Who Are We?

With a combined decade plus in Hanoi, Dan Friendly and Matthew Frey have witnessed a revolution in Vietnam’s wine market. Whereas in 2000 there was only one dedicated wine shop in Hanoi, there are now myriad options for the wine drinker. Literally thousands of wines from around the world can now be found in all price categories. Great treasures are now available through various sources. This expansion has been fueled by the increasing numbers of expatriates but even more by the growing enthusiasm for wine amongst Vietnamese who have unprecedented disposable income to match their increasingly international tastes.

We love wine and have spent years searching for exceptional wine values, haggling for discounts with wine shops, shopping for key accessories, getting to know the various characters in the Vietnam wine market, and enjoying the ever more abundant array of wine options in Hanoi. There has never been a better time to be a wine lover in Vietnam!

Dan and Matthew are supported in their pursuit of great bottles by a group of fellow Hanoi-based wine lovers affectionately called our WineOi Tasting Circle. The Tasting Circle consists of a dozen souls from Australia, France, USA, Canada, Vietnam and Germany. We also invite new members to join us periodically for tastings to benefit from new perspectives, palates and stories.

Why WineOi?

Despite the many positive developments, wine is still relatively expensive in Vietnam due to the high duties that are levied against wine importers. This makes it all the more important to make good choices when shopping for wine. But how to decide amidst the dizzying array of bottles to choose from? Where to go to find the best prices and services? Who sells the best quality wines? Which wine shops take proper care of their wines and ensure that the product you buy is in good condition? The Vietnam climate is brutal on the unprotected bottle. And where can you find those wine accessories that can enhance your enjoyment of wine?

WineOi has been designed to help you navigate these waters, learn what you want to know about the wine market in Vietnam and, most of all, have easy access to the best bottles at the fairest prices. Our purpose is to encourage further improvements in the Vietnam wine market by promoting what’s being done well.

WineOi Principles!

WineOi is guided by these simple principles:

• » We offer independent advice about wine, wine products and wine services for the entire Vietnam market—we do not act on behalf of any wine seller.
• » We exist to inform wine consumers of the best available products and services.
• » We promote any wine sellers offering good products at fair prices who wish to participate in WineOi.
• » We base our advice on not only the ratings and recommendations of international wine critics such as Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator, but also on our own palates and those of our experienced WineOi tasting circle. We taste every wine before recommending it to you or we tell you otherwise.
• » We provide consumers with easily accessible information on all participating wine sellers to promote transparency and consumer-friendly business practices.
• » We update our web site content regularly so that the consumer can always look to us for new wine drinking opportunities.
• » We provide straight talk about wine that is not confused by wine jargon, marketing slogans or pretension.

To all of you, from both of us at WineOi - Thank you and happy shopping!

Matthew & Steen