Dentist champions Dokdo with wine

A Californian wine named 799-805 after the postal code of Korea’s easternmost islet Dokdo was released Wednesday in Korea. It hit shelves in the United States last year.

A Californian wine named after the postal code of Korea’s easternmost islet Dokdo, which Japan also lays claim to, was released on the market this week.

The wine, named simply 799-805, is produced at the Dokdo Winery in Napa Valley, California.

The winery was founded in 2007 by Korean-American dentist Ahn Jae-hyun. Ahn pitched the idea to globally advertise his belief that Dokdo is Korean territory by producing and distributing wine inspired by the rocky outcroppings.

The wine’s name is intended to pique people’s curiosity about the meaning of the numbers, he said.

The winery produces 799-805 with three different types of grapes - Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Some 20,000 bottles have been produced so far, with half released in the U.S. Roughly 50 percent of these have been sold through Korean-American communities there.

The remaining 10,000 bottles hit the Korean market in February. The wine made of pinot noir is priced at 200,000 won ($176) and the others retail for 300,000 won.

All three come in a set featuring a map of Dokdo and the East Sea.

Wines are available at Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong, southern Seoul, as well as other small wine distributors such as Wine Time and Wine House.

Kim Tae-geun, the Korean distributor, said he will donate all of the proceeds to non-profit organizations that work to advertise Korea’s territorial claim to Dokdo overseas.

By Kwon Hyuk-joo [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]