Local wine bars to try this festive season

Local wine bars to try this festive season

Here at Cult Wines, we recognize that in addition to being an investment, enjoying a glass or two of wine is also one of the best ways to celebrate and relax during the holidays. So, as we wind down the rollercoaster year of 2020, our Cult Wines team in Singapore recommend their favourite spots in the city to enjoy some top-notch wines.

		Le Quinze Vins Le Quinze Vins (LQV) is arguably the best French wine bar in Singapore. Situated perfectly between the offices of Raffles Place and the entrance to the culinary district of Amoy, Telok Ayer, Stanley Streets, this popular bolthole is normally overflowing onto the pavement out front with the early evening, pre-dinner crowd. The wine list is biblical in size and is 99% French but don’t let that intimidate you, smooth talking General Manger, Benoit Guisti, is always there to help navigate. For food, they have cheese and charcuterie boards, famously generous Croque Monsieurs, and you can even order from ATM Pizza next door to accompany your wine at LQV. Chapeau!
		Park90 Park90, so called by the fact that all the wines it serves are rated 90 or above by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, is a paradise for wine connoisseurs. It offers the most extensive selection of Burgundy wines in Singapore, with prices ranging between S$60 to anything over S$20,000! The cosy atmosphere at Park90 makes it an ideal venue for business meetings, drinks with friends, or a date (long gone are those days…). A young, friendly and highly skilled team of Sommeliers are always on hand to provide advice and assistance when selecting the wine, and of course all of this can be coupled with the tasty Cantonese and Italian food that can be ordered from the neighbouring restaurants.
		Petersons Wines Tasting Room Just a stones’ throw away from the bustle of Singapore’s prime shopping district of Orchard Road, Petersons has been at the forefront of Hunter Valley wines for the past 30 years. Petersons Tasting Room is an informal and cozy experience curated by Peterson’s winemaking team whose staff are incredibly knowledgeable about each wine and always happy to make recommendations. I particularly like the fact that the winery is family run and they make you feel like another Peterson when you visit. As a bonus, they also run a wine club membership and tailor a case of wine to your taste preference, which is shipped to your house a couple of times per year.
		The Spot & 1855 at Marina One Strictly speaking, The Spot is not a wine bar. Located in the new social hub of Marina One, this “multi-concept venue” allows diners to enjoy each activity on its own or as a combination. The restaurant serves East Asian food with a European twist and features a connecting glass door to its retail wine shop, called 1855, and a Macallan boutique lounge, which are all under the same ownership. Before or during your meal you can walk into 1855 and purchase any wine of your choice and consume it at the restaurant without any corkage fee. In effect, the entire 1855 shop instantaneously becomes your wine list.
		Le Bon Funk Nestled in the bustle of Club Street, Le Bon Funk is another masterpiece by the Lo & Behold group. It has a great outdoor terrace space separated from the restaurant by an indoor bar space that makes it friendly and not too noisy if seated inside. A place with something for everyone. The restaurant, headed by the ex-Burnt Ends chef, Keirin Buck, is delightful, extensive and changes on a regular basis depending on the availability of the ingredients. Le Bon Funk is famed for its natural wines (sourced mainly from Provence) and has a stock of anywhere between 120-200 wines at any given time. I love the chic yet simple atmosphere of this place!
		La Terre Ideally located between Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, La Terre is one of the must-go places for any serious wine connoisseurs. It was co-founded by its flamboyant and charming Chief Sommelier, Daisuke Kawai, who was recently awarded the Hall of Fame Best Sommelier of the year by the World Gourmet Awards Singapore 2020. Needless to say, his knowledge of wine is second to none as is the exhaustive wine list, which boasts over 1,000 wines from around the world including, but not limited to, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Lebanon and Greece. Catch Kawai-san on a good day and he may show you how to “Sabrage” a bottle of Champagne.