Auric Pacific Fine Wines
Interview and text by Daniel Lim. Photos by Ling 林卓强.

酒 is proud to showcase behind the bottle interview, highlighting dynamic winemakers, leaders and influential players in the wine world. These organizations and individuals are recognized for achieving milestones such as launching a viable wine business and portfolio, or implementing a revolutionary vision for the future of the wine trade and consumption market.

With a turnover of some S$274 Million in 2007 and 747 employees, Auric Pacific Group Limited is a distributor of consumer food and non-food products with operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. Other activities of the Group include investment holding, investment management and advisory services, and refrigerated warehousing. It is also in the business of fine wine distribution in Singapore and has distribution rights to several labels, including Aldo Conterno from Piedmont, Italy, Frederic et Michel Magnien from Burgundy, France, and Harlan Estate from California, the United States of America just to name the top tier labels. The fine wine marketing and distribution division is in the care of Mr. Lee Chee Wee, General Manager.

酒 speaks to Chee Wee, who recently came on board from Culina. We peel a little about himself, how he came aboard, the company itself, market trend plus his opinion on the local and regional wine scene.

Above: Mr. Lee Chee Wee, 37, is the General Manager of Auric Fine Wines whose sole responsibility lies in its Singapore and Malaysian operations.

酒: How did you get into the wine industry?

CW: I started out as a sale executive in the 1999, while chancing upon the classified ads.

酒: Tell us about your wine company and what is its scope?

CW: Auric Pacific Fine Wines (APFW) is the subsidiary of, Singapore main board- listing, Auric Pacific Group. APFW started in April 2005, to develop fine wine business in Singapore and region. The focus will be primarily on fine wines from Burgundy, Rhone, USA, Australia, Italy, Spain and including wine futures or en primeur Bordeaux.

酒: Why did you or Auric go into retail?

CW: I believe through retail, you get to interact with end consumers; getting first hand feedback information, understanding their needs and drinking pattern.

酒: What were your experiences in putting together the wine portfolio?

CW: It’s easy to buy high end and well rated wines but the challenge is to source out great value wines at competitive prices; these discoveries offer the greater satisfaction and your build up your confidence level when picking up wines during trade fair and blind tasting.

酒: How does the wine market differ now as compared to when you arrived?

CW: A lot more wine companies and shops have mushroomed from all corners of Singapore over the past 5 years. This a great for the consumers to source for their wine collections but there are some who have lost focus and strategy and start bringing wines that are way below mediocre quality; when inventory pile up, they slash and kill the years of effort that the industry’s pioneer whom have trying to cultivate the drinkers in drinking quality wines.

酒: Wines these days are becoming expensive. What are your views on this matter? In your opinion, what is a reasonable price for a “good” wine?

CW: Few factors have been the cause for the up rising of wine prices; emerging new markets from country like, China, India and Russia; these nouveau rich (new found rich) have been buying up their lost time and prices are secondary to them. Euro dollars has increased 20% and last but not least is the well-blessed vintage in the past few vintages from the most wine growing regions. My preference of good wine would be the wine that I feel like drinking that moment and enjoying it within my financial means.

酒: Where do you see the wine scene heading in Singapore as a whole? Beside Singapore, in the light of Hong Kong scrapping their excise duties, what do you see in this region?

CW: I believe a consolidation may happen in the next 1-2 years. The global economy will face huge challenges, results to tightening of spending. Cost of doing business remains high and margin will suffer. With the abolish of liquor tax in Hong Kong, some Singapore fine wines companies who depend mainly on the region customers will face the stiff competition. However, with our infrastructure and better acknowledge of wines through the years and with big projects from the Singapore government, F1 & Integrated Resorts and Youth Olympic, I hope we can maintain the growth in the market.

酒: When you want to relax and have some wine, where do you go in Singapore?

I would want to relax and enjoy a good bottle of wine with good company, I am not too concerned over the venue.

酒: Last but not least. Tell us what your company has in store for both your clients and consumers.

We offer wide range of wines at competitive prices and advise in buying and investing in them. We also hold the sole distribution in Singapore for some of the most sought after Domaines & wineries like Domaine Anne Gros, Pascal Lachaux (wine maker for Robert Arnoux), Henri Bolliot, Boyer Martenot, Hubert Lignier, Chevillon, Didier Dagueneau, Frederic Magnien, Humbert Freres, Harlan, Bond, Au Bon Climat, Abreu, Beaux Freres, Blankiet, Arietta, Colgin, David Ramey, Kongsgaard, Martinelli, Pahlmeyer, Philp Togni, Spottswoode, Quilceda and etc..

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Above: The premises and warehousing facility for Auric Pacific Fine Wines located at 50 Kallang Avenue, #06-06 Noel Corporate Building in Singapore.

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Above: Singapore based retail outfit; Wine What Else, located at One Phillip Street, #01-02.

Auric Pacific Fine Wines, can be contacted via email at sales@apfw.com.sg or click to visit their website here.

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酒是自豪地展示背後的一瓶採訪時，突出了動態釀酒，領導人和有影響力的球員，在葡萄酒的世界。這些組織和個人都承認，為實現里程碑，如發射一個可行的葡萄酒企業和投資組合，或執行一個革命性的視野，為未來的葡萄酒貿易和消費市場。

Auric 太平洋集團有限公司是一家分銷商，消費者食品和非食品產品與業務在新加坡，馬來西亞，印尼和中國。其他小組的活動，包括投資控股，投資管理和諮詢服務，和冷藏倉庫。這亦是在業務的優良葡萄酒分銷在新加坡，並已分配的權利，幾個標籤，包括阿爾多 Conterno 由 Piedmont ，意大利，弗雷德里克等米歇爾 Magnien 從勃艮第，法國，和哈蘭地產從加利福尼亞州，美國只是為了名稱頂級標籤。優良葡萄酒的銷售和分銷部是在照顧先生，李之凌晨，總經理。

酒的發言全文凌晨，誰最近在船上從 Culina 。我們剝離一些關於自己，他是如何上，該公司本身，市場的趨勢，再加上他認為對當地和區域的葡萄酒現場。

酒：您是如何進入葡萄酒業？

連續波：我開始作為一個出售長官在1999年，而chancing後，分類廣告。

酒：請告訴我們您的葡萄酒公司，什麼是它的範圍？

連續： Auric 太平洋優質葡萄酒（ apfw ）是附屬公司，新加坡的主要板上市， auric太平洋集團。 apfw開始於2005年4月，發展高檔葡萄酒業務在新加坡和地區。重點將主要是對優質葡萄酒從勃艮地，隆河，美國，澳大利亞，意大利，西班牙和包括葡萄酒期貨或 EN primeur波爾多。

酒：為什麼你或 Auric 進入零售？

連續波：我相信，通過零售，您可以互動年底消費者;獲得第一手的反饋信息，了解他們的需要和飲用水的模式。

酒：是什麼，您的經驗，一起把葡萄酒的投資組合呢？

化學武器：它的容易購買的高端和評價，以及葡萄酒，但所面臨的挑戰是源出很有價值的葡萄酒有競爭力的價格;這些發現提供了更大的滿意度和您建立起自己的信心水準時，回升的葡萄酒貿易在公平和盲人的滋味。

酒：請問葡萄酒市場不同，現在相比，當您抵達？

連續：很多葡萄酒公司和商店如雨後春筍般從各個角落新加坡在過去的五年。這是一個偉大的為消費者的來源，他們的葡萄酒藏品，但也有一些誰失去了重點和策略，並開始引進的葡萄酒是遠遠低於平庸的質量;時，存貨堆積，他們斜線和殺多年的努力，該行業的先鋒人都試圖培養飲酒，在飲酒優質葡萄酒。

酒：葡萄酒，這些天正在成為昂貴的。什麼是您對此事的看法？在您看來，什麼是合理的價格為“良好”酒呢？

連續：幾個因素已事業為最多上升葡萄酒的價格;新興市場國家一樣，中國，印度和俄羅斯;這些豐富的新（新發現的豐富的）已購買了他們把失去的時間和價格是次要的他們。歐元美元增加了20 ％和最後但並非最不重要的是良好的有福了老式在過去數年份從最葡萄酒種植區。我的意願，良好的葡萄酒將成為葡萄酒我覺得像喝那一刻，享受它在我的財政手段。

酒：在哪裡，你看到的葡萄酒現場的標題在新加坡作為一個整體呢？旁邊的新加坡，在因應香港殺他們的消費稅，你怎麼看到在這一地區的呢？

連續波：我相信鞏固可能發生在未來的1-2年。全球經濟將面臨巨大的挑戰，結果以緊縮開支。營商的成本仍然高企及保證金將蒙受損失。與取消酒稅，在香港，新加坡的一些優質葡萄酒公司誰，主要取決於該地區的客戶將面臨的激烈競爭。不過，與我們的基礎設施和更好地承認，葡萄酒經過多年的和大的項目，由新加坡政府， F1的綜合度假村和青年奧運，我希望我們能保持增長，在市場上。

酒：當您想放鬆和有一些葡萄酒，你去在新加坡？

我希望的放鬆和享受良好的瓶裝酒的好公司，我不太關注的地點。

酒：最後但並非最不重要。告訴我們您的公司是否有在商店為您的客戶和消費者的利益。

我們提供範圍廣泛的葡萄酒有競爭力的價格，並建議在購買和投資於他們。我們還舉行的唯一分佈在新加坡的一些最要求後， domaines ＆酒廠一樣，安妮領域內格羅斯，帕斯卡爾lachaux （葡萄酒製造商羅伯特arnoux ） ，亨利bolliot ，博耶馬爾特諾，休伯特利尼耶，舍維永，迪迪埃dagueneau ，弗里德里克magnien ，恩貝爾freres ，哈蘭，債券，凹盂蘭盆氣候，阿布魯， beaux freres ， blankiet ， arietta ， colgin ，大衛ramey ， kongsgaard ，馬蒂內， pahlmeyer ， philp togni ， spottswoode ， quilceda 等。