Wine News : Malaysian Wine with a hint of coffee.

Coffee lovers who are also wine drinkers may not have to make those difficult choices anymore … not since an enterprising local businessman decided to come up with the first-ever bottle combining both.

Rozells Ipoh White Coffee Wine is the result of Datuk David Leo's fondness for wine meeting his desire to market a product which could be representative of the country. He is hoping that it can become to Malaysia what tequila has become to Mexico, or vodka to Russia.

"My idea is to introduce Malaysian-made red wine all over the world, highlight a local specialty beverage at the same time. With this integration, the wine will reflect the Malaysian origin, taste and heritage. Whenever people see Ipoh White Coffee Wine on shelves, the first thing to come to mind is Malaysia, giving it an identity in the world of wines," he said.

Armed with an idea, Leo had to find a local winery to make it a reality. He ended up working with Scientific R&D - a fully-equipped working winery, albeit one which operates on a comparatively smaller scale. "We ended up working on much tasting and blending for about one and a half years from the time I conceptualised the idea, so that we could get the balance of coffee and wine right," he said.

The Rozells wine - named after Leo's mother's Eurasian surname - currently has a production of about 1,000 cases a month. According to Leo, his projected production target is 10,000 cases a month.

Rozells Ipoh White Coffee Wine can be found at on 11street.my, at Crave at Trec KL and Uncle Don's in Solaris Dutamas, with Leo having an eye on making it available in more retail outlets and restaurants.

- See more at: http://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/food/malaysian-wine-hint-coffee