Wine shops in Tanjong Pagar

My brother who knows a bit about wine went around with me to do a review of 3 wine shops in Tanjong Pagar.

We based the rating off 5 stars.
The review looks at the range of wines, the prices, the staff knowledge and service and the store layout

Italian Wine and Food Pte Ltd- 4 stars

Range

There was a good selection of wines all over Italy. Wines such as the usual Barolo, Barbaresco, Chianti, Sardinia, Amorone and a selection from Campania are available. They also had Moscato d'Asti and Franciacorta. I personally wish there were more wines from Fruili and other parts of Italy but taking into consideration the number of wine regions in Italy, this would a difficult thing to expect.

Price

Considering some of the wines are from boutique wineries with medium to high quality, prices are not cheap especially with a half-bottle of Amorone costing about $70 and a Moscato d'Asti at around $65. Unless you have deep pockets, the Barolos and Barbarescos are highly-priced but that is very common given that those are famous region. There is an range of affordable wines if one needed an everyday drink that is of better quality than your typical supermarket grog.

Staff Knowledge and service

The boss of the store is Italian. He is very passionate about his wines and familiar with the wines of Italy. He knows the grapes of the region as well as obscure regions in Italy. He also understands the Tuscany wine scene and that commerciality has overtaken the region, therefore he seems to have taken care in the selection wineries to represent from Tuscany. When asked about a wine to recommend with a squid salad dish, he recommended a Sparkling rose wine which fits the dish well. He also understood his recommended wines well and knew how to serve them to get the best out of the experience. He is mindful of the customer in that he put the purchased bottle in a double bag to protect the bottle.

Store layout

The layout was fine but they could have improved it by putting clear labels of the wine regions of Italy.

Website: http://www.italianfoodwine.com/

Location: 12 Jiak Chuan Road

Contact Number: 6323 3203

Wine Gallery- 4 stars

Range

A very good range of wines from all over the world with prices of every kind. They could improve by intorducing a better range of rose and sherries.

Price

Prices are very competitive and it is not hard to find a good bottle at a attractive price. Wines such as Coldstream Hills and Leeuwin Cabernet Sauvignon are sold at reasonable prices.

Staff Knowledge and Service

When asked about what wine to go with a dish, the staff recommended a unoaked chardonnay from mendoza. The choice was not wrong but it would have been good to see the staff ask questions about how the dish was cooked and explain in what way the wine selected would have gone well with the dish. The staff also had very good knowledge of what wines were available in the shop.

Store Layout

Very good layout but they could do better to separate the wines by region or grape varietal. Lighting was fantastic and there was a board on the wall that explained technical wine terms. This is a comfortable place for tasting

Website: http://www.thewinegallery.com.sg/

Location: 33  Keong Saik Rd

Contact Number: 64795406

Straits Wine Company- 3 stars

Range

This store is very French, Australia and New Zealand focused. They could od better to increase teh range of German, Loire and wines from other parts of the world. They do have a decent selection of rose wines.

Price

The wines are priced decently

Staff knowledge and service

Staff knew what wines were available but was not very familiar with the prices unless he checked them on each bottle. The staff recommended a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling with the dish which complements but did not go further to understand more about the dish or explain why the wines would be suitable.

Store layout

The store is quite dim and could use more lighting. Finding the prices of the wine can be challenging as the price is written on a small price tag that is concealed behind the front label of each bottle.  

Website: http://www.straitswine.com/

Location: 53 Craig Road

Contact Number: 65930523

Opening Hours: Mon- Wed 10am- 830pm; Thurs- Sat 10am - 10pm

Other places for wine in the area

1) Magma

This place has a restaurant and specialises in German wines. 

2) Cellarbration

This has a mix of wines, beers and spirits

3) Wine Mansion

I haven't really gone in properly to look at the selection in this place before

It is at Keong Saik St opposite Wine Gallery