Winnie Chen

To helm a wine program at Grand Lisboa is no small feat—it means curating pairings from a staggering 17,000 labels, the most extensive collection in Asia, and guiding diners through a cellar deep enough to house a lifetime of vintages. Winnie Chen does it with precision, grace and a scholar’s curiosity that belies her easy charm.

Born in Nanjing, Chen’s path to wine was anything but conventional. She started her career in hospitality in Abu Dhabi, where a chance encounter with a hotel sommelier sparked a fascination that would shape her future. From there, she immersed herself in the world of wine, building her expertise across continents and fine-dining institutions before arriving in Macau, where she now presides over a collection that would make even the most seasoned oenophiles pause in admiration.

A great sommelier must be part detective, part storyteller and part strategist. Whether she’s finessing the perfect pour for a chef’s intricate creation or demystifying a rare vintage for an intrigued guest, Chen balances expertise with approachability, ensuring the experience is both enlightening and effortless. Her knowledge is encyclopedic, her palate razor-sharp, yet she never loses sight of the most important thing: that wine should be as much about pleasure as it is about provenance.