Paulo Pong, CEO of Altaya Wines and a prominent figure in the Hong Kong wine market, has highlighted a selection of Burgundy wines offering notable value despite their association with a traditionally expensive region. Pong’s recommendations include a range of whites and reds from well-regarded producers, many of which remain widely available in the UK and online.
Among the white wines, Pong cites Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon’s Viré-Clessé, priced around £25, as an accessible entry point. Other whites recommended include Dom Stéphane Aladame’s Montagny 1er Cru Les Maroques 2023 at £34.75, Domaine Leflaive’s Mâcon-Verzé starting at £38.90, and Domaine Roland Lavantureux’s Chablis Vauprin from vintages 2019 to 2021 available around £40. Additional suggestions come from Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey’s Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune and Château des Quarts’ Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Clos des Quarts, with prices ranging from £50 to just over £59 depending on vintage and retailer.
On the red side, Pong points to Dom Faiveley’s Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands from £33.60 and Domaine Jean-Marc Millot’s Côte de Nuits Villages aux Faulques, with prices near £40. Other red Burgundy selections include Domaine Jean & Gilles Lafouge’s Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Climat du Val, Domaine Francois Lumpp’s Givry 1er Cru à Vigne Rouge, and Domaine Jean-Marc Bouley’s Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune Vibrations. Domaine Bruno Clair’s Marsannay Les Longeroies 2016 is also listed around £54.
Pong’s expertise draws from his longstanding engagement in the wine trade, particularly in Asian markets. Born into a privileged background, he developed an early fascination for wine, recalling childhood experiences in which his father served famed Bordeaux and Burgundy wines at family celebrations. After high school, Pong pursued a trip to Napa Valley despite being underage, and later studied at MIT while nurturing his passion for wine alongside his formal education. Early work experiences included hospitality positions in Hong Kong and London, before he chose to enter the wine trade around 2001, initially importing Bordeaux wines commercially.
Altaya Wines gained early momentum by focusing on boutique, family-owned wineries from regions like Champagne, Burgundy, and Napa Valley, offering Asian consumers access to labels that were then little known. Pong credits the company’s Hong Kong base as a key advantage, since many European producers lacked representation in Asia and saw the city as a gateway.
The Hong Kong market for fine wine exploded following a 2008 government move that eliminated duties on wine imports. This change coincided with rapidly growing interest among affluent Chinese mainland buyers, who previously faced high tariffs exceeding 40% on imported wine. The resulting cross-border trade, sometimes involving individual travelers transporting legal quantities multiple times daily, sparked an exponential increase in sales between 2008 and 2012.
In recent years, however, the Chinese government has introduced tighter restrictions on duty-free alcohol imports, including mandatory waiting periods between border crossings and spending limits, a reflection of broader shifts toward a cashless economy and greater regulatory control.
Despite these evolving challenges, Pong’s insights into Burgundy’s "relative bargains" underscore ongoing opportunities for collectors and consumers seeking quality wines from one of France’s most prestigious regions. Detailed tasting notes, scores, and optimal drinking windows for many of the featured wines are available on specialized wine platforms, with international stockists listed online.