Asian wines take centre stage at Vitis, Singapore’s newest wine bar

Gary Low spotlights Asian wines and winemakers at his new bar in Singapore. Nimmi Malhotra hears from the seasoned sommelier about his ambition to “expand the palate”.

The latest wine bar in Singapore, Vitis Wine and Bistro, is also the world’s first bar to list only Asian wines.

The wines belong to one of three categories: wines made on Asian terroir like Japan, China, Thailand and India; wines made by Asian winemakers across the world; and wines owned by Asian entities.

Located in the heart of town in Duo Galleria, the bar was designed by the acclaimed Emma Maxwell Studio with glassware sourced exclusively from Kvetna. Almost half of the wines are exclusive in the market to Vitis; the rest are sourced locally from distributors.

Vitis’ wine programme is curated by owner and seasoned sommelier Gary Low, previously seen at the city’s top spots like two Michelin-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway and one Michelin-starred Burnt Ends. In opening Vitis, Low has fulfilled a lifelong dream of championing the underdog Asian wine terroirs, mostly relegated to the back end of a fine dining menu and, at best, claim five percent of the entire list.

“I felt it was time to do more, to celebrate Asian wines, Asian winemakers and producers,” Low says. “My ambition is to expand the palate and introduce Asian wines to locals.”

Low has kept his eye on the growth of the ‘wine curious’ segment over the years. “When I was working with Jaan and Burnt Ends, a lot of customers asked me if we had ever thought of bringing in more wines from Asia. That lit a fire within me,” he explains. After extensive market research and analysis, Vitis was launched.

A large proportion of Singapore’s wine-drinking population still seeks the classics – Champagnes, Burgundies and Bordeaux. To satiate this market segment, Low found a convergence point in wines like Chateau Lagrange owned by Beam Suntory; Domaine Lou Dumont from Gevrey Chambertin, owned by Japanese Koji Nakada’s, Domaine Kuheiji in Morey St Denis by Japanese sake master Hirotaka Ito and many more.

The only exception to the rule are the 30 or so Champagnes from Grand Maison producers, the likes of Krug and Cristal, that Low argues are a must-have at any bar in Asia.

The plan is to slowly introduce them to hero Asian labels. “After they open the first bottle of Bordeaux or Burgundy, the onus is on us to let them explore Asia and take them on an Asian journey,” he says.

Vitis is offering a platform for Asian wineries and winemakers visiting the city to host wine dinners and consumer masterclasses. The first session is planned for later this year, with Nikki Lohitnavy of Thailand’s Granmonte wines.

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