Most of the fruits in Korea boast the world's highest level of sweetness and juiciness. This makes Korea suitable for producing various wines. K-Wine is defined as a wine made from the fruits grown in Korea. It’s a drink made from various fruits, unlike traditional Korean drinks such as rice wine or soju. Korean wine is developed by combing various fruits and grapes suitable for the Korean climate.

The 9th Korean Wine Appreciation Festival was held at the Yeongdeong Wine Tunnel in Yeongdong County, Chungbuk Province on September 30, 2022. A total of 179 types of wine produced in Korea were exhibited here. There were various fruit wines such as grapes, peaches, plums, blueberries, apricots, apples, persimmons, and kiwis. The first place was won by “Château MiSo Peach 2019” made by Doranwon in Yeongdong. It received perfect evaluations in all aspects such as aroma, taste, and aftertaste. The white wine has a well-balanced taste, and a unique dry personality that can be tasted from the peach seed.

In Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the “Cheongsu White Wine” made at the Grand Coteau Winery on Daebu Island is said to have upgraded the level of Korean wine. Its representative work, “Grand Coteau,” won the best award at the “Korea Liquors Contest” in 2016 and received recognition again in 2019.

The Yeongdong Blue Wine winery in Yeongdong, Chungbuk Province produces blueberry wine by using yeast imported from overseas and undergoing a two-year fermentation and aging process. It won the Korea Wine & Spirits Award in 2020. The SAINT HOUSE winery in Seosan, Chungnam Province produces wine using strawberries that are directly grown. They produce 20 tons of strawberries annually and export about half of their sales of about 800 million won per year.

At the official dinner table of last year’s summit between President Yoon Seok-yeol of South Korea and President Joe Biden of the United States, the sparkling wine made from omija(schizandra berries) in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk Province was served. While it takes 3-4 weeks for grapes to ferment, omija(schizandra berries) take about a year, making the fermentation process difficult. The omija wine, which took five years of product development, has a unique blend of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and spicy flavors. The wine was awarded “Best of 2022” in the Korean wine category at the 2022 Korea Wine & Spirits Award and started exporting to Europe after exhibiting at the SIAL Paris 2012 Food Fair, a year after its first product launch on November 11, 2011. In addition to the omija wine, there are also other Korean-made wines made from various fruits, known as K-Wine.

As K-Wine is part of the K-Culture along with K-Food, K-Language, and K-Pop, its popularity is increasing. Last year, Korean traditional liquor participated in the California Wine Festival held in Santa Barbara, California, and received a warm response. The interest in K-Wine, a Korean alcohol in the US, is increasing, particularly among the MZ generation who enjoy watching Korean drama series.