LQV is turning 10 years old in Singapore. A decade of French wine, French savoir-faire, and French elegance.
Tanjong Pajar’s answer for red, white, sparkling, rosé, and champagne labels, numbering 2,000 wine references stocked in-store, LQV’s warm embrace of French wine began in 2016 and has continued valiantly since.
If Hong Kong is a wet city, the brand’s first international outpost opening in 2014, Florian Meyniel, general manager of LQV Singapore, argues the Lion City is wetter.
“People here like to enjoy a few bottles of wine more than one bottle of wine,” Florian says. “Our customers really like to discover areas [of France’s wine-making regions] they don’t know.”
Intrigue of French wine inspired LQV, first a Parisian product, to expand into Asia. 16 years old, Le Quinze Vins (LQV) wine bar & shop first began its story in the eyeshot of the Panthéon in the buzzy 5th arrondissement.
The shop as a kickstarter operation opened by a group of French wine-loving friends, curating its wine selection of France’s best vineyards and sites deserving attention to be drunk in-store or purchased for later.
This ethos has won Singapore over. “I like to think we have the best French wine list in Singapore. We have the French Bible, a really thick menu where people can enjoy and find any type of wine they want.”
“French wine in the mind of people is the most famous wine. Everybody knows Bordeaux, Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc. At LQV, we showcase the strength of our country in terms of wine varieties and references.”
Located in the centre of the CBD on Boon Tat Street, LQV has welcomed a business connection where deals and meetings are made over a bottle of red.
Managing LQV’s import of French wines and sourcing Singapore’s top bars, restaurants, and clubs, including 67 Pall Mall, Florian’s job is also one of education for wine-thirsty patrons seeking a new challenge.
“Many of our customers do not know too much [about wine] and come to us because they want to discover.”
“Due to the weather in Singapore, most people are looking for white wines. 60% of our sales are white or champagne, and the rest is red mostly from Bordeaux.” The white labels, Florian finds, are more palatable for hot and steamy nights, with aged red bottles more suitable for pairing with cheese and cold cuts sold at LQV.
“Sometimes I let our customers grab food from a hawker centre and buy a bottle to enjoy!”
Florian first joined LQV four years ago to assist with their Hong Kong operations. Four months into a move to Singapore, he is readying the city’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
“We have kept things simple and focussed on terroir and that’s why we have had success for the past 10 years in Singapore. We don’t have pretensions with our wine. We just provide amazing experiences around French wine.”
On Nov. 17, LQV will host a party themed with the tapas and wine of France’s southwestern Basque Country.
For their official anniversary party on Nov. 19, the wine bar is hosting an open buffet with croque monsieur at the heart of the food programme with wine flowing and discounts available on bottles from 2016.
And if you’re lucky, enter into their lucky draw for a bottle of Romanée-Conti costing SGD2,500 each.
Join LQV 10th anniversary celebrations in Singapore this November.
