Finally, a haven for champagne lovers. Convivial is helmed by Yeo Xi Yang, one of Singapore’s youngest and most accomplished sommeliers, who most recently clinched the title of Best Sommelier of Singapore 2022. Here, the sparkling exuberance takes centre stage as the bar offers a variety of vinification styles and profiles. Think heritage pours like the Dom Pérignon 2002 and Krug Vintage 1996, as well as a variety of exciting new producers. For oenophiles who know a thing or two about stemware, Yeo serves his pours using Kvetna’s Auriga range. “The narrow base retains the effervescence, the wide bowl makes the wine release more aromas, and the long body allows the aromas to gather and recollect at the rim,” he expounds. For the peckish, there are light bites made up of white meat and seafood to go along with your glasses.

Convivial
Address: 11 North Canal Road, #01-01 The Offshore, S(048824)

Besides being known as one of the best oyster spots in town, Humpback has made drinking wine approachable for all casual drinkers. A peek into the wine menu will reveal easy-to-follow chapters with trendy yet witty descriptions of each wine varietal. From a thirst-quenching sauvignon blanc from New Zealand to a chewy malbec from Argentina, there are plenty of options to choose from in their extensive list. Come during the attractive happy hour to pair your glass with voluptuous oysters freshly flown in from Washington’s very own Hama Hama Oyster Farm. Go classic and pair it with any French muscadet to complement the saline nature of the bivalves. But if you’re feeling adventurous, try the dry furmint by Juliet Victor from Tokaj, Hungary which promises a bouquet of honey, apples, pear and a hint of oak.

Humpback
Address: 18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road, S(089834)

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Elegant yet lively and intimate, chef-owner Keirin Buck’s Le Bon Funk aims to serve up accessible wines that remain exciting on the palate. Under beverage director Jos Kjer’s direction, Le Bon Funk’s extensive wine menu includes a variety of winemaking styles, methods, and terroirs that embraces the “good funk” of good wine. Take the Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Secco vigna Pagliaro 2015, an Umbrian red that has been aged 24 months in Slavonian oak casks with a rich, full body and a spiced aroma. Or look at the 2010 Domaine de l’Octavin Arbois Pamina La Mailloche, a rich Chardonnay that shows the hard clay of the Mailloche vineyard through its minerality. With two locations at Club Street and Holland Village, it’s easy to indulge in more unknown wines with Buck’s produce-forward plates.

The brainchild of sommeliers Alvin Gho and Ian Lim, Wine Rvlt specialises in natural wines that prioritise quality and sustainability. Its walls are decked from floor to ceiling with an eclectic selection of wines, including the Steve Bettschen Metaphusis Savagnin La Neuveville 2017, a Swiss white wine that’s fruity with a slight minerality. It’s best accompanied by food that’s designed to be shared with friends and companions, like an uni butternut squash with caviar over dashi crystal bread, and beef tartare with smoked egg yolk, mustard ginger, and sago dashi crackers.

Read more: By The Glass: Ian Lim, Sommelier at Wine RVLT

With chef-owner Rishi Naleendra (chef-owner chef of Cloudstreet), group beverage manager Benjamin Hasko and head sommelier Davis Tan at the helm, one can expect Fool to be an eclectic modern wine bar with a playful and witty vibe and fuss-free drinking. With a self-professed “edgy” wine list that includes wine producers from all over the world. Take, for instance, its selection of English sparkling wines, including a Ex Machina Rosé ‘Brut’ from Sugrue in Sussex, made with a mix of pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, or a selection of ciders that actively refutes the heavy-handed flavouring and sugaring of commercial ciders in favour of offerings like the Trois Pepins Cidrerie du Vulcain, which is made with apples, pears, and quince.

The Winery Gourmet Bar is where you need to go if you’re a fan of Old World wines from Europe. Boasting one of the biggest collections of vintage European wines in Singapore, including from some of the most far-flung regions in the continent, the space is equipped with tasting rooms and private rooms for you to taste wines with exquisite expressions that will challenge your taste buds.

Some pours you can expect here is a Montelvini prosecco, a well-balanced wine made with 100% Glera grapes that still has an acidity underscoring its freshness. Elsewhere, a Domaine Bousquet Malbec dominates the palate with notes of blackberry, plum and chocolate, with a full body and structure for a persistent finish.

The Winery Gourmet Bar
Address: 907 East Coast Road, 01-03 Springvale, S(459107), +65 9643 3188

Cosy but stylish, Club Street Wine Room is a must-visit for everyone from the traditionalists to the explorers of new and exciting wines. The Promesse de Château Fayat Pomerol 2019, for instance, appeals to those with a taste for Old World wines with its full body and dark fruit. For those with a more playful palate, go for the Grape Invaders by Fabien Jouves, a rich pour with notes of raspberry, intense red fruit, and spices. Pair it with wood-fired plates like the grilled tiger prawns with citrus kosho and confit fennel, or its signature 87 hot fried chicken with yuzu mayo.

Just opened last year on Orchard Road, Vin Geek boasts a 52-seater wine bar with an impressive collection of wines and cheeses from all over the world. What’s special about Vin Geek is its 24-bottle wine dispenser, which allows you to pour glasses of wine in 30ml, 90ml, and 150ml portions, perfect for moderating your intake or tasting a number of wines. 

One of the most premium wines on offer at this cool and playful bar is the Alión Ribera del Duero 2017, a red with a firm structure, gripping tannins, and floral and vanilla hints. If you’re looking for a real treat, go for the Roberto Voerzio Azienda Agricola Sarmassa di Barolo Magnum, a 2006 vintage that is reminiscent of orange, candied fruit, and vanilla.

Vin Geek
Address: 9 Scotts Road, 01-04/05/06/07, S(228210), +65 6334 1622

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Located in the plush halls of Conrad Singapore Orchard, Park90 is an elegant wine lounge with an extensive selection of wines sourced from its network of local partners and winemaking houses all over the world, spanning grape varieties, styles, and terroirs. Some exclusive wines you can find here is the Domaine de la Grange des Pères 1999, an intense blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre, and Syrah with hints of red fruit, clove, and mace.

Those looking for more premium wines with limited release can also sign up for Park90’s membership programme, granting you access to some of the rarest wines in the world that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. 

Occupying the space where wine bar Drunken Farmer used to be is Common Man Night Shift, Common Man Coffee Roaster’s after-dark concept. Equipped with electric neon lighting and a well-stocked bar, Common Man Night Shift’s undeniably sexy interior is the perfect place to unwind after a long day working in the Central Business District by knocking back its extensive selection of natural wines.

Offerings like the Lammidia Bianco Anfora 2020, an orange wine, stuns with its unexpected minerality, with hints of pineapple and kimchi. A Bodega Cueva by Mariano Vi Viu 2020 steals the spotlight with its light yet sharp attack of red berries in its expression of rosé, and a highlight of the white win selection includes the Lise et Bertrand Jousset 2019 from the Loire Valley in France, which is crisp and light with a hint of yellow apples. 

Common Man Night Shift
Address: 11-12 Stanley Street, S(068730), +65 6877 4855

Located in Duxton Hill’s trendy conservation area is Praelum, a wine bistro dreamt up by wine aficionado Elizabeth Lin and helmed by two-time National Sommelier Champion and President of the Sommelier Association of Singapore Gerald Lu. Its walk-in cellar boasts about 1,000 bottles of wine, with an ever-changing bottle list every single day. 

For the best experience, opt for Praelum’s “wine flights”, a series of three to five customisable wines to your preference, or thematic flights such as the “Cabernet the Bastard King”. Some of the most premium wines you can find here include the Meursault Coche Dury 2019, a white with honey and lime aromas and a hint of toasted hazelnut, or the Pauillac Château Latour 1982, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend that carries its time in oak with its dark berry profile and scents of cigar, smoke, and soil. 

Praelum
Address: 4 Duxton Hill, S(089590), +65 6238 5287

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