Far from the coastal vineyards most of the world knows, eleven small wineries from China's Xinjiang region are preparing to step onto a Singapore stage for the first time, carrying grapes nourished by Tianshan glacial meltwater and a viticultural memory that reaches back more than two thousand years. Their gathering, arranged by regional authorities with trade and dining partners, is a deliberate act of introduction, asking sommeliers and importers in Southeast Asia to taste a terroir they have rarely encountered. Whether this encounter becomes a lasting commercial bond or remains a single not
Eleven Xinjiang Wineries Make Singapore Debut With Gala Dinner, Masterclass and Trade Showcase
Eleven wineries, 68 labels, and a delegation studying Singapore's import rules
Mark
Why would a regional forestry and grassland agency be running a wine launch in Singapore?
Mimi
Because in Xinjiang that agency oversees the sector, and it's paired this with seven policy measures covering vineyards, processing, branding, tourism, research and financial guarantees for going overseas.
Mark
So Singapore is a test of those policies?
Mimi
Partly. A delegation is studying consumption patterns, import regulations and distribution networks while the wines are poured.
Luke
Worth saying that all of this comes from an announcement, and the issuer is responsible for its content. We don't have independent reporting on the event.
Mark
What does the lineup look like?
Mimi
Eleven wineries, 68 labels, 60 of them award winners, across four subregions from hot Turpan-Hami to the humid Ili Valley.
Luke
Which awards, though? The announcement doesn't name them, so "60 award winners" is a claim we can't weigh.
Mark
And the Michelin connection?
Mimi
The dinner is at Jin Ting Wan, whose head sommelier Joe Yang won a 2026 sommelier award and will work on putting Xinjiang wines on the list.
Luke
That's an intention, not a result. No importer or distribution deal has been announced, and the two-thousand-year history is the organizers' framing of the evidence.
Le Pouls
- Eleven Xinjiang wineries are staging a rare collective debut, pouring 68 labels for Southeast Asian trade buyers on Nov. 19-20.
- The gala dinner at a Michelin-starred Marina Bay restaurant pairs flagship vintages with Cantonese fine dining, drawing attention to an unfamiliar region.
- A regional government delegation is in Singapore studying import rules and distribution networks, working to turn a showcase into lasting trade.
- The outcome hinges on whether importers and restaurant groups commit to the wines, a question still open as the sessions approach.
Far from the coastal vineyards most of the world knows, eleven small wineries from China's Xinjiang region are preparing to step onto a Singapore stage for the first time, carrying grapes nourished by Tianshan glacial meltwater and a viticultural memory that reaches back more than two thousand years. Their gathering, arranged by regional authorities with trade and dining partners, is a deliberate act of introduction, asking sommeliers and importers in Southeast Asia to taste a terroir they have rarely encountered. Whether this encounter becomes a lasting commercial bond or remains a single notable evening will depend on what the visiting delegation learns about the rules and routes that carry wine across borders.
On Nov. 19 and 20, eleven boutique wineries from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will appear together in Singapore for the first time. Under the banner "Xinjiang Wine: A World of Chinese Terroir," they will introduce sommeliers, importers and collectors to 68 labels drawn from four subregions, 60 of them already award-winning.
The campaign is led by Up-Chinese Wine with the Xinjiang Forestry and Grassland Administration, alongside Vinexpo Asia and the Michelin-starred Jin Ting Wan restaurant. The opening evening is a pairing dinner overlooking Marina Bay, where a flagship vintage from each winery meets Cantonese cuisine. Head sommelier Joe Yang hopes to keep Xinjiang wines on the restaurant's list afterward.
On the second day, Master of Wine Xing Wei leads a masterclass on the region's vineyards, climates and soils, followed by a trade tasting open to invited professionals. The launch follows a set of provincial measures meant to modernize the sector, from vineyard upgrades to overseas financial guarantees.
An official delegation will remain in Singapore to study consumption patterns, import regulations and distribution channels, meeting importers and trade groups. What comes next depends on what that research reveals and whether any partners choose to commit.
On Nov. 19 and 20, eleven boutique wineries from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will present themselves together in Singapore for the first time. The campaign is called "Xinjiang Wine: A World of Chinese Terroir," and its target audience is Southeast Asian sommeliers, importers and fine wine collectors, who will be introduced to 68 labels drawn from four Xinjiang growing subregions.
The organizer is the Forestry and Grassland Administration of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Up-Chinese Wine (UCW) leads the campaign, with Vinexpo Asia and Singapore's Jin Ting Wan Chinese Restaurant as strategic partners. The stated aims are an international trade platform linking production to distribution, wider reach in restaurant and on-trade channels, and a stronger regional identity for Xinjiang wine across Southeast Asia. This account rests on an announcement distributed through a newswire, and the issuer is solely responsible for its content.
The 68 core labels include 60 that have won domestic or international awards. They will be shown across three invitation-only sessions. The first, on Nov. 19, is a gala pairing dinner at Jin Ting Wan, a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking Marina Bay. One flagship vintage from each of the 11 wineries will be matched with Cantonese fine dining. Head sommelier Joe Yang, who received the 2026 Michelin Guide Singapore Sommelier Award, will lead an ongoing effort to bring Xinjiang wines into the restaurant's list.
On Nov. 20, Master of Wine Xing Wei, who curated the lineup for both the dinner and the educational sessions, will lead a masterclass. It will examine how viticulture in Xinjiang's four main subregions has evolved, along with their macroclimates, soils and grape varieties. The same day brings a trade exhibition and walk-around tasting, open by invitation to certified sommeliers, importers, distributors, high-end restaurateurs, trade media and collectors. Attendees can taste across all 68 labels, including the 60 award winners, side by side.
The Singapore launch follows seven policy measures from the General Office of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region aimed at modernizing the wine sector. They cover upgrading vineyard grape bases, expanding corporate winemaking and processing capacity, strengthening regional branding, advancing wine tourism and industry integration, reinforcing viticultural research, and expanding financial guarantees for entering overseas markets.
An official delegation from the same administration will also be in Singapore to conduct market research. It plans to evaluate local consumption patterns, import regulations and distribution networks, and to meet major importers, restaurant groups and trade associations with a view to long-term commercial partnerships.
The wines come from vineyards fed by glacial snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains, spread across large distances north and south of the range. The Turpan-Hami Basin is arid and hot, suited to ripe, concentrated styles; its representative here is Puchang Vineyard. The Yanqi Basin is moderated by surrounding mountains and nearby lakes, and is represented by Château Aroma, Tiansai Vineyards, Bainian Manor and Château Zhong Fei. The northern foothills of the Tianshan, home to Xinjiang's largest wine-producing cluster and a center for modern, large-scale experimental viticulture, send Château Xianghai, Château Lixuan, Yaochixiye Winery and Tangting Xialu Winery. The Ili River Valley, tempered by warm, humid Atlantic airflows, is represented by Silk Road Vineyards and Château Crescent.
The organizers also point to a long history. Winemaking techniques are said to have crossed the Pamir Plateau between the third and second centuries B.C. into oasis kingdoms including Niya, Kucha, Karasahr and Gaochang. They cite a 2,300-year-old grapevine found at the Yanghai Tombs in Shanshan County, Turpan, and painted pottery with grape motifs from Hejing County, both predating Zhang Qian's 138 B.C. expedition. Later evidence includes Loulan and Astana tomb murals, Gaochang tax ledgers recording vineyard acreage and wine levies, and Tang dynasty records of tribute wine sent to Chang'an. What to watch next is what the delegation's research in Singapore turns up on import rules and distribution, and whether any importers or restaurant groups commit to the wines.
Citations marquantes
The campaign aims to build an international trade platform bridging production with distribution and raise Xinjiang wine's profile across Southeast Asia.— Organizers, per the announcement
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
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