Wine Fella in the News

Wine Fella has been in the news! (These articles refer to when we owned a shop in Toa Payoh. We decided to close the shop as most of our customers wanted to order cases of wine, rather than the odd bottle. Closing the shop enabled us to keep our prices as low as possible.)

HEARTLAND COMPANY

wine fella
www.winefella.com.sg

WHAT Who would have expected to find a cosy wine shop sandwiched in between HDB convenience stores and hair salons? Father-and-son team Peter and Ronald Foo opened their modest-sized retail outlet two years ago to cater to the growing market for wine among heartlanders.

Wine Fella carries some entry-level wines, but you'll also find an impressive range of good vino here. As they're also wholesalers, they can offer wallet-friendly prices. There's Estacion wine from Chile's Colchagua Valley at under $20 a bottle, South African labels from the Bellevue Estate, plus wines from Australia, France, Italy, Chile and New Zealand for under $40 a bottle. Their affordable labels are especially popular with wedding couples, who order them in bulk for their big day.

Wine tastings take place every Friday, from 6pm to 8pm, and cost $10 to $20 per person, depending on the wines offered. Expect to taste about three varieties each time.

WE LOVE In such belt-tightening times, it's great to find enjoyable wines for under $20. Estacion reds, for instance, are known for being slightly peppery with a medium finish. Check out bottles with a “reserve” label — it indicates a better quality wine. They offer free delivery islandwide, with no minimum amount required.

PRICE From about $15 for a Chilean red to $45 for a Bellenda Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine). Exclusive to the shop, popular Aussie labels Conte Estate (from $30) and Carrick Hill Vineyard (from $25).

Wine comes to heartland

You know Singapore's wine culture is maturing when you can pick up a bottle of red on the way to the hawker centre or the mini-mart

Wine shop co-owner Ronald Foo, who runs Wine Fella in Toa Payoh with his father Peter, was pleasantly surprised when five people attending a recent seventh-month dinner auction held near his shop popped by and bought wines to go with their meal.

“They were not your stereotypical yuppie wine-drinkers, but meeting the needs of a growing wine culture in the heartlands is why we chose to set up shop here,” says Mr Ronald Foo, 43, whose nine-month-old store is located below a block of HDB flats in Lorong 4.

At least four new wine shops have opened up in HDB Estates in the last year to capitalise on the burgeoning interest in wine drinking in the heartland.

Like coffee shops that sell beer, these wine stores need to apply for liquor licenses from the Liquors Licensing Board through the police, to sell wines for consumption either on or off the store's premises.

According to HDB wine retailers, the increasing availability of wines in supermarkets and neighbourhood eateries has fueled this interest but they say the heartland market remains to be fully tapped.

Wine Fella's Mr Foo says: “About 80 per cent of the wines we carry are made exclusively for us and are not available in supermarkets. They mostly come from boutique vineyards in South Africa for example, which we've sourced ourselves.”

The information in these articles is not necessarily up-to-date. Please contact us, or refer to the Product Catalogue and Services pages for up-to-date details on our wines and services.

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