Well, unless my knowledge of Bahasa Malaysia is worse than I thought, “Buatan Malaysia” means made in, or product of Malaysia. And that is clearly what it says on the back of a bottle I bought recently in Carrefour.
The price seemed to indicate that it hadn’t been subject to Malaysia’s hefty import duties, as it was around RM23, give or take a few sen, so I’d have to assume it really was made in Malaysia. But I bought it more out of curiosity than for its low price.
I really expected the internet, and Google in particular, to be some helping in getting more details, but they weren’t. I can find nothing on the brand name, and only minimal information about the company that sells the wine.
Somehow, Malaysia seems like an unlikely place to grow grapes that are suitable for wine.
But then, I thought the same about Thailand until I visited the wine-producing region in the Asoke Valley near Khao Yai. The rolling hills seem perfect, and with the cooler temperatures, one could be in Tuscany. I can’t imagine anywhere on the Peninsular having the right terroir, but I don’t know much about East Malaysia, so it’s possible.
As for the quality of the wine, well, I can say it’s worth every ringgit I paid for it. I drank it. I quite enjoyed it. It was fruity, but tasted very young. But despite the price, I wouldn’t buy any more.
