La Terre the Wine bar

It commenced operation on 23 Nov 2015, La Terre. It’s the name of the new wine and whiskey bar located at 11 Upper Circular Road, #01-01. Its got an almost nondescript appearance on the outside; so one can’t be faulted for giving it a miss when walking along the corridor :) The interior however is another matter; renovated with a mind to provide a quiet, clean, cosy ambience in a minimalist style for patronizing wine enthusiasts and whiskey lovers.

Daisuke Kawai

The Head Sommelier and co-owner of this new establishment is Daisuke Kawai, a well known and certainly a well liked figure in the local wine scene. Having more than 20 years experience in the F&B industry (both abroad and in Singapore), he brings along with him a wealth of wine knowledge and experience. Over the years he has attended various wine courses to improve his wine knowledge and participated in several locally held sommelier competitions as well.

Daisuke Kawai

When asked about the name given to this wine & whiskey bar, he explained that the word ‘terre’ means earth in Latin. He found it appropriate as the produce used to make wine and whiskey are grown on earth.

His mission with this establishment is to offer a place where new wine enthusiasts find themselves comfortable to taste and learn about wine. He plans to start tailored wine workshops in the near future to share about wine from different wine growing regions as well. For the serious wine hobbyists, he hopes to provide a gathering place for like-minded souls to meet and explore a good range of wines from his wine list.

One can add that he’s going in the right direction with the wine list. He has started by introducing wines from various countries. A good portion of wines come from France, Italy and Spain; and to keep the list exciting he has included wine labels from countries like Austria, Greece, Lebanon, Hungary and US as well.

Prices start from $58 for a 2013 Domaine Magellan, Cotes du Rhone. Quite a number of wines are priced between $100-$200 ... and yes, there are those priced higher as well (there's a 1998 Romanee-Conti which stands at $19,988). Patrons can buy wine by the glass as well; a couple of wines are selected to cater to the curious wine enthusiast who wants to try different wines on a particular evening. If you like more information on the wine, a particular winery or a wine region, the affable Head Sommelier is more than willing to make the time to share what he knows with you.

His wine list covers the gamut from sparkling, still whites & reds, dessert to fortified wines. For the curious, there’s also a vin jaune (yellow wine) ... the wine fermented and matured in a barrel beneath a film of yeast.

This place can accommodate around 20 seated and a couple of standing customers as well. Operating hours are from 6pm to 11pm (its closed on public holidays and Sundays). You can contact Daisuke Kawai at 65321031 if you need more details or better yet, just drop by his place for a pleasant evening.