Lotte Department Store Buyer Who Promoted French Wine Receives 'Wine Knighthood'

[Financial News] Lotte Department Store buyer Choi Jun-ho has been awarded a traditional French wine knighthood in recognition of his efforts to introduce French wines to South Korea and contribute to the spread of wine culture.
According to Lotte Department Store on the 6th, Choi, a buyer on its Wine & Spirits Team, was awarded the knighthood of the Jurade de Saint-Emilion in the Saint-Émilion region of France last month. He is the first of Lotte Department Store's liquor buyers to receive a wine knighthood.
Established in 1199, the Jurade de Saint-Emilion is a traditional wine order that oversaw wine production and quality control in the region. It was abolished after the French Revolution but rebuilt by local wine producers in 1948. To date, it has bestowed knighthoods on more than 3,000 people worldwide.
Lotte Department Store explained that Choi received the knighthood in recognition of his contribution to expanding the market by introducing a wide range of French wines to South Korea. He has worked as a wine buyer since 2021 and introduced approximately 700 types of French wine to local customers, including through his involvement in opening El Vino at the Incheon branch in 2023 and the El Vino Wine Specialty Store at the Nowon branch in 2025. The amount of French wine Choi sold through Lotte Department Store over the past five years has reached approximately 800,000 bottles.
Choi has also developed content to promote wine culture. In 2024, he planned and launched The V:lind, South Korea's first blind-tasting competition organized by a major retailer. Since 2023, he has participated in the Art Special Edition project, which combines fine wine with fine art through collaborations with contemporary Korean artists.
At the end of this December, Lotte Department Store plans to exclusively launch one new-edition red wine and one new-edition white wine from Château Mont-Perat, which Choi personally selected in France.
Choi said, "I will continue to discover and curate diverse wines from around the world, including French wines, and consistently offer customers new wine and gourmet experiences."
[email protected] Jang Yu-ha Reporter