DFS Group (DFS), the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, in partnership with City of Dreams Macau, unveiled its 10th annual Masters of Wines and Spirits (MOWS) exhibition at T Galleria by DFS at City of Dreams for the very first time in March. The exhibition featured an exclusive collection of more than 100 of the world’s rarest fine wines, spirits and Champagnes from 65 world-renowned brands and houses.
“Masters of Wines and Spirits is a celebration of the world’s finest industry expertise as well as DFS’ merchant teams’ vast knowledge in the wines and spirits category, and allows both connoisseurs and first-time buyers alike the chance to discover the world’s rarest fine wines, spirits and Champagnes,” says David Chan Vice President Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food and Gifts, DFS Group. “This year’s exhibition invites visitors to learn more about the products through QR codes placed throughout the exhibition in addition to a calendar of exclusive tastings, activations and guest bartenders during the exhibition period.”
David Chan Vice President Spirits, Wine, Tobacco, Food and Gifts, DFS Group
David joined DFS in 2011 as a Planning Manager for Fashion and was appointed Planning Director for Luxury Fashion before taking on his current role in 2020, in which he is responsible for curating an exciting assortment of spirits, wine, Champagne, tobacco, food and gifts across DFS’ network of stores.
Detailing the decision to host the 10th anniversary event in Macau, David notes: “As our customers’ interest and knowledge of the wines and spirits category continues to develop and become more sophisticated, we have chosen to debut the event in Macau to meet the growing demand of our valued Mainland Chinese customers.”
In the decade of presenting MOWS, the exhibition has continued to grow and feature more and more exclusive and limited-edition items.
“Each edition brings new brands, new products and new activations that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This year’s Masters of Wines and Spirits features many firsts including The Masters Bar as well as a virtual pop-up experience for those who cannot visit the exhibition yet still want to discover the collection. In addition, it will be the first time selling a private whisky cask experience from Bladnoch Distillery,” comments David. “The Masters Bar brings a highly exclusive calendar of tastings, activations and guest bartenders from select brands such as Dom Perignon, The Macallan and Penfolds each weekend.”
David explains that each Masters of Wines and Spirits collection takes minimum 10 months of working with brand partners to curate and decide on which products to include.
“At the forefront is a discussion on our customers and their preferences so we can bring them something unique, whether that’s a limited edition or exclusive item or even special packaging to elevate the bottle as a show piece. We then hold tastings and benchmarking before making our final selections.”
Some of the rare items presented at this year’s MOWS include the Dalmore Decades Collection, of which there are only 15 sets in the world. There is also the Camus Cognac Symphony, especially designed for MOWS 2022, and the Chateau Mouton Rothschild Vertical Collection, as well as the limited-edition sculpture for Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 2005, designed by The Artist in collaboration with Nicola Formichetti, with only 110 available worldwide.
Asked about his personal highlight, David responds: “There are so many that stand out as there are special stories behind every bottle. If I had to articulate one, however, it would be The Macallan Red Collection – 40 Years Old, 50 Years Old, 60 Years Old set. This is the oldest ongoing expression ever offered by The Macallan brand, and it is also the first time it’s been made available for sale by a retailer. Procuring this special set year after year with The Macallan is a testament to the strong partnership and trust between DFS and The Macallan.”
The 10th anniversary celebrations of MOWS take place at a time when there is still great uncertainty surrounding the current state of the global tourism industry, with many cities in China still dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. Nonetheless, David is upbeat about the coming years.
“Macau remains an important location for us to reach our Chinese customers and we look forward to the reopening of our newly renovated T Galleria Beauty by DFS, Galaxy Macau store, bringing Masters of Wines and Spirits back to Macau once again in 2023 and opening our eighth and ninth stores in the region in 2022/2023.”
The Masters of Wines and Spirits pop-up is open to the public and housed exclusively at City of Dreams Macau. In addition, The Masters Bar will be open throughout the months of March and April, bringing exclusive tastings, activations and guest bartenders exclusively to City of Dreams Macau.
Established in Hong Kong in 1960, DFS Group offers its customers a carefully curated selection of exceptional products from over 750 of the most desired brands. Its network consists of 54 duty free stores located in 13 major global airports and 23 downtown Galleria locations on four continents, as well as affiliate and resort locations.
