[Herald Economy (Yeongju)=Reporter Kim Byung-jin] Yeongju City announced on April 11 that local producer Junette Winery (CEO Kim Hyang-sun) won the Excellence Award in the Red Sweet category and an Encouragement Prize in the Red Dry category in the Korean wine section of the 2026 K-Food Fermentation Culture Expo – Our Liquor Awards.
The expo ran April 3–5 at the aT Center in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, and was designed to showcase the quality of traditional fermented foods and beverages while boosting industry competitiveness. Dong-A Ilbo and Channel A co-hosted the event.
The winning bottles, Junette Sweet and Junette Dry, are 750 mL (25.4 fl oz) red wines with 12% ABV. They’re made by blending Campbell Early grapes with sanmeoru, a Korean wild mountain grape, all grown in Yeongju’s Dansan area.
Judges highlighted the wines’ fresh, bright profiles. The grapes, nurtured on the slopes of the Sobaeksan Mountains where daytime-to-nighttime temperature swings are significant, develop high sugar levels and rich aromas that give the wines a lively, crisp character.
Junette Winery has been developing a variety of wines using local agricultural products and supporting the revival of the traditional liquor industry. This recognition is expected to strengthen the winery’s product competitiveness and raise its brand profile.
“It’s meaningful that a wine made from local produce has proven competitive,” said CEO Kim Hyang-sun. “We’ll keep working to grow the winery alongside our community.”
Kang Mae-young, head of Yeongju City’s Distribution Support Division, called the award “an example of how high-value industries using local agricultural products can expand,” and pledged active support to help the traditional liquor industry develop into a key sector of the regional economy.
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