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Cabernet, Chardonnay and Marselan top Chinese Wine Awards

Attended by over 200 industry professionals and producers, drawn from both the Chinese and international wine worlds, the event took place at the Wynn Palace hotel in the Cotai district, with the sponsor laying on a gala dinner for the attendees, where the winners were revealed.

Topping the bill with the Best Wine of China award was a superb Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, which also swept the board by picking up Best Red Wine, Best of Ningxia and Best Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Read more: Battle of the Bubbles: LWF to host sparkling sparring match

Among the many categories awarded (see below), other notable high-flyers included: a beautifully balanced Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2021, with awards for Best White Wine and Best Chardonnay; a standout Domaine Franco-Chinois Reserve Marselan 2012, landing Best of North China and Best Marselan; and a multi-faceted Tiansai Sparkling Wine 2017, bagging Best of Xinjiang and Best Sparkling Wine.

Kai Kang (pictured, centre) of Ningxia Helan Mountain Renyiyuan Winery also took home Best Young Winemaker gong. 

Only in its second iteration, the event delivered what was billed as the most comprehensive professional judgement on Chinese wines yet, with winners having been narrowed down from 900 entries by a 27-strong international judging panel. This was comprised of high-profile Asian and Western palates, with many MWs and MSs in its ranks.

Up from 700 entrees last year, the competition – the brainchild of the Awards founder and chair Eddie McDougall – is notably also free for wineries to enter. This is to help create what McDougall described to Harpers as “a level playing field” for China’s increasingly quality-focused mix of both large, money-backed wineries and boutique scale producers.

Furthermore, this year’s Awards were expanded to include Sommeliers Choice categories. This name-checked many of the numerous restaurants within the two Wynn complexes in Macau, which will now feature category-winning wines on their lists. This is aimed at further raising of awareness of gastronomic pairing possibilities for such Chinese wines – up to Michelin Star level – across both Asian and Western cuisines, according to McDougall.

The Awards evening was followed by masterclasses the following day, covering ‘50 Years of Challenges: The Renaissance of Chinese Wine Forum’ and ‘Marselan: A Signature Grape of Chinese Wine’, plus wine and food-pairing sessions at Wynn’s Michelin two-starred restaurants, Chef Tam’s Seasons and Wing Lei. These activities presaged a planned roll out of tasting and pairing events throughout the year at various locations in the Asia-Pacific region, with 67 Pall Mall in Singapore to host the first such event. A London event is expected to follow at a suitable time.

In a release flagging the Awards, Wynn announced: “The goal of the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards is to provide a strategic platform for the long-term promotion of high-quality Chinese wines and empower the Chinese wine industry to expand internationally. Therefore, Wynn has already launched a global promotion plan for the award-winning wines which is set to commence immediately following the awards event.”

Wynn has received Macao government support to participate in the ‘Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China’ programme, with the 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards described as “further cementing Macao's role” in bringing together Chinese and Western cultures. And the aim going forward is very much that Chinese wine will benefit from that meeting of East and West.

A fuller report on the remarkable advance of China’s wine industry will appear in our May digital and print issues of Harpers.

The Official 2025 Trophy Award Winners List:

Best Wine of China: Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Ningxia)

Best Red Wine: Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Ningxia)

Best White Wine: Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2021 (Ningxia)

Best Rosé Wine: Longting Spring Rosé 2023 (Shandong)

Best Sweet Wine: Sacred Snow Mountain Winery Hualuoxiangyun Icewine 2023 (Yunnan)

Best Sparkling Wine: Tiansai Sparkling Wine 2017 (Xinjiang)

Best Value Wine: Chateau Zhongfei Marselan 2022 (Xinjiang)

Best Young Winemaker: Kai Kang (Ningxia Helan Mountain Renyiyuan Winery)

Best by Region

Best of Ningxia: Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Best of North China: Domaine Franco-Chinois Reserve Marselan 2012 (Hebei)

Best of Northeast China: United Winery Marvelous Vidal Icewine 2023 (Liaoning)

Best of Shaanxi, Gansu & Shanxi: Amber Winery Memorable Jin Prestige Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (Shanxi)

Best of Shandong: Longting Spring Rosé 2023

Best of Southwest: Sacred Snow Mountain Winery High Mountain Hualuoxiangyun Icewine 2023 (Yunnan)

Best of Xinjiang: Tiansai Sparkling Wine 2017

Best by Variety

Best Chardonnay: Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2021 (Ningxia)

Best Viognier: Chateau Mihope Viognier 2022 (Ningxia)

Best Other Dry White: Chateau Hesoute White Muscat 2022 (Xinjiang)

Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Ningxia)

Best Cabernet Gernischt: Xige Estate Jade Dove Single Vineyard Cabernet Gernischt 2021 (Ningxia)

Best Marselan: Domaine Franco-Chinois Reserve Marselan 2012 (Hebei)

Best Syrah/Shiraz: Chateau Hedong Syrah 2023 (Ningxia)

Best Red Blend

Yuanshi Vineyard Ruyi Marselan 2020 (Ningxia)

Sommelier Choice

Drunken Fish Sommelier's Choice: Xiaoling White 2022 (Yunnan)

Wing Lei Sommelier's Choice: Lansai Yingchuan Red Pinot Noir 2022 (Ningxia)

Chef Tam's Seasons Sommelier's Choice: Zaxee Oak Reserve Chardonnay 2023 (Yunnan)

Lakeview Palace Sommelier's Choice: Domaine Franco-Chinois Réserve 2019 (Hebei)

SW Steakhouse Sommelier's Choice: Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Ningxia)

Mizumi Sommelier's Choice: Fei Tswei Petit Manseng Sweet White Wine 2021 (Ningxia)

• Wynn Signature 2025 Chinese Wine Awards
• Macau
• Renyiyuan Tao Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
• Helan Mountain Special Reserve Chardonnay 2021
• Domaine Franco-Chinois Reserve Marselan 2012
• Eddie McDougall