After our two weeks Down Under (see here and here), our three-day visit to Singapore started on Thursday 2 May with a regional speciality for lunch: Nasi Lemak. I love the way that eggs are often part of local dishes – they’re such a healthy protein – and of course the Calamansi limes for squeezing are great for counteracting the spice in the dishes!

We then visited BoundbyWine, a wine retail shop, to taste and plan for our event for the next evening…

Our next stop was Saint Pierre, a two-star Michelin restaurant with the most fantastic view of Marina Bay Sands. We were very pleased to meet head sommelier Wyman Kok and chef Emmanuel Stroobant, to whom we introduced our wines and the Hemel-en-Aarde and Walker Bay wine regions for the first time. We look forward to organising a wine-pairing event next time we visit Singapore.

We then visited Kafe Utu, an African-themed Café and lounge. After looking through the delicious menu, we did some team training as we tasted through the Creation range to find out what would be most suitable for listing.

Next on the beat was a Masterclass at 67 Pall Mall Singapore (Creation Wines are available here and at 67 Pall Mall London). What a pleasure it was to be supported by Wines of South Africa’s very own Marcus Ford. It was also a fabulous surprise to have sommelier Mohan Vasudevan come and assist us, as we are such big fans. Before joining 67 Pall Mall, Mohan worked for the Constance Hotels & Resorts group in the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Mascarene Islands.

After the Masterclass, we had dinner at 67 Pall Mall with Rickard and Polly Heiss from South African wine specialists Wine to Share. Shirley Tan, the assistant head sommelier, took care of us. It was a lovely experience with delicious food and wine.

67 Pall Mall has redefined the Singapore wine scene. My greatest wish is to get 67 Pall Mall Cape Town off the ground; this would showcase South African Fine Wine in a global context and provide outstanding training opportunities for sommeliers and hospitality professionals. Wine lovers worldwide would be excited to visit Pall Mall 67 Cape Town as part of their wine experience.

Friday 3rd May

Lunch with Swiss chef Patrick Heuberger at Atout was a great start to the day. This wonderful venue on the outskirts of the city specialises in classic Swiss-style dishes, all made with locally grown organic ingredients where possible, and a gourmet deli and wine shop form part of the experience, so you also have a chance to take some of the goodness home. You are bound to find our cool-climate Creation wines here, given how wowed Chef Patrick is by their vibrancy and quality.

We then had a chance to meet 67 Pall Mall buying coordinator Shreeraj Salunke, and were delighted to hear about his appreciation of our range.

At Praelum Wine Bar, we were met by sommelier Gerald Lu, who visited Creation in February, together with Gerard Zhang. This was a chance to share the quality of South African fine wines with the two most significant SA Wine importers/sommeliers in Singapore. We were also gifted with ‘Money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy Pinot Noir’ T-shirts. Thank you, Gerald!

Our event at BoundbyWine Event was next, and a chance to meet Rex Macaskill, co-owner of Wine to Share, and Cheri Lim, who used to own Wine to Share but is now moving to London to complete her WSET Diploma and consider doing her MW after that. This was a wonderful opportunity to get a range of feedback from both trade and private clients.

Saturday May 4th

Atout was the venue for a Private Lunch & Wine Pairing we were hosting, and it was fabulous, including specialities such as Steamed White Asparagus with a Maltaise Sauce (blood orange hollandaise) paired with Creation Sauvignon Blanc 2023; Mangalitza Pork, Braised Fennel and White Cream Sauce paired with Creation Art of Chardonnay 2019; and Duck Confit with Mash Potatoes and a Light Orange Sauce paired with Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2021.

After this exceptional lunch with 20 guests, I popped back to 67 Pall Mall to meet Grant Ashton to discuss 67 Pall Mall Cape Town…

Then it was homebound to fabulous South Africa and my heart place, Hermanus and Creation!