From Value Wines at 30,000 Won to Premium Sets Worth 100 Million... Lotte Department Store Unveils 'Storytelling' Wine Gift Sets

Gift Sets Launched for Chuseok Season
Introducing Six Award-Winning Wines from Expert Blind Tastings
Premium Selections Combine History and Art

On September 8, Lotte Department Store announced that it will introduce a special lineup of "storytelling wine" gift sets for the Chuseok season, ranging from value-for-money wines priced at 30,000 won to premium wines worth over 100 million won, each with a unique story.

As its value-for-money wine selection, Lotte Department Store will exclusively offer the winning wine from its own wine contest, "The Blind." In June, Lotte Department Store, together with the International Sommelier Association, hosted "The Blind: Judgment of Seoul 2025" to select the best wine. They conducted a blind tasting of 10 red and 10 white wines not yet imported to Korea, ultimately selecting the top wines. The judging panel included leading industry experts such as Sommelier Kim Kyungmoon, the only master sommelier in Korea among approximately 270 worldwide.

A model is introducing the winning wine of 'The Blind' at the wine store in Lotte Department Store Main Branch. Photo by Lotte Department Store

This Chuseok gift set includes a total of six red and white wines, each selected in three categories: "Master of Wine," "Sommelier Choice," and "Celebrity Choice." These wines will be available at major Lotte Department Store wine shops, including the Main Branch and Jamsil Branch, starting September 15.

In the Master of Wine category, the top-scoring wines from 12 judges were "Sons of Eden Romulus" (red, 95,000 won) from Australia and "River Terrace Sauvignon Blanc" (white, 30,000 won) from New Zealand. Romulus is made exclusively from grapes harvested from vines over 50 years old in Australia's renowned Barossa Valley, while River Terrace is a dry, highly mineral wine produced in the upper Awatere Valley, a premium region in Marlborough, New Zealand.

In the Sommelier Choice category, as evaluated by six sommeliers, the top wines were "Cult Cabernet Sauvignon" (red, 100,000 won) from the United States and "Soalheiro Granit" (white, 43,000 won) from Portugal. In the Celebrity Choice category, selected by celebrity wine enthusiasts, the winners were "Charles & Charles Bolt Cabernet Sauvignon" (red, 80,000 won) from the United States and "Errazuriz Gran Reserva Chardonnay" (white, 39,000 won) from Chile.

For the most luxurious premium storytelling wine, Lotte Department Store has prepared the "Chateau Mouton Rothschild" vertical wine set (120 million won for 30 bottles), featuring every vintage from 1988 to 2017. Chateau Mouton Rothschild is regarded as the finest among Bordeaux First Growth wines and is famous for its labels designed by world-renowned artists each year. This vertical set is a unique collection that showcases 30 years of history at a glance, offering the combined value of art and wine heritage.

Lotte Department Store has also expanded its lineup of "James Suckling" wines, which are an essential part of its storytelling wine selection. For this Chuseok, it will be the first distributor to introduce a new vintage of "Mire Vineyard Pinot Noir" (220,000 won), made from grapes personally cultivated by James Suckling and his wife, Marie Kim. Additionally, six wines curated by the couple to pair with Chuseok dishes will be available, including "Palmer Champagne La Reserve Brut" (130,000 won) and "Adelina Shiraz Mataro" (55,000 won), with a variety of wines ranging from 40,000 won to 250,000 won.

Yang Hyunmo, head of the Wine & Liquor Team at Lotte Department Store, stated, "Wine gift sets with stories are increasingly in demand because they allow families to enjoy and create memorable conversations together. We hope you have an even more abundant holiday this Chuseok with these special wines available only at Lotte."