LE PAN to Serve as a Leading Voice in the World of Fine Wine Living
NEW YORK, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LE PAN, a new international magazine and website from Hong Kong-based publishing company LPM Communications Limited, is set to become the leading voice in the world of fine wine. Launching this summer, it is the only consumer wine magazine to have six Masters of Wine and a roster of renowned wine professionals on board. Its experts will cover all the major wine regions and review a vast array of fine wines including rare vintages not available to other publications.
A large-format, glossy monthly of more than 200 pages, LE PAN raises 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 publisher and CEO Jeannie Cho Lee MW, the first Asian Master of Wine. "The voice of LE PAN is international, educated, sophisticated and assured. We will curate the world's great wines, rare experiences and sumptuous wares into a monthly reference on 'The Art of Fine Wine Living'."
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.
The international edition will soon reach 35 cities worldwide, with initial distribution in the US (including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Napa), and key capitals of Europe and Asia Pacific (London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne). It will be available at major bookstores, business and first class airport lounges, hotels, wine stores and selected newsstands. The Chinese edition in Simplified Chinese mirrors the international edition, but with additional unique content that will bring unprecedented depth to wine and lifestyle reporting in China. It will be distributed in 22 cities across the country.
LEPANMEDIA.com will be an immediate force in the digital space. The website will be the first to offer a completely 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.
Ahead of its launch in June, LEPANMEDIA.com will present exclusive multimedia coverage of the Bordeaux En Primeur week, held from March 30 to April 2, 2015. Behind-the-scenes reports, interviews, reviews and tasting notes will be posted on a dedicated website page in English and Chinese, and live updates streamed through LE PAN's Twitter and Instagram extensions. Evaluation of the Bordeaux 2014 vintage will be published in a bound booklet distributed to key industry professionals and media.
LE PAN will be at Vinexpo 2015, the industry's key international wine and spirits exhibition, in Bordeaux on June 14-18. Visit the team at Stand AB329, Hall 1 (near the Press Centre and Hall 3 entrance).
LE PAN KEY STAFF
Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Publisher & CEO
Writer, television host, wine critic, judge and educator Jeannie Cho Lee became the first Asian Master of Wine in 2008. Born in Korea and educated in America, she has lived in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. Lee has a master's degree from Harvard, a Certificat de Cuisine from Cordon Bleu and a Master Sake Sommelier qualification from the Japan Sake Service Institute. She is the author of two award-winning books, Asian Palate (2009) and Mastering Wine for the Asian Palate (2011), and is working on her third title.
Darius Sanai, International Consultant Editor
London-based Darius Sanai is editor-in-chief of Conde Nast Contract Publishing and of LUX magazine. He owns an international luxury brand consultancy, holds several board positions, and is a renowned commentator on the industry. He collects classic supercars and has collected fine wine for more than 25 years.
Jill Triptree, Managing Editor
Born in the UK and a Hong Kong permanent resident for 30 years, Jill Triptree is a respected name in luxury lifestyle publishing in Hong Kong, having edited Hong Kong Tatler and Baccarat magazine. She launched regional editions in Asia of both these titles.
Guy Woodward, Associate Editor
Guy Woodward is the former editor of Decanter in the UK, where he worked for 10 years. He went on to edit Food and Travel, and is responsible for various customer magazines of London luxury retailer Harrods. He was last year's chair of the British Society of Magazine Editors and continues to serve on its board.
Elke Hanspach, Creative Director
As founder of InkValley design consultancy in London, Elke Hanspach has worked on creative direction, brand identity and editorial design for the likes of Mario Testino, the British Fashion Council and Conde Nast UK. She previously served as art editor at British GQ and art director at Elle Collections.
Caroline Metcalfe, Consultant Photo Director
Renowned in the media world for her time as director of photography at Conde Nast Traveller, Caroline Metcalfe now has her own consulting firm in the UK. She enjoys excellent connections with photographers, agents and publishers globally, and is a regular judge of international photography competitions.
LE PAN WINE EDITORS
Charles Curtis MW
New York resident Charles Curtis is the founder of Wine Alpha, a fine and rare wine consultancy. He began his career as a professional chef prior to moving into the wine trade. He was head of wine for Christie's in Asia and the Americas and has worked extensively as a wine writer, consultant and judge.
Doug Frost MW
Doug Frost is one of only four people in the world to have achieved the remarkable dual distinction of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine. He is the author of three books on wine, the host and producer of the Emmy Award-winning television show Ferment Nation, and the wine and spirits consultant for United Airlines. He lives in Kansas City, USA.
Susan Hulme MW
Italian-speaking Briton Susan Hulme became a Master of Wine in 2005, winning the Madame Bollinger Tasting Medal for outstanding performance in the tasting part of the exam. She currently serves as European course-day coordinator of the Master of Wine education program. She is a panel judge for the International Wine Challenge, and has edited the Association of Wine Educators newsletter for 10 years.
Emma Jenkins MW
Emma Jenkins is a well-known wine writer, judge, commentator and educator in her native New Zealand. She teaches general wine education and the more specialized WSET courses throughout the country and takes an active role in the MW education program. She has written for a wide range of consumer and trade magazines.
Jean K. Reilly MW
Jean K. Reilly is a New York-based journalist, consultant and speaker. In 2010, she became a Master of Wine, only the fifth American woman to hold this prestigious title. She received the Noval Award for her dissertation, a study of German Riesling in the US.
Sophie Otton
Sophie Otton is one of Australia's foremost wine commentators. She was previously wine director of Rockpool Bar and Grill in Sydney, managing a team of 10 sommeliers and the most significant restaurant wine collection in the Southern Hemisphere. She is a show judge of distinction, with qualifications from WSET (Diploma) and the Court of Master Sommeliers.
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.
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.
For more information, please visit: www.lepanmedia.com
SOURCE LE PAN
Share this article