Last week, the winners of the Decanter World Wines Awards 2011 were published, revealing many Asian wineries had taken the lead at this prestigious event. He Lan Qing Xue winery in Ningxia province in China won two awards, the Middle East Far East & Asia over £10 trophy for their 2009 Bordeaux blend, Jia Bei Lan, and a Silver for their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. A second Chinese winery, Domaine Helan Mountain in Xinjiang Uyger also won Silver for their Classic Chardonnay 2008 and received Bronze for their Premium Collection Riesling. Sharing the spotlight were wines from Japan, India and Thailand, also earning Silvers and Golds.

Several more winners from the Decanter World Wines Awards are featured on the wine list at the recently opened Galaxy Macau. As the Galaxy Macau’s Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee MW had already chosen to include many of these top Asian wines for the Galaxy Macau’s master wine list. “I have selected close to 20 Asian wines for the property’s master wine list, from countries such as China, India, Japan and Thailand, and this number will continue to grow,” says Jeannie. The master wine list features the Cabernet Sauvignon made by Great Wall, which won a Bronze at the Decanter World Wines Award, and the Domaine Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2008 from China, was commended at the Decanter World Wines Awards this year.

“Asian wines have made huge strides in improvement over the past two decades. There are now Asian wines winning awards at wine shows such as the Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Chardonnay from Domaine Helan Mountain. China is among the top ten producers of wine in the world now and the size of the industry as well as the consumer market base means they will be pressured to improve to compete with the rest of the world. I have no doubt that within a decade or two, China will produce a wine that will be considered en par with the best in the world.” Jeannie explains.

These wines pair wonderfully with Asian cuisine, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon by Great Wall, which Jeannie describes as “a well-made Cabernet Sauvignon from China that embodies what we would expect from a balanced red wine.” This particular wine greatly compliments Northern Chinese, Cantonese barbecue, Taiwanese, Korean, and North Indian cuisines with its dark berry fruit notes with hints of cedar and tobacco.