Wynn Set to Host World's Biggest Chinese Wine Competition of International Standard at the "Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards"

Macau, February 29, 2024 — Wynn is pleased to welcome the world's foremost authorities and judges in Old and New world wines to Macau from March 1 – 5, 2024 for the inaugural Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards, which is slated to become the world's biggest Chinese wine competition of international standard. A total of 27 internationally acclaimed judges including seven Masters of Wine will conduct blind tastings during the event at Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau where the top-tier wines of nearly 200 wineries from China's most established wine regions will compete. This new signature Chinese wine awards platform established by Wynn, celebrates the excellence of Chinese fine wines and aims to showcase the highest quality wines from China on a global stage.

Wineries will compete for the Wynn Signature Best Wine of China Trophy and 29 more category trophies which champion the excellence of major varietal expressions and regionality. Throughout the 5-day event in early March, Wynn will host Wine Masterclass sessions led by China's most influential wine experts and renowned wine authors, as well as exclusive gastronomic experiences with world-renowned judges and leading experts in wine.

Ms. Linda Chen, President, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Wynn Macau, Limited said of the event: "It is truly an honor for us to welcome an experienced group of globally renowned wine judges to participate in the "Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards", where we will host a top-tier awards event in celebration of the finest Chinese wines. We hope to create an exclusive stage where premium Chinese wines are showcased internationally and continue to build on Macau's status as a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy."

The Judging Panel

The prestigious panel of judges include Masters of Wines, Master Sommeliers, winemakers, educators, journalists, hoteliers, and wine buyers. Eddie McDougall, Chair of Judges; Chris Ashton, Chief of Stewards and three Vice Chairs who are highly accredited Master of Wines: Fongyee Walker MW, Gus Zhu MW and Andrew Caillard MW will lead an impressive line-up of judges which include Kenichi Ohashi MW; Julien Boulard MW; Tim Triptree MW; Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux author); Ronny Lau (Chairman, Greater China Wine Critics Association); Simon Tam (Commentator and former Christie's Head of Wine, Asia); Erin Larkin (Wine Advocate Editor); Reeze Choi (World No. 3 Sommelier); Xiao Pi (China's leading Wine KOL); David Xing (China's leading Wine KOL), Della Tang (Best Sommelier of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023), Janet Wang (The Chinese Wine Renaissance author) and many more. The judging process will be conducted blind, under the international 100-point system whereby medals will be allocated to wines based on a tiered scoring system. To protect the integrity of the awards, Wynn has appointed a professional external auditing firm to conduct random background inspections of wineries who have submitted their wines, whilst also qualifying the accuracy of the judges' scores.
 

Educational Wine Masterclasses

Four insightful Masterclass sessions will be conducted by two of China's leading wine experts and two highly respected wine authors. The first Masterclass on March 2 will be hosted by Xiao Pi, who will present: "Surprising the World with the Fine Wines of China". Then on March 3, two Masterclass sessions will be held. David Xing Wei will share his insights on "The Trends of Chinese Wine", while Janet Wang, author of The Chinese Wine Renaissance will present "Journey to the West: Chinese Wine's Global Footprint, Impact & Potential", while also taking participants on a guided tasting of 12 Chinese wines. On March 4, Jane Anson, author of Inside Bordeaux, will present: "Inside Bordeaux 2014 Vintage: 10 Years On", taking participants on a tasting journey of eight vintage Bordeaux wines from 2014.

Exclusive Gastronomic Dinners with Judges and Wine Experts

Guests will have an opportunity to experience exclusive gastronomic dinners with world-renowned wine experts throughout the event in early March.

On the evening of March 2, Julien Boulard MW will host a "Spring Blossoms Dinner", where he will pair fine Chinese wines with signature Jiangnan dishes at Lakeview Palace. Following on from the dinner, an afterparty will be held at the brand new Palace Reserve Club at Wynn Palace. On the same evening, Xiao Pi will lead a very special wine journey at the Ningxia Wine Dinner in the Grand Ballroom of Wynn Macau.

On the night of March 3, Fongyee Walker MW, Gus Zhu MW and Julien Boulard MW will select top-tier Chinese wines to pair with refined Cantonese dishes prepared by renowned Executive Chef Tam Kwok Fung of Chef Tam's Seasons at Wynn Palace.

On March 4, Janet Wang and Jane Anson will team up to host a Chinese and Bordeaux Wine Dinner to showcase the best wines of East and West, pairing them with delicacies crafted by Chef Helder Amaral of SW Steakhouse.

About the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards

Wynn will ensure the competition adopts an authoritative and professional Chinese wine evaluation system, establishing an unparalleled international exchange event for participating wines. The aim of these awards is to elevate the global recognition of Chinese wines and enhance the understanding and appreciation of Chinese wines worldwide through Wynn's rigorous commitment to quality and taste. The awards event will also strengthen partnerships with China's top wineries to promote fine wines and expand the international market, while driving the development and innovation of the Chinese wine industry.

Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards – Event Calendar

Highlights of the Judging Panel:

• Andrew Caillard MW – A Master of Wine in Australia, Andrew is an author, wine critic, and producer. He is the associate producer of the Australian Academy Award winning feature documentary Red Obsession and also chairs Shanghai's Wine 100 competition
• David Xing – One of the most influential wine KOLs in China, David is a certified lecturer in more than a dozen wine production regions. He has also created a popular online wine education and content e-commerce platform in China
• Della Tang – One of China's most highly regarded young wine experts, Della has won numerous awards as a sommelier and mixologist including the "Best Sommelier" award from Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023
• Fongyee Walker MW – Highly respected as a pioneer in China's wine industry, Fongyee is the first Master of Wine to reside in China and one of the country's most qualified wine educators. She was also a significant contributor to the Red Obsession documentary
• Gus Zhu MW – The first Chinese national Master of Wine, Gus is also a research and development scientist. He provides wine education and consulting services to global wine professionals and consumers
• Jane Anson – The world's most informed and accomplished expert on the wines of Bordeaux, Jane is an award-winning writer and an accredited wine teacher at the Bordeaux Ecole du Vin. She is also the author of Inside Bordeaux
• Janet Wang – Well-known wine critic and author, Janet's award-winning book – The Chinese Wine Renaissance – was shortlisted for the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers' Awards Wine Book 2019 (renowned as the "Oscars of the international wine industry") and winner of the 2020 Gourmand World Awards World Wine Book (UK)
• Julien Boulard MW – A Master of Wine, Julien is an accredited educator of the Vins De Bordeaux wine school in China. His fluency in Mandarin, social media influence and knowledge of wines have made him a key professional on the Chinese wine scene
• Kenichi Ohashi MW – A wine and sake expert based in Japan, Kenichi is influential in the trading and distribution of wine, sake and local spirits
• Reeze Choi – In 2023, Reeze made history by becoming the first Chinese finalist in the ASI Best Sommelier of the World Competition, where he garnered third place. Today, he runs his own wine consultancy and sommelier services company
• Ronny Lau – Chairman of the Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Writers Association, Ronny is a well-known writer who has authored six wine books. He is also renowned as an established musician, having produced two music and wine pairing CD compilations
• Simon Tam – Former Head of Wine in Asia for Christie's, Simon is one of the most respected wine experts in Hong Kong. He now runs his own company creating wines and making wine auctions more accessible to a wider audience
• Terry Xu – Better known throughout the wine world as 'Xiao Pi', he is one of China's most influential wine KOLs with more than 600,000 industry professional and wine enthusiast followers
• Tim Triptree MW – As the International Director of Wine & Spirits at Christie's, his main role is in the planning, sale curating, and the execution of wine auctions. Tim is a Master of Wine and received the prestigious Noval Award for his MW Research Paper