Local wine goes global

In a modern, concrete jungle like Macao, it is hard to imagine that a local wine-making factory is brewing in the city’s own backyard. New Macau Wine Factory, housed in an industrial building in the Areia Preta district, has been producing a variety of Chinese wines for beverage consumption, medicinal purposes and cooking since 2002. After having successfully established long-term business ties around the world, their products are now being exported to Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.

Step inside New Macau Wine Factory, one will find a modern factory space sectioned into multiple processing areas fitted with wine-making equipment. Step-by-step, from fermentation, heating, distilling, cooling, to packaging and storage, the factory takes care of each process from start to finish.

Johnny Leong, the head of New Macau Wine Factory, says the company’s partnerships in Mainland China are key. “We partner with wine factories in Mainland China, sourcing necessary ingredients such as high-content alcohol from them, before we brew and blend according to our own recipes. The products are exported to overseas customers,” he tells Macao Image.

The current production volume at New Macau Wine Factory is approximately 8,000 bottles per month. These include some of their best-selling wine products such as: Wing Lee Wai rose essence liquor, a cooking wine that has a history of more than 100 years; Macau Fachau, a Chinese sparkling white wine with high alcohol content and designed for Mainland Chinese consumers; the “Wu Jia Pi”, sorghum wine made with 87 types of herbs for medicinal purposes and other specialty wines brewed for local and overseas clients.

“We have a wide variety of wine products on offer. Whether our clients are looking for traditional Chinese white wine, wine made of herbs, rice wine, fruit wine or any other specialty wine, we can cater for their needs,” Mr Leong notes.

The firm puts in a lot of effort toward blending the wine and the design of its products

“Made in Macao” products gain greater trust

New Macau Wine Factory products have been produced in Macao for years. Mr Leong believes that “Made in Macao” products carry a positive image internationally, because Macao resembles an open trade market that is well-connected and highly competitive.

“Given Macao’s international connections, we have the advantage of being a Macao-based company,” says Mr Leong. “It is easy for us to promote our products to overseas customers. Setting up a wine-making factory here in Macao and insisting upon carrying out each procedure inside our local plant, has earned the trust of our business partners and has opened doors to a more diverse range of clientele.”

Mr Leong also believes that trade fairs play an important role in finding new business opportunities. Businesses of all sizes can all benefit from exhibitions to showcase what they have to offer and look for new partners or potential clients. That is why New Macau Wine Factory has participated in trade events held around the region including the Dynamic Macao Business and Trade Fair and the recent China Import and Export Fair held in Guangzhou in October 2018.

“By participating in these trade fairs and being out there, we put ourselves in the spotlight,” he says. “It was particularly encouraging as the Governor of Guangzhou actually loved one of our products so much, we sold ten boxes of that particular wine product in one go at the China Import and Export Fair.”

The company produces approximately 8,000 bottles per month. “Setting up a wine-making factory here in Macao and insisting upon carrying out each procedure inside our local plant, has earned the trust of our business partners and has opened doors to a more diverse range of clientele.”Johnny Leong, the head of New Macau Wine Factory

Adding personal touches to products

A bottle of fine wine is the perfect gift for many occasions. Besides the distinctive flavours kept inside the bottle, good packaging adds so much to the overall wine tasting experience too. New Macau Wine Factory puts in a considerable amount of time and effort toward both blending the wine and the design of the finished product.

Take their Chinese sparkling white wine Macau Fachau as an example. To match with the certain vintage and the old feeling of the wine, the bottle is designed with colours of traditional Chinese blue and white porcelain with a portrait of an elegant Chinese woman in the 1920s. New Macau Wine Factory is also open to creating new and different designs. “From time to time, we receive invitations from our clients to work together on creating unique personalised products, and we are delighted to take on these opportunities,” Mr Leong states.

Mr Leong says New Macau Wine Factory is also working on developing a few fruit wine options to suit more youthful palates. Ironically, they just might find the answer from an aged plant.

“Our aged osmanthus wine carries a sweet taste, something that is totally different from traditional Chinese wine and could prove to be popular with youths,” says the company representative. “We are also experimenting with another fruit wine made of plums. Our goal is to launch a new product next year to cater to young clientele.”