What are wine drinkers in Singapore like? A leading wine distributor shares

People

What are wine drinkers in Singapore like? A leading wine distributor shares

The wine scene here is sophisticated, says Michael Chong, who started Monopole in 2010 with only half-dozen wine labels. Today, with a portfolio of more than 100 brands, the visitor is one of Singapore'southward elevation wine distributors.

26 Sep 2022 06:41AM (Updated: 26 Sep 2022 07:15AM)

Singapore-based wine distributor Monopole manages over 100 brands; a who'south who listing of some of the top wine producers from all over the world, such equally Yalumba from Australia, Super Tuscan powerhouse Antinori from Italian republic, Felton Road from New Zealand, and Champagne Politico Roger.

Monopole also has more than than 500 trade customers – a mix of hotels, restaurants, and cafes – an impressive client base of operations, considering the crowded and fragmented vino distribution market place here.

Michael Chong, 48, Monopole's founder and managing manager, started the company in 2010 with merely six brands; an Aussie cadre that included wineries like Jim Barry, Yalumba, and Shaw & Smith.

"It was surprising for those brands to accept a hazard with us, since our visitor had no history then. All I had was a PowerPoint presentation. They took a huge chance by gambling on u.s.a.," recalled Chong, a Malaysian who is married to a Singaporean and has two kids.

Chong's part, which sits next to his warehouse, is located in the industrial estate of Tagore Lane. (Photo: Aik Chen)

Perchance Chong's extensive groundwork in food and wine distribution won over his clients, or mayhap it was his enthusiastic demeanour; a kind of schoolboy earnestness. Maybe information technology was a combination of both traits.

"We are thankful for the brands that initially believed in u.s.. They are more than than simply business partners; they are friends," said Chong. "In order for us to continue getting their support, nosotros must show nosotros are good enough to anticipate their needs for the market nosotros represent."

A footling foresight was what got Chong into the wine business in 1997.

After graduating with a caste in civil applied science from the University of New South Wales, he was supposed to take over his begetter's engineering business after returning to Malaysia just later shelved the plan later deciding that "engineering just wasn't for me".

A friend, who was importing wines in Hong Kong, introduced him to the vino business concern. Chong saw a good opportunity in the Malaysian market every bit no one was bringing in good wines, especially French ones, back then.

"The merely wines available in Malaysia at the time were brands like Blueish Nun, Black Tower, and Jacob's Creek, which were then considered premium wines," he said.

Chong eventually sold the wine business organization. In 2002, Culina, a fine food and wine benefactor in Singapore, approached him to manage their wine brands in Malaysia. He then moved to Singapore to take on a sales and marketing role at Culina, and somewhen became its full general manager, overseeing the company's business organization units.

A NEW JOURNEY

In 2010, prompted past a change of ownership at Culina, Chong decided to leave and fix Monopole. "I was at the crossroads [in my career]. I was wondering whether to continue working as an employee or start a legacy for myself," he recalled. "I thought, 'I've got the smarts. I think I'm pretty ambitious. Permit's start a journey'."

His office, which sits next to his warehouse, is located in the industrial manor of Tagore Lane. He picked the name Monopole – a French wine term that denotes a vino-growing surface area that is owned and controlled by a single winery – as a reference to his ambition and vision for his vino distribution company.

"I'm not a megalomaniac, but in business you ever try to see if you can monopolise," he said. "You got to think big, otherwise you might too not start your own business at all. And so the name Monopole was quite fitting in terms of our vision for the company."

It was also fortuitous that his new venture coincided with the opening of the Integrated Resorts, which additional the F&B scene and consequently the demand for wines.

"Back in 2010, the wine scene here was not equally sophisticated as it is now. Today, the number of consumers and restaurant managers who have vino cognition is exceptional," he said. "The Singapore government had so much foresight to bring in the IRs – the establishments brought in a lot F&B talents, who and so adult smarter wine programs for their restaurants."

"Back in 2010, the wine scene hither was not equally sophisticated as it is now. Today, the number of consumers and restaurant managers who take wine noesis is exceptional." – Michael Chong

COMMON VALUES

Some wine distributors adopt an Old World or a New World stance for their offerings. Others accept a niche route, for case, sticking to organic or biodynamic producers. For Chong, the theme he looks out for among his wine brands is pedigree.

"How do you define this 'pedigree'? Is it the groundwork of the owners? The quality of the wines? The commercial potential?" he posed. "For me, information technology's a combination of all 3 factors."

He stressed that he looks out for brands that are "family-owned or sole proprietorships". "We want to have a commonality amidst the brands we represent," he said. "The brand owners should be able to sit together in one room and have a good barrack together. They must share a synergy."

Super Tuscan producer Antinori, he said, was secured after a courting of many years. Other brands such every bit Sancerre-based producer Henri Bourgeois and prestigious Castilian wine producer Vega Sicilia heard of his portfolio and approached him. "We were lucky they landed on our laps. When such brands come to you and say they are bachelor for representation, you don't say no. These are the brands that make perfect sense," he said.

While B2B remains Monopole's cadre business, it as well has a straight-to-consumer arm, Vintage Fine Wines, an e-commerce platform. Users have to create an account to purchase wines.

Chong said Vintage Fine Wines was adult because he felt his wine brands had a lot unique offerings that would appeal to private collectors more than restaurants.

"For some wines, the restaurants may non have the ambition to have them on because the vintages could be also immature or the price points do not match their target audience," said Chong. He cited the case of Vega Sicilia'southward Unico Reserva Especial, a Southward$600 cult wine – a restaurant would usually have one case merely a private collector would ask for upwardly to five cases.

"Nosotros've got collectors who inquire us, 'When is the new release of the Unico Reserva Especial coming out?'"

Chong noted that wine consumers in Singapore are more often than not divided into two types: The younger ones, who are curious and willing to explore; and the older ones who already know what they desire and what to wait.

"With the younger consumers, they'd want to try new things but ultimately similar any man they will engage in a procedure of elimination and place what they truly like. Hence, we attempt to take a broad spectrum of offerings in our portfolio," said Chong.

"I believe collectors see value when they buy our wines," he added. "I'd be very happy to have all the brands nosotros correspond in my own personal cellar. It'd be a travesty if I don't."

What are wine drinkers in Singapore like? A leading wine distributor shares

Advertisement