I got back last week from a business trip to Asia. This took me as usual to Macau where I am accustomed to seeing Portuguese wine on sale everywhere, as to be expected in an ex-Portuguese colony.
I also visited Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur where I happened to call into a supermarket looking for a bottle of wine as a gift for a friend. I had heard about the work being done by the Singapore-based wine distribution company Vivavino who specialise in Portuguese wine, and it was encouraging to see that they have now secured a dedicated display (please excuse the poor quality of my camera phone snap-shot) featuring a small but good selection from Portugal.
Amongst them I found Quinta dos Vales from the Algarve along with Esporão and Cortes de Cima from the Alentejo. The latter, Cortes de Cima, has an interesting connection with Malaysia as the winemakers Hans and Carrie Jorgensen lived and worked in the country for many years before moving to Portugal and setting up their business in the Alentejo.
The staff in the shop told me that their Portuguese wines are quite popular amongst customers seeking out something different from the new world wines that dominate the market. It is encouraging to see the hard work of the people behind Vivavino paying off and bringing Portuguese wines to these new markets.
www.vivavino.com.sg
By PATRICK STUART [email protected]
