Four students from the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) achieved outstanding success at the Asian Regional Selection of the Left Bank Bordeaux Cup (LBBC), held in Hong Kong SAR on 14 March. Competing against university teams from Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, the UTM delegation secured an impressive third‑place. The LBBC is an internationally recognised competition for university students, and UTM remains the only higher education institution from Macao to have participated since the event's establishment in 2002.
The competition comprised two segments. The first tested the teams' professional knowledge of Bordeaux's wine regions, history, and viticultural and oenological practices through a series of ten questions. The second segment required participants to blind‑taste nine Bordeaux wines and accurately identify their respective appellations and vintages. The judging panel included Ms. Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macao, together with several esteemed château owners from the Bordeaux region.
The UTM team - composed of Alan Zi Xuan Zheng, Agostinho Tai Loi Lee, Roy Ting Hin Lee and Raphael Ching Kiu Wong - are all students of the Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management programme at the Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management, under the coaching of Lecturer Oscar Man Cheng Ho. Over a rigorous three‑month training period, the team undertook in‑depth study of Bordeaux's wine regions and intensive blind‑tasting practice, including numerous simulated competitions, ultimately delivering an excellent result on the day.
Following the competition, team members expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to engage with students from renowned universities across the region. They noted that the experience not only broadened their international outlook but also strengthened their professional and personal networks. The team conveyed their enthusiasm for continuing to represent Macao and UTM in future editions of the competition.
