The IFTM Wine Appreciation Club, an affiliate of the IFTM Student Union has successfully concluded its Portuguese wine tasting event on 5 March. The event provided an opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge in Portuguese wines and to learn from the wine trade professionals on Macao’s role as a Sino-Portuguese trading platform.

The theme of the event was “Viva Vinho!’” which showcased four premium red and white wines from some of the most renowned Portuguese wine regions including Lisboa, Alentejo and Vinho Verde. The event was jointly sponsored by “Quinta da Marmeleira”, “Vinomac Limited” and “Macau Tertiary Sector Promotion Association” to provide the wines for the 30 participants to sample. During the event, Mr. Cristiano Fong, representative of “Quinta da Marmeleira”, introduced the history of the winery and the strategies to market their wines in Mainland and Macao. Chairman of “Macau Tertiary Sector Promotion Association” also shared the latest market information and emerging trends with the students. The tasting session was hosted by IFTM Lecturer Mr. Oscar Ho Man Cheng through a presentation of the unique features of the various Portuguese wine regions and followed by a discussion with the participants to explore wine pairing options for both Chinese and Portuguese cuisines.

The IFTM Wine Appreciation Club aims to assist students to further develop their wine knowledge and to develop a closer tie with the industry for long term career development opportunities. Through this event, students are able to identify the uniqueness of Portuguese wines as well as to learn from the local businesses on how to explore the huge potential of the Sino-Portuguese trade.