Retail wine sales in Japan, South Korea, and other Asian countries are soaring, and a Japanese manga comic series is driving the trend. The series, entitled Kami no Shizuku (The Drops of the Gods), follows wine critic Shizuku Kanzaki in his quest for the twelve greatest wines in the world. While Shizuku may be fictional, the wines he reviews, and the effect those reviews have on the comic's audience, most certainly are not.

About a half-million Japanese readers enjoy the series each week and millions of compilation editions have been sold. Wines that are mentioned in the cartoon often turn into instant huge sellers and their prices are sent skyrocketing. Additionally, the cartoon is pushing wine drinkers in Japan to become more sophisticated in their tastes, and courses in wine appreciation are seeing their attendance swell to capacity.

After being translated into Korean, the enthusiasm for Shizuku's ongoing story has spread into South Korea, causing an explosion of wine sales. The excitement has only increased now that a popular Korean actor has signed on to play Shizuku in a drama.

While certainly being an unusual way to boost wine sales, we think anything that causes increased awareness and appreciation of fine wine is a good thing. It underscores the global nature of the wine market and as Asian consumers begin to demand more quality wines, the future prospects for the world's fine winemakers looks good indeed.