It was all wine and bubbly at Wine For Asia 2011, Asia's most comprehensive international wine competition.

Set against a backdrop of wine imports growing by double digits and looking set to rise further, champagne flowed at the ninth edition of Wine For Asia 2011 (WFA 2011), held over 4,000 square metres at Suntec Singapore on 27 to 28 October 2011.

The wine event, which has become a recognised one-stop shop for the region's F&B trade, had a host of offerings and an educational slant intended to raise the wine knowledge of those in the F&B trade, right down to pronunciation of French, Italian and other wine labels.

It featured master classes in wines of various well-known wine producing regions, tastings and seminars. Some illustrious names from well-known wine producing regions such as Australia, Chile and Bordeaux were also present. Italy, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Italian State in 2011, was out in full force, with a 180 square-metre pavilion and a wide range of wines, many of which are new to the Southeast Asian market.

Said Ms Sylvia Phua, Chief Executive Officer, MP International, the co-organiser of the event: "Wine For Asia is an established show that has gained recognition among members of the trade in the region. The content of the show has grown markedly, with many wineries from around the world taking part."

Other highlights of WFA 2011 included the Wine Style Asia Award (WSAA) - a competition in which an international panel of wine judges ranked wines for awards, a forum on "The Changing Landscape of the F&B Industry in Southeast Asia" and Wine Fiesta, a consumer wine show with a focus on education for newcomers to wine as well as connoisseurs.

This year, WFA 2011 also honoured wine pioneers in the region who have contributed to the development of the wine industry and the wine drinking habit. Wine pioneers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam received the Southeast Asia Wine Pioneer Award by Wine For Asia for the first time. Out of 64 pioneers honoured, the 13 from Singapore included Mr Cheong Hai Poh, president of the Food & Beverage Manager's Association, and Mr Ch'ng Poh Tiong, publisher of Wine Review.

As Mr Malcolm Tham, programme director of WFA 2011, enthused, "Southeast Asia's wine industry could not have reached its present state of development without the commitment and belief of the pioneers. They have gone beyond the call of business to change the wine landscape of the region. Wine today has become a major underpinning pillar of the tourism and lifestyle industries in Asia."

The organisers of Wine For Asia 2011, MP International and Wine Resources Pte Ltd, thank all participants for their support and look forward to next year's tenth anniversary event. Point your browsers to www.wineforasia.com for more.