong base makes it ideally situated to cover the international world of wine and luxury lifestyle, and tap into China, the largest growing consumer market for wine and luxury goods.
The magazine, available in two editions, English and Chinese, will be launched at a soiree during Vinexpo 2015 in Bordeaux on June 15. “Further glamorous launch parties will follow in Europe, North America and Asia,” Cho Lee says.
The international edition will reach 35 cities, with initial distribution in the US and key capitals of Europe and Asia Pacific (the release was unclear about NZ’s place in the initital distribution – more on this in the weeks to come).
Le Pan will be available at major bookstores, business and first class airport lounges, hotels, wine stores and selected newsstands. The Chinese edition mirrors the international edition, but with additional unique content that will bring unprecedented depth to wine and lifestyle reporting in Greater China. It will be distributed in 22 cities across China.
Lepanmedia.com will be an immediate force in the digital space. The website will offer a bilingual wine database with ratings and reviews of over 10,000 fine wines. Weekly tastings will be conducted by experts dedicated to uncovering the rising stars of each region. The website, in English and in Chinese, also brings breaking news in the world of fine wine, trends, food and wine pairing, and lifestyle content not found in the magazine.
Le Pan runs independently of Goldin Group’s wine division. No wines produced by the group are featured in the magazine or on the website.
Content will include behind-the-scenes reports, interviews, reviews and tasting notes to be posted on a dedicated Web page in English and Chinese. The publication will also interact with readers through real-time updates streamed through Le Pan’s Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“Print is still important and we want our readers to understand that we take our editorial seriously enough to have it printed and lingering around on a coffee table for years,” Cho Lee said. “We believe in the quality of our writing, our presentation and the importance of touch and feel.
“We are modern, looking to the future, but firmly rooted in traditions that we believe in and one of them is print,” she said.
About LPM Communications
LPM Communications Limited is a subsidiary of Goldin Group, an international conglomerate with five established business arms – consumer electronics, real estate development, polo and horse breeding, wine, and financial services. Headquartered in Hong Kong with offices, factories, wineries and property developments around the globe, the group employs more than 15,000 people. Among its properties is the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club, home of four prestigious annual polo tournaments that draw international players and fans to China.
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