When you hear the phrase “wine country”, what comes to mind? Chances are you think of places like France, Italy, or the Napa Valley in California. But what if one day Vietnam were to be uttered alongside those names? Joseph Miller, Chairman of the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), has this kind of optimism for Vietnam’s future on the global wine scene. Like a grape that’s ripe for picking, Vietnam is ready to take its next step forward.
Vietnamese wine market is the fourth largest in Southeast Asia
According to statistics published on VietStock, the Vietnamese wine market is the fourth largest in Southeast Asia and is only projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.93% in terms of revenue and 6.29% in terms of volume during the 2023-2030 period. As per Mordor Intelligence, Vietnam’s Hospitality industry is also seeing a boom with a projected market valuation of USD 31.84 billion by 2030, translating into a steady 7.25% CAGR through the period.
The growth of these sectors point to an equal need to develop the quality of the service industry to match with the growing demands and expectations of consumers.
Vietnam Has An Identity Rooted in F&B
Vietnam has a rich cultural identity that has been peppered with influences from abroad. Most notably in this case is the French colonial era lasting from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century, which brought with it a cornerstone of their culinary tradition: wine. This means that innately, wine isn’t something foreign to the Vietnamese, even if they still might not be acutely familiar with it.
Besides this, Joseph also cited how tricky it’s been to develop a sense of wine culture in other Asian countries like China and India, and how this shouldn’t be the case with Vietnam. For example, China possessed no prior identity with wine and so even though the ISG entered the nation in 2002, it took years to develop its own understanding of the beverage. As for India, a chunk of the population is Muslim and vegan, so the F&B industry at large leans in more diverse directions. Though these are two of the largest and most populous countries not only in Asia but the world, Joseph believes Vietnam has a better chance of becoming the continent’s shining star in wine and hospitality.
Creating a Self-Sustaining, Standardised Wine Ecosystem in Vietnam
Above all, the ISG serves as a complimentary presence. The idea isn’t to reinvent the wheel or to rid a country of its identity and replace it with all things foreign. The goal is to create a self-sustaining, standardised ecosystem that can thrive on its own while being connected to ISG’s global network.
This is done by bringing in educators who will train local Vietnamese partners. Eventually, those instructors will have everything translated into Vietnamese which once again points to this philosophy of creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. Given that courses are standardised, if a student decides to leave and take the course elsewhere, they can pick up right where they left off so long as they speak the local language.
The ISG’s hybrid learning systems allow it to reach a larger group of students. On top of in-person, classroom style lessons, the ISG offers online learning to cater to students who live far away from where lessons take place. Currently, courses are offered in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. However, thanks to this hybrid learning system, the ISG will be able to accommodate students from across the entire country.
A Comprehensive, Holistic Journey Through Hospitality
The International Sommelier Guild’s three-part, standardised course structure is more than just a deep-dive into the study of oenology. It takes students on a comprehensive, holistic journey through hospitality, addressing topics such as food & wine pairings, codes of conduct as a sommelier, all the way to learning about drinks besides wine, whether they be sake, baijiu, or anything non-alcoholic.
The first course, known as the Intermediate Wine Certification (IWC), teaches students about the 17 most commonly used grapes in commercial wine production. Besides that, it provides students with practical hospitality tenets that are directly transferable to their work. For example, how to pronounce the names of wines, a skill Joseph considers to be one of the most challenging given how language differs across the world.
The second course, known as the Advanced Wine Certification (AWC), is based on geography. Essentially, explorations into regions, the wines they produce, and what makes them special. It’s much more academic than the IWC, with a lot of essays that force students to develop their own mental models around the subject.
Finally, the Sommelier Diploma Program (SDP). Students will have an understanding of every grape from every region, no matter how small a farm or producer they may be. Developing the SDP is the goal of the ISG in every country it enters. It tends to take a year to do so but this is when real change occurs.
Vietnam’s Hospitality Future
Joseph believes, “Vietnam needs to define itself as a hospitality and culinary destination for travellers not only from Asia but Europe as well”. And with the skills and expertise provided by the ISG, Vietnam’s substantial tourism and hospitality sectors will experience even more of an upgrade.
Luckily, the country is already primed with its rich cultural identity but if it goes a step further by meeting Western standards as well, the sky’s the limit. Currently, there’s a narrative among travellers of Thailand vs. Vietnam. As per VnExpress, in 2024 Thailand received 35.6 million international visitors, double Vietnam's 17.6 million. With the ISG’s help along with Vietnam's continued growth, this can one day change.
As someone with degrees in Social Sciences, Anthropology, and Aerospace Engineering, Joseph wasn’t planning on pursuing a life in wine and hospitality. Working in a restaurant to make money to fund his studies, it was a mentor in F&B that first sparked his lifelong passion for the industry.
With the ISG entering Vietnam, Joseph wishes that the same education he was lucky to have experienced will be provided to Vietnam’s young professionals. He describes his past work in engineering as something of a slab of cold steel whereas what he does now is warm and feeds his soul. Perhaps it might feed yours as well.
Starting on October 27th, 2025, the ISG, in partnership with BMWine, Vietnam’s leading wholesale distributor of wine, is set to begin its first sommelier accreditation course in Vietnam. To find out more, check out the website of ISG Sommelier Vietnam.