Food influencers on TikTok have recently been called out for describing every new F&B establishment as a “hidden gem in Singapore”. VITIS Wine Bar could very well count as such a joint, except that this gem is hidden in plain sight – on level one of DUO Galleria in Bugis.
Behind thick brown drapes and a small, blink-and-you’ll miss it signage, the resto-bar beckons wine enthusiasts, adventurous foodies, and those in the know. Inside, VITIS’s (Latin for “grapes”) stylish, cosy interior sets the stage for a rare epicurean experience: Asian wines paired with pan-Asian (Japanese, Taiwanese, Thai) cuisine.
It’s the brainchild of Gary Low, a sommelier who cut his teeth in top-tier restaurants like JAAN by Kirk Westaway, Burnt Ends, Dempsey Cookhouse and Bar, and the now-defunct Corner House. Low’s mission is to showcase the vastly underrated and underserved realm of Asian wines, which he feels are gaining prominence on the world stage.
The VITIS cellar – which houses about 300 bottles in the restaurant and another 700 in the warehouse – is curated to reflect the incredible diversity of Asian winemaking. Notable names include Long Dai from China’s Shandong province, Fratelli Vitae from India’s Maharashtra state, GranMonte from Thailand’s Asoke Valley, and Domaine Takahiko from Japan’s Hokkaido region.
Besides wines produced in Asia, VITIS also showcases independent winemakers of Asian descent who have made their mark, such as Ray Chen and Josh Liu of Rongo Wines. The Melbourne, Australia-based pair produces sought after Rieslings, orange wines, and rosés. International wineries that have ventured into Asia, such as Chateau Lafite with Long Dai, and those that employ Asian winemakers, also make the cut.
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- ESCHEWING THE PATH OF DIMINISHING RETURNS
- RISING ABOVE SETBACKS
Eschewing the path of diminishing returns
“I’ve always wanted to open my own wine bar,” says Low, whose family background is in F&B real estate, primarily leasing food courts, coffee shops, and canteens. He originally trained as a medical scientist and psychologist in Australia but decided to tread the F&B path because he would eventually have to assume the mantle in his family business.
“But when you look at the landscape of wine bars in Singapore, they typically serve French, Italian, German, or Australian and New Zealand wines. If I opened another wine bar like that, I’d be competing on price to try and attract customers. That’s good from a consumer standpoint, but bad from a business standpoint.
“So I asked myself, do I want to go down that path – the path of diminishing returns? What else could I do? Back at JAAN and a few other places I’ve worked at, I’d already noticed an increasing interest in wines from Asia.”
Armed with this hunch, Low traversed the globe to do his own market research after he left Burnt Ends in January 2024. He visited major cities across Asia, Europe, and Oceania, all in a bid to find a dedicated Asian wine bar. To his delight, he found none, which gave him the confidence to push through with his plans.
Dipping into the family foundation, Low invested $1.4 million to set up VITIS. Since its opening in September 2024, growth has been very promising, with about 80 percent of customers coming in via word-of-mouth. “So, we could already see that a lot of these customers are return customers, or return customers bringing their friends,” he shares.
Every spend has been stable and above his target, he adds, so much so that he forecasts the business to break even by February 2025 (PORTFOLIO spoke to Low in December 2024). “Based on our November P&L, I’d say we’re 95 percent on target, so the break-even date might be pushed forward.”
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- ESCHEWING THE PATH OF DIMINISHING RETURNS
- RISING ABOVE SETBACKS
Rising above setbacks
This isn’t to say that the business isn’t without its share of hurdles. One major issue is that the Asian wine industry is still in its youth, and therefore still a very niche market. Due to the lack of international marketing efforts – and therefore a lack of awareness – there aren’t a lot of Asian winemakers being represented in Singapore. This is a gap that Low is hoping to fill.
On the logistical side of things, there are occasional cultural obstacles to surmount. Some winemakers, such as those from Japan, are hesitant to deal with non-Japanese clients. Traditionally, Japanese business culture emphasises relationships built on mutual trust, which can take years to establish. In such cases, Low needs to go through middlemen to source his wines.
But probably the biggest barrier to overcome is the stigma associated with Asian wines, especially among Old World wine connoisseurs. “When we talk about wines from Asia, a lot of seasoned drinkers will turn their noses up at us. They think that if it comes from Asia, it must be cheap and of lower quality,” Low explains.
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"If I opened another wine bar like that, I’d be competing on price to try and attract customers. That’s good from a consumer standpoint, but bad from a business standpoint." - Gary Low
“The only advice I can give to these drinkers is to keep an open mind. They just need to try the wines to determine whether the taste and quality feels cheap. Let the wines speak to you, because you won’t know anything until you try.”
For now, Low has his work cut out for him. But once things at VITIS stablises, Low has expansion plans on his mind. His sights are set on a few key locations worldwide, among them Dubai, Hanoi, Taipei, and Tokyo. For the Asian wine ecosystem and broad-minded wine enthusiasts, it’s definitely an exciting premise.
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