Who is the father-and-son team behind one of Singapore’s top wine distributors?
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Who is the father-and-son team backside one of Singapore's top wine distributors?
Afterward 16 years in the business, Pinnacle Wine & Spirits' Tan Kim Hai and Caleb Tan have come up to sympathise that bringing in what the market needs instead of banking on trends is the key to success.
Caleb Tan, 31, is poised to take over the family business from dad Tan Kim Hai, 63. (Photo: Alvin Teo)
22 Jul 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 05 Jul 2022 01:30AM)
Unlike most wine distributors, Tan Kim Hai, manager of Pinnacle Wine & Spirits, did non beginning his business organization later a love thing with wine. He savage into it by chance. It was, in his words, a happy blow.
In 1998, he was working every bit an accountant for a Swiss-owned multinational FMCG distributor when they were approached by a Canadian multinational conglomerate to distribute its wine brands in Singapore. The latter was attracted to the former's distribution network in the local supermarkets.
Even so, subsequently Kim Hai and his team had secured the distributorship, none of the managers wanted to take on the vino portfolio. Wines were new territory for the staff, who were used to managing everyday grocery products. "My colleagues were declining it. They said in that location was going to be a lot drinking and nightlife. In the end, I volunteered to manage the portfolio, on summit of my function in finance," recalled the 63-yr-sometime, with a chuckle. "I built my squad from scratch."
In 2003, following a massive restructuring at his company, Kim Hai was retrenched. By so he had established a good rapport with the wineries in his portfolio. "We had built up the business quite nicely for them. They told me: 'Wherever you lot're going, let the states know. We are prepared to come forth.'" In 2004, he set Pinnacle Wine & Spirits, got the wineries on board, and hired his old team.
Since his portfolio then comprised largely of "supermarket wines", which weren't the types that appealed to hotels and restaurants, he decided to diversify his range. "Dealing with supermarkets could be a difficult or one-sided affair when it came to listing fees and charges," he said. "We decided to move towards premium wines and look at the top tiers of on-trade vino distribution."
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His big break was getting the distribution for Gaja, a top wine producer based in Piedmont, in 2009: He had met the winery's charismatic owner, Angelo Gaja, at a wine upshot in Burgundy. A few months later, Angelo rang him to discuss the possibility of carrying his wines in Singapore. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.
Birds of a plume flock together. With Gaja on board, Kim Hai managed to sign on other Italian wineries as they wanted to "associate themselves with the same portfolio". "I think [the wineries] studied every market, and establish that Gaja tends to piece of work with the top distributors in each state," said Kim Hai. Gaja's wines are served at Otto Ristorante and Oso Ristorante.
By 2014, he had a "clean pause with supermarket distribution", focusing only on the on-trade sector. Today, Pinnacle Wine & Spirits' portfolio consists of thirty wineries, nine of which are Italian producers like Alois Lageder, Brovia, and Ca'Marcanda. In recent years, the company has as well roped in American vino brands, equally the wines have been popular with its steakhouse partners like Cutting and Wolfgang's Steakhouse.
"When information technology comes to deciding which make to accept on, you accept to bring in what the marketplace needs, non what you personally like or want," said Kim Hai. "Sometimes you think there volition be 1,000 people who will honey a item wine, simply the 1,000 people may not be there."
Reading the pulse of the market has been left largely to Kim Hai'southward son, Caleb Tan, 31, who joined the visitor as its business manager in 2022 later completing his studies in Australia. Caleb does most of the legwork, coming together clients and sommeliers, and attending tastings. His wife, whom he met at a food and wine merchandise fair, is in accuse of the administrative work, finance and inventory management.
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Caleb said: "Sometimes my dad may not pick up on the trends. I hear from the sommeliers so I cater to what they want. In recent years, we took on some minimal intervention or natural wines from Australia, only we don't jump on the bandwagon for the sake of it.
"Many younger drinkers are willing to endeavour new stuff but I think people will always become back to the classics, whether they are wines from classic regions or traditional varieties. And then we'd want to develop the classics in our portfolio – nosotros still need to plug a few gaps; nosotros don't have whatever wines from Rhone Valley or Sancerre."
Kim Hai agrees that his son is more in melody with the market place and has no qualms deferring to his views. "I don't insist on my ways because I'thousand more senior than him," he added.
"But we don't want to be a trendsetter. There are people who bask being a trendsetter, but financially information technology can be painful. Not every trend volition take off," he said. "However, on an infrequent basis, if there is a product that isn't mainstream but offers an interesting angle or story, we'd take it on."
Chateau Musar – Lebanon's most famous wine producer – in their portfolio is one such example. The winery, which practises organic winemaking, is known for its expressive wines that historic period well; a style preached by its late winemaker Serge Hochar, who was trained in Bordeaux.
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When Kim Hai was appointed as Chateau Musar'south benefactor a decade ago, his staff weren't exactly enthusiastic, fearing that the obscurity of Lebanese wine would hamper their sales and marketing efforts. But he had faith in the brand's reputation, reminding his squad that "they were not selling Lebanese wine simply selling Musar". It took a few years for the sales to hit a healthy margin. Today Chateau Musar is i of Pinnacle's top three brands, aslope Gaja and Burgundy producer Domaine Meo-Camuzet. Fine-dining restaurants Les Amis and Odette bear Chateau Musar's wines.
Pinnacle is also considering spirits as an avenue of expansion. A year ago, they began distributing Clase Azul, a premium tequila brand known for its hand-painted bottles. The spirit is available at Lavo Singapore.
With COVID-19 reducing eating place capacities, Summit has been pivoting towards individual customers, who form about 20 percent of its sales volume. "We are bracing ourselves. Like the financial crisis in 2008, you only saw the real effects of information technology a twelvemonth later," said Caleb who, along with his wife, volition eventually take over the family business.
Kim Hai said: "I consider myself semi-retired. Operationally, Caleb and his married woman proceed me well-informed. If I don't sense whatever danger, I'll go out them alone. As to when [Caleb] wants to have over, I'k waiting for him to tell me."
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/singapore-wine-family-business-247771
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