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Most notably, 2024 was the year that the natural wine movement really broke through in Malaysia.

It captured the minds of a younger, more laid-back generation of wine enthusiasts who shunned the elitist and snobbish perception of wine in favour of something more inviting and inclusive.

Today, it’s more fun to sit on a patio in shorts and sneakers and pop open the minimal intervention Pét-Nat, the short form for pétillant naturel, a sparkling wine, which sports a funky label and even funkier body.

That said, not all bars embraced this ethos in moderation — some took it to extremes, offering exclusively natural wines with almost a Luddite-like hostility toward sulphites in wines.

Thankfully, that fervour seems to be subsiding now.

Simply put, wine bars in Malaysia have become more accessible to a broader audience than ever before — and the food can actually be pretty exciting. — ETHAN LAU