Tucked away in the west of Singapore is the largest wine storage facility in Southeast Asia, spanning 750,000 sq ft and capable of storing up to a mind-boggling 10 million bottles, all in ideal temperature-controlled conditions.
From here, clients can have their wines delivered to any restaurant on the island, often on the same day; business owners can store their wine in climate-controlled warehouses until needed; and private collectors can source rare wines at below-retail prices and even ship them to auction houses overseas — either via an app or a simple phone call.
Even with the massive storage capabilities, the Singapore Wine Vault has already filled more than 70% of its warehouse space since its official launch in 2014 — a testament to its superior proposition for both personal and corporate clients.
For optimal ageing and preservation, the Singapore Wine Vault boasts advanced climate control — 12°C for fine wines and 20°C and 24°C for commercial wines. Furthermore, the warehouse is fitted with industrial-grade ventilators with humidity control, and is designed to block all ultraviolet light; this helps ensure rare wines stay perfectly preserved in Singapore’s climate.
Even when the climate-controlled warehouse welcomes its 10-millionth bottle, 6 Fishery Port Road will still be far from full; any of the six lower floors of the seven-storey ramp-up warehouse and logistics facility can be converted into storage as needed, says Leaw Tiew San, CEO of the Singapore Wine Vault.
The company operates from Southeast Asia’s largest wine storage facility, which houses the cold chain operations of CWT International, a Hong Kong-listed integrated logistics giant.
Here, it serves food manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers — drawing on over 55 years of global logistics experience in a variety of industries — to support the city-state’s food supply.
The Singapore Wine Vault is also wholly owned by CWT International, offering clients peace of mind that their valuable assets are held with a robust and reputable parent company.
In fact, CWT International’s profit attributable to owners from continuing operations surged more than 15 times y-o-y to HK$304.4 million in FY2024 ended Dec 31, 2024.
Leaw, who is also CEO (Asia Pacific) of CWT Logistics, believes the Singapore Wine Vault will fill up at an “exponential” rate. “Let me tell you about the brand I want to build. When you want to eat burgers, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? McDonald’s, correct? When you require wine storage, what’s the first brand that comes to mind? Singapore Wine Vault. That’s what I’m trying to achieve.”
A winning bid
With an operational track record that stretches back more than 15 years, the Singapore Wine Vault is one of the only providers here offering a full suite of services, including international freight, customs clearance, bonded and non-bonded storage, last-mile delivery, wine valuation and insurance coverage.
“If you want to sell your wine, we work with all the reputable auction houses, like Acker and Sotheby’s,” says Leaw. “If you want to start wine investing or just as a hobby, start with us — you’ll get a full range of connections that you can tap into.”
What happens when a collector decides to put a rare bottle up for auction? In the past, the bottle would need to be shipped to Hong Kong, evaluated and stored, before awaiting its fate at the auctioneer’s gavel. If unsold, it would be returned.
“There’s a lot of movement,” says Leaw, and the bottle risks damage during shipment and storage.
Instead, Leaw has struck a deal with the auction houses to evaluate rare wines at the Singapore Wine Vault before they are listed for sale either here or in Hong Kong.
The bottles will only be shipped after a successful sale, he adds — “maybe to the US or wherever, it depends on the final buyer” — with full cold-chain assurance.
The Singapore Wine Vault can attest to the provenance of fine wines, says Leaw. “I know the date they came in, whether they came by a refrigerated container with temperature control, and that they are stored correctly. Wines stored in the Singapore Wine Vault are well-known in the industry to be well-stored at ISO standards, which means they should have more value [at the auctions].”
Under Leaw’s leadership, the Singapore Wine Vault maintains ISO and HACCP certifications and was historically the first facility globally to achieve both certifications from TÜV Rheinland for wine storage and handling, continuing to uphold the highest international standards.
Maintaining this certification involves regular third-party audits, which guarantee the highest standards of preservation and security.
The Singapore Wine Vault is one of only a few facilities here with Singapore Customs’ highest licensing tier. As a Type III Licensed Warehouse, the Singapore Wine Vault boasts a computerised warehouse management system that accurately monitors the level and movement of duty-suspended goods.
“It’s a significant competitive differentiator that demonstrates our elite operational status and regulatory compliance,” says Leaw.
The firm even sets out import procedures clearly on its website, along with a handy duty and GST calculator. Under the Licensed Warehouse Scheme, corporate clients can defer GST and duty payments until wines are withdrawn from the licensed premises for local consumption, optimising their cash flow and offering greater certainty for business decisions.
Firms on Leaw’s client list include fine wine merchant Crystal Wines, retailer 1855 The Bottle Shop and private club 67 Pall Mall Singapore. Leaw’s team even helps companies that are new to Singapore apply for the relevant local licences.
“The value-added service that we give far outweighs the price,” he adds. “I don’t undercut my competitors, but the value-added service that we give you is immeasurable.”
‘Michelin’ service
For wine enthusiasts currently managing collections in self-storage units or home cellars, the Singapore Wine Vault transforms wine ownership from a demanding chore into effortless enjoyment.
Its pay-per-bottle model allows clients to simply pay for the storage space they need, instead of renting a prescribed space and paying for unused storage under a practice of “fixed cellar costs”.
Owing to its scale, Leaw says the Singapore Wine Vault has one of the most competitive rates in the market. “Our pay-per-bottle model eliminates the waste and overhead of traditional fixed cellar rentals, allowing collectors to pay only for actual storage used. Thanks to our massive scale and operational efficiency, we achieve cost advantages that we pass directly to our clients.”
With add-on wine insurance that covers fire, theft and breakage, the Singapore Wine Vault offers a significant advantage over self-storage competitors, which Leaw says often lack verifiable climate-controlled storage.
“This means no more worrying about power outages, temperature fluctuations or insurance coverage,” he adds.
Leaw leads a dedicated team of customer relationship specialists serving more than 250 discerning clients.
“It’s a very personalised business,” says Leaw. “All my customers — I know mostly all of them.”
Leaw says he has three “KPIs” that he pitches to his clients: “The first is 100% non-rejection of urgent orders — whatever is reasonable, [we will do it]. Number two is that my staff and I are 100% contactable at all times — that’s important; when you call a customer service hotline, you want them to respond. The third thing is 100% space availability at all times; there’s no need for them to worry about not having space. If you are a merchant and you hear that there is no more space, how are you going to appoint a warehouse urgently to receive your wines?”
In total, more than 80 staff operate across the facility to ensure all stored assets are kept safe and secure.
According to Leaw, the facility employs security systems, protocols and processes “usually associated with financial institutions”. “Aside from a 24-hour security guard and CCTV, entry to the main chamber is restricted to select senior staff.”
Wine on tap
The Singapore Wine Vault’s “Michelin restaurant” level of service not only boasts more competitive pricing, but clients can also access a proprietary mobile app for real-time inventory management and portfolio tracking, with comprehensive delivery services available through their digital platform.
The Singapore Wine Vault app — developed for the App Store and the Google Play Store — is the first of its kind in the country, says Leaw. Clients can view their wine collection, calculate their portfolio value and even request a photographic inventory of the bottles they have stored at the facility.
Clients can also access their order history, log their tasting history and request same-day delivery across Singapore with just a few taps.
“In terms of response time, I’m very sure that we are one of the fastest in the market,” says Leaw.
The Singapore Wine Vault is also a member of Liv-ex, the global exchange for fine wine, data and insight. Membership brings wine professionals independent, real-time and historic market data and insights.
Liv-ex supplies unique identification codes for over 200,000 different wines and spirits to ensure tracking throughout the supply chain. The app also helps big spenders who may need a record of the rare wines they have in their collection.
“Sometimes, you may not remember which vintage you have — there are so many wines, right? You can open the Singapore Wine Vault app to confirm,” says Leaw.
Wine collecting is a very personal hobby, he adds, and the Singapore Wine Vault stands ready to support clients in their decades-long journeys.
“Why do you keep buying wines? Some people buy certain years for anniversaries. I bought bottles for my four kids in the years they were born, [and I’ll] keep them for their weddings. There’s a lot of memory attached to this.”
Photos: Albert Chua/The Edge Singapore
