The 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards Judging Week Commences at the End of February
The 6-day event features higher competition standards with an elevated panel of 27 acclaimed judges, plus a series of events including wine seminars, Masterclasses, and wine dinners
MACAO, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace will play host to a rigorous judging week for the highly anticipated 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards, created by "Wynn Signature" – Wynn's exclusive lifestyle brand. As the largest gathering of its kind to evaluate Chinese wines based on international standards, this year's competition is being elevated to even higher standards with respect to the judging system, panel of judges, scale of participation, variety of awards and post-event promotions. Taking place from February 28 to March 5, the six-day event is slated to feature much more than the stringent judging of Chinese wines, as Wynn will also host a series of engaging professional wine seminars, Masterclasses, and collaborative wine dinners. The world's leading authorities on wine are teaming up with the award-winning chefs at Wynn to shine a light on the most sophisticated wines from across China.
Following the success of the inaugural Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards in 2024, this year's competition has attracted even more participants, with close to 200 of China's top wineries submitting over 900 varieties of wine for the competition. The composition of the 2025 panel of judges has also been elevated to feature 27 internationally renowned authorities on wine. In keeping with last year, judging will be conducted through blind tastings, adhering to the internationally recognized 100-point scale, and utilizing a comprehensive grading system to determine the award winners. With respect to the variety of awards, Wynn will present the highly coveted "Wynn Signature Best Wine of China Trophy" and 37 individual accolades, with the introduction of two new award categories: "Wynn Sommelier's Choice" and "Best Young Winemaker". These trophies champion the excellence of major varietal expressions and regionality of wines across China.
On April 11, Wynn will host an awards ceremony to reveal the winning wines which will go on to receive marketing promotional opportunities in Mainland China and around the world through the strong global network of Wynn and the internationally acclaimed judges, showcasing Chinese wines on a larger global stage.
Inaugural event successfully promotes Chinese wines globally
Wynn launched the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards – the largest event of its kind to evaluate Chinese wines based on international standards – with a vision to promote Chinese wines on a global stage. The event remains committed to selecting China's top wines, commending outstanding winemakers, and promoting the excellence of Chinese wines to international markets – all paving the way for a more robust future for China's wine industry.
As the first-of-its-kind for the wine sector, last year's awards event built a solid foundation, attracting significant international attention, establishing a strong reputation amongst the wine industry, and making far-reaching inroads into Chinese wineries and production areas. The award-winning wines have not only become symbols of premium Chinese wines, but have also led to an exciting exchange of innovative and technological ideas between wineries and production areas, while also promoting the diversified development of the industry. Leveraging its strong reputation for food and beverage as well as its vast global marketing network, Wynn hosted a series of brand promotional events in Las Vegas, Singapore, Hong Kong and other locations around the world to rapidly spread awareness about high-quality Chinese wines to international markets and expand the global appetite for Chinese wines.
Shortly after Wynn launched the competition, the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards have received significant recognition and substantial policy support from local governments and industry organizations in China. In March 2024, the Yantai City Commerce Bureau and the Finance Bureau of Shandong Province officially released "Guidelines for Receiving Subsidies for the Development of the Wine Industry in Yantai City" to encourage the high-quality development of the wine industry through subsidies, award recognition, and other measures. The guidelines specifically state that a one-time reward of up to RMB 20,000 will be given to a winery that receives the highest accolade from the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards. In its first year, the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards successfully managed to garner global acclaim, ranking alongside other prestigious international wine competitions such as the International Wine Challenge (IWC), Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB) and the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA). After solidifying a reputation as a globally recognized wine competition, Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards is now able to play an influential role in promoting Chinese wines on a global scale.
Elevating the judging panel for 2025
Taking the level of the competition to even greater heights this year, Wynn is pleased to welcome 27 of the world's leading authorities on wines, including 10 Masters of Wine (MW), 3 Master Sommeliers (MS), and 1 industry expert with dual MW and MS certifications as members of the judging panel for the 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards.
This year's judging panel sees the return of Fongyee Walker MW, China's first resident Master of Wine; Gus Zhu MW, the first Chinese national Master of Wine; and Xing Wei MW, China's newest and youngest Master of Wine in 2024. New panelists include Richard Hemming MW, who first served in London and now as Head of Wine, Asia, for 67 Pall Mall in Singapore; Konstantin Baum MW, a globally influential wine social media expert; Kevin Lu MS, Asia's third Master Sommelier; Terry Xu, one of China's most influential opinion leaders; Ronald Khoo, Wine, Spirits & Beverages Manager for Cathay Pacific; Dr. Jamie Goode, scientist and wine writer; Meiyu Li, champion of China's Best Sommelier Competition and China's Best French Wine Sommelier Competition; as well as many more winemakers, educators, writers, hoteliers and wine buyers, who will jointly provide their global expertise and professional insights for this event.
New awards designed to promote innovation and cultivate talent
This year, Wynn will be presenting a total of 38 awards, up from 24 awards in 2024. These new awards are designed to boost innovation and cultivate new talents for the wine industry. Two new award categories – "Wynn Sommelier's Choice" and "Best Young Winemaker" – aim to promote the integration of Chinese wine and high-quality gastronomy, inspire a new generation of winemakers to break through the barriers of tradition, and boost the momentum of China's development of the wine industry over the long term.
The team of sommeliers from six award-winning Wynn restaurants – Chef Tam's Seasons, Lakeview Palace, SW Steakhouse, Mizumi, Wing Lei, and Drunken Fish – will select the winners of the "Wynn Sommelier's Choice". Through blind tastings as well as food and wine pairing tests, the Chinese wines that best complement the signature dishes of each restaurant will be selected. Celebrating the future of Chinese wine, the "Best Young Winemaker" commends new and young winemakers who are under the age of 40. Participants are required to submit at least three of their own cultivated wines. After rigorous judging, the winemaker with the highest average score will receive an award which applauds the innovation and remarkable craftsmanship of a new generation of winemakers.
Wynn will host a series of exciting events throughout judging week
Throughout the judging week, the world's leading authorities on wine will collaborate with the award-winning culinary team at Wynn to present a series of professional seminars, Masterclasses and wine dinners.
Wynn will host four seminars conducted by internationally acclaimed judges to lead in-depth discussions and provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas centered around the development of Chinese wines from a global perspective. On March 2, Professor Ma Huiqin of China Agricultural University will host a "Yunnan & Sichuan Regional Tutorial" to explore the winemaking potential and the unique terroir of Yunnan and Sichuan. The following day, Xing Wei MW will analyze the potential of wines grown in the northwest production areas of China through his "Xinjiang & Ningxia Regional Tutorial". On March 4, Julien Boulard MW will give an in-depth talk about the development potential of the Marselan grape variety in China during his "Marselan Tutorial". On March 5, Terry Xu will host a "China Wine Update: Commercial & Digital Landscape" seminar, sharing his latest market analysis.
Professionals from the wine industry as well as wine enthusiasts are invited to participate in three afternoon Masterclass sessions at Wynn from March 1 to March 4, where they can savor the world's finest wines. On March 1, Richard Hemming MW will host a "Wine & The Food of Asia" Masterclass, where he will talk about his new book on how wine matches with the flavors and spices found in Asian cuisine. On March 2, Gus Zhu MW and Dr. Jamie Goode will jointly host "The science behind the main wine aromas and flavours" Masterclass to explore the key scientific factors that affect wine quality. On March 4, two of the world's leading authorities on Bordeaux wine – Jane Anson and João Pires MS – will host a "Château Pavie Masterclass" to explore the terroir and production philosophy of Château Pavie, one of the top Right Bank wines of Bordeaux.
Four Wynn signature restaurants will also team up with globally renowned wine experts on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 to present a series of phenomenal wine dinners. Lakeview Palace will host wine dinners, where Xing Wei MW and Kevin Lu MS will pair innovative Jiangnan dishes from Executive Chef Kevin Zhu with fine wines from China and around the world, showcasing the food and wine pairing philosophies of East and West. Executive Chef Hironori Maeda of Mizumi at Wynn Palace will collaborate with Executive Chef Yoshinori Ishii of Auberge TOKITO in Tokyo, Japan to present: "Asian Treasure Ingredients Tour". Together, they will create a special kaiseki menu where Japanese seasonal vegetables take center stage. Sake expert Kenichi Ohashi MW has chosen a special selection of outstanding sakes to ensure a delicate and balanced pairing for the ultimate Japanese dining experience. SW Steakhouse is pleased to welcome Christy Canterbury MW, who will showcase two of the most highly sought-after American wineries – Hundred Acre and 00 Wines. She will pair these top-quality wines with the highest grades of Wagyu beef from Snake River Farms in collaboration with Executive Chef Helder Sequeira Amaral during the wine dinner. Executive Chef Henry Zhang of Drunken Fish will present a late night kitchen dining experience and team up with The Young Generation China Wine (YGCW), a group of China's young generation of winemakers, to select the finest wines to pair Chef Zhang's creative late-night dishes. To add even more energy and excitement, Terry Xu will be the host, where he will share colorful commentary and insights on wines with guests throughout both evenings.
To stay informed about the latest Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards events, please visit Wynn's official website: https://www.wynnresortsmacau.com/en/wynn-palace/whats-on/wynn-signature-chinese-wine-awards
Highlights of the 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards Judging Panel:
- Fongyee Walker MW – Vice Chair for the inaugural awards and once again this year, Fongyee is Mainland China's first resident Master of Wine, one of the most revered wine educators in China, and a highly respected pioneer in China's wine industry.
- Gus Zhu MW – The first Chinese national Master of Wine, Gus is also a research and development scientist. He is committed to providing professional wine education and consulting services to global wine professionals and consumers.
- Xing Wei MW – China's newest and youngest Master of Wine, Xing Wei received certification in 2024. He also serves as an independent wine educator and judge, while also teaching wine courses across China.
- Kevin Lu MS – Kevin is the third Asian to obtain Master Sommelier qualification. He has also garnered the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Sommelier Award and the title of "Best Sommelier" from Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024
- Richard Hemming MW – Richard first worked in London and is now currently the Head of Wine, Asia, for 67 Pall Mall in Singapore. He is Master of Wine, author, educator and amateur pianist.
- Konstantin Baum MW – The youngest Master of Wine in Germany, Konstantin is a globally renowned wine KOL. His YouTube channel is one of the biggest wine channels in the world and he also has a big following on Instagram.
- Ronald Khoo – Currently Wine, Spirits & Beverages Manager for Cathay Pacific, Ronald previously ran businesses related to wine importation, retail sales, wholesaling, and restaurant operations for two decades. He has also served as a WSET educator and a wine judge at various wine competitions.
- Dr. Jamie Goode – An outstanding scientist and writer, Jamie serves as one of the co-chairs of the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and has authored a number of books including Wine Science and The New Viticulture.
- Terry Xu – A renowned wine and cognac expert, Terry is a senior wine business consultant and considered one of China's most influential wine opinion leaders.
- Meiyu Li – Champion of the China's Best Sommelier Competition and China's Best French Wine Sommelier Competition, Meiyu launched "DrinkArts", a renowned wine consulting company which has received dozens of prestigious awards.
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SOURCE Wynn Resorts (Macau)
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