Ironically, our wine business all started over a few beers…

More precisely, it all began in a small garden bar in the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen. It was here on a summer evening in 1998 that two wine enthusiasts, American Ian Ford and New Zealander Brendan O'Toole, resolved to follow their passions and founded a small wine importing business.

The two men had been living in China and working in the beverage industry for several years. Ian was with the global wines and spirits giant Seagram and Brendan was with business and management thought leaders, Boston Consulting Group. While both were based out of Xiamen, their work required them to travel extensively throughout China. As a result, they developed a deep appreciation for China, its people, its rich culture, its heritage, and its food and beverage connoisseurship. 

Although they enjoyed their beers very much that evening, Ian and Brendan couldn't help but crave a nice bottle of imported wine.

Based on their own extensive experiences working in the beverage industry all across China, Ian and Brendan were convinced of the enormous potential for the development of wine consumption in China. Casting ahead 20 years, they could easily picture themselves sitting in that same garden bar sipping drinks, only this time not beers but instead a sampling from a list of glorious wines from all around the world.

An idea was born! Before long, Ian and Brendan both left their jobs and launched Summergate with the aim of importing and distributing fine wines in China.

In naming the company they drew on the fact that their inspiration had come about that beautiful late-summer evening in that garden bar in Xiamen … They themselves often referred to the city as "Summer's Gate", that being a loose, poetic (if not entirely precise) translation of the name Xiamen. Summergate's Chinese name "Mei Xia", literally meaning "beautiful summer" also reflects the origins, as does the company's logo, which shows a vibrant summer sun emerging inside a stylised version of the Chinese character for "gate".

They opened Summergate’s first offices in Shanghai and Beijing in the fall of 1999. From the outset Ian and Brendan decided to offer classic but also novel cutting edge wines and to make wine knowledge and service a centrepiece of Summergate’s service. The aim was to make Summergate employees knowledgeable but also friendly and helpful. Soon Summergate developed a cherished following among top hotels, restaurants and retail stores in China. Summergate opened offices in Shenzhen in early 2003, in Guangzhou in late 2004 and in Macau opened in December 2006.

Now, almost a decade after the opening, Summergate delivers an extensive line of fine wine from as many as 60 wineries including DBR Lafite-Rothschild, Antinori, Ridge, Concha y Toro, Catena, Yalumba and d'Arenberg among others.  It is a matter of pride for Summergate to be the first choice of many of the best hotels, restaurants and retail stores in China.