Responding to the growing and ever more educated demand the CWT Group is about to launch a sophisticated state of the art wine storage facility in Singapore.

Set not amongst the ostentatious curtain walled towers of the central business district or wedged into the prime downtown retail thoroughfares the Singapore Wine Vault is located in the earthy environment of Singapore’s industrial hinterland, Jurong.

Looking around the area it is clear to see that this is where serious wealth has been and continues to be created. Logistics, Shipping, Oil and Gas and every kind of modern manufacturing activity is prevalent. Now joining them will be an oasis of sophistication.

The Singapore Wine Vault is a state-of-the-art structure that serves as both a dedicated wine cellar and an architectural feat. The vault’s security and surveillance functions are cutting edge. It is all about the wine however and with the demand across Asia robust and growing the timing of the new facility appears perfect.

The Asian Wealth Times caught up with Singapore Wine Vault’s Wine and Event Specialist, Bernard Mak to get a more in depth understanding of what they are building.

AWT: The Singapore Wine Vault is an ambitious and unique facility, just how large is the complex and how is it arranged.

Our S$200 million facility offers a state-of-the-art urban wine space spread across 750,000 square feet, establishing Singapore Wine Vault as the largest in Southeast Asia. The six-storey Singapore Wine Vault comprises a main chamber with the ability to hold up to 10 million bottles of wine. It’s equipped with zero UV light penetration, the cellars are fitted with motion sensor activated light system by zones and strict security controls. In addition, we have a separate area we are developing – named Drôme – devoted to private wine cellars. Each individual cellar can be customised to the client’s requirements, from installing 24-hour security cameras to storage layout and design.

Designed by award-winning Singapore architecture firm K2LD, they have translated our vision to create an iconic building in Jurong, which combines wine storage with living the wine lifestyle. Situated on the 6th floor above the wine cellars, is a calm oasis housing large manicured landscaped gardens, a reflective pool that greets you as you enter the facility. We have in the pipeline, slated for completion a members bar, overlooking the courtyard, with the refined elegance of a gentlemen’s club, providing the perfect setting for individual tastings, wine appreciation sessions or private events for our clients.

AWT: You have a bonded warehouse at the Wine Vault, what does this mean for your clients both private and institutional?

For collectors who prefer to cellar their wines through the years, or for distributors who choose to store their wines until the next order, our bonded option allows you to suspend the payment of duty and GST until the wines are withdrawn for consumption. This gives them a more flexible option rather than to pay duties and GST upfront on all their wines, which may not necessarily be consumed in Singapore.

AWT: South East Asia offers many challenges for fine wine storage our climate can be demanding how does the Wine Vault meet this requirement?

In Singapore Wine Vault, we have placed a lot of emphasis on the technical aspects to ensure the wines are cared for in the best way from the humidity range to temperature & lighting controls and insulation. There is also a full proof emergency back up system to ensure there’s undisrupted power supply during emergencies. In addition to the technical expertise, it’s also vital we can assure clients we have the knowledge in handling their wines, hence CWT Logistics (part of the CWT Group), which Singapore Wine Vault is a wholly owned subsidiary of has made history as the first company in the world to have ISO Certification and HACCP Certification from TUV Rheinland. This allows us to guarantee consistently high quality and reliable cellarage; which we believe counts as a vote of confidence for every wine collector. We believe this is an important testimony to our professionalism in wine handling and wine storage, and will be able to convince wine collectors to store their wines with us. In addition, for customers who want peace of mind, they can also request for a wine certificate, which validates their wines have been stored in the appropriate conditions whilst in our care.

AWT: Are your clients international as well as local and do you see growth in the international market?

Our clientele base of private wine clients and merchants are currently more local centric, but we have a handful of established international fine wine merchants with offices in Singapore that store with us as well, and we do see the possibility of more international clients coming into Singapore Wine Vault in the future.

AWT: Why should private collectors use the Wine Vault and not just store at home or a self-storage facility.

Singapore Wine Vault has been purpose built with the strictest controls in place to provide the best and optimum conditions for wine storage including having a full proof emergency back up system. Traditional home wine storage may not have the same ideal conditions to care for your wine especially for clients who wish to store their investment grade wines over a longer period of time in a consistent and reliable condition.

AWT: Can you envisage the Singapore Wine Vault becoming a destination in its own right perhaps seeing fashion shows, new car launches and so on being held here in the near future?

Yes, Singapore Wine Vault could definitely be a potential venue for such events especially from luxury brands who are always on the lookout for more interesting venues in addition to the traditional hotels and restaurant venues in Singapore. We are open to such events as long as it doesn’t compromise our security controls and operations given that after all, Singapore Wine Vault is still first and foremost, a fine wine storage facility.