Sip on the choicest bubbles above the clouds with Singapore Airlines

A journey with Singapore Airlines (SIA) on First and Business Class wouldn’t be complete without a champagne in hand. SIA’s ongoing programme in Suites and First Class, A Celebration of Champagne, enhances this experience by adding five exceptional Champagnes to its selection, available on rotation since June 2023.

This month, customers can look forward to trying the Champagne Egly-Ouriet Vieillissement Prolonge (VP) Extra Brut Grand Cru 2016, an outstanding wine from an iconoclast grower Champagne brand. Grower Champagne is made and bottled by the same people who grew the grapes. These family-owned houses are typically smaller in size and adept at crafting small-batch, terroir-specific Champagnes via select vineyards in a handful of villages.

A coveted Champagne known for its rich intensity and satin texture 

Francis Egly, a fourth-generation owner and winemaker, first started crafting wines under his family name in 1982. Today, Egly-Ouriet is highly sought-after amongst wine acolytes, and almost always sold out at its stockists.

Egly-Ouriet is a grower Champagne popular among the discerning. Photo: Egly-Ouriet

Give it a few minutes to unfurl notes of truffles, praline and nougat, and let it seduce you with its satin texture

Their vineyards are concentrated in Ambonnay, known for the best pinot noir grapes across the Champagne region. This particular label, the Vieillissement Prolonge (meaning prolonged ageing), is a blend of 70% pinot noir and 30% Chardonnay, sourced from top tier (grand cru) vineyards. True to its name, the wines age for an extended period of lees – in this case 87 months – before they are released on the market. The result is a powerful, structured wine.

Egly’s wines are celebrated for their purity and precision. The Vieillissement Prolonge is outstanding – it is rich, intense and textured, with baked apple tart and honeyed notes. Give it a few minutes to unfurl notes of truffles, praline and nougat, and let it seduce you with its satin texture.

Other Champagnes featured in A Celebration of Champagne

Aside from the Egly-Ouriet, A Celebration of Champagne also featured four other Champagnes on board since June 2023. This included three exclusive grower Champagnes – Henri Giraud, Vilmart and Cie and Champagne Geoffroy – and the iconic Charles Hiedsieck, a producer Champagne.

Where grower champagnes are akin to soloists, a producer Champagne is more like an orchestral ensemble. These brands own a legion of land across the chalky terrains of Champagne and buy additional grapes from several grape growers. Each parcel of fruit acts like a musician, lending a different note to the wine. The winemaker’s job is akin to that of a conductor who shapes the sounds of this ensemble.

Find out all about the featured Champagne pours for SIA’s First and Business class customers. Photo: Singapore Airlines

“We chose these wines to showcase how Champagne growers are connected to the vineyard and their land”

Each of these artisan wines were selected by SIA’s panel of wine experts for their uniqueness and exclusivity. “We chose these wines to showcase how Champagne growers are connected to the vineyard and their land,” says SIA’s wine expert and Master of Wine, Jeannie Cho Lee. “We want customers to delve deeper into each terroir to understand and appreciate the vineyards from where the grapes are grown.”

Learn more about these four Champagnes here:

1. Delicate notes from an oak barrel-aged process

Vilmart & Cie’s Vilmart Grand Cellier d’Or 2018 is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% pinot noir sourced from 50-year-old vines. Notes of mandarin oranges, lemongrass and vanilla emerge as one sips this Champagne. They are gradually followed by hints of toasty hazelnuts and shortbread, as well as a chalky minerality.

Vilmart Grand Cellier d’Or 2018. Photo: Vilmart & Cie

“Our philosophy is to make wine first and bubbles afterwards,” says Laurent Champs, the fifth-generation owner and winemaker of the Vilmart family. Champs is a firm believer that an exceptional Champagne is built on the base of a stellar wine.

This wine undergoes a 10-month ageing process in oak followed by 42 months in the cellar. The oak is a non-negotiable part of Champs’ winemaking process, as he is convinced that it adds roundness, complexity and density to the wine.

The Vilmart & Cie Champagnes are aged in these beautiful oak barrels. Photo: Vilmart & Cie

2. A voluptuous top blanc de blanc aged for six years

The Volupté Blanc de Blancs 2016 is Champagne Geoffroy’s best cuvée, a pure Chardonnay expression sourced from Cumières, a village otherwise renowned for red grapes – save one parcel that delivers exceptional Chardonnay grapes.

A red Champagne. Photo: Champagne Geoffroy

Champagne Geoffroy Volupté Blanc de Blancs 2016. Photo: Champagne Geoffroy

SIA’s wine consultant Oz Clarke describes the Volupté as “one of the most voluptuous blanc de blanc Champagnes” – and rightfully so. This 100% Chardonnay wine is created with the highest quality first press juice.

On the palate, it is full of rich tropical fruits like pineapple and lychee, followed by toasted brioche pastry notes. The chalky soil of Cumières brings a lick of minerality to this zesty yet luscious wine. Six years of ageing develops biscuit and pastry notes, giving the wine a gorgeous complexity.

3. Power and finesse in this blend of pinot noir and Chardonnay

Henri Giraud is celebrated for two things, which are evident in its MV 18 Aÿ Grand Cru: the intensity of the pinot noir from its home base of Äy, and the oak barrels that it sources from the nearby Forest of Argonne which lend powerful flavours to their wines. They are what this house – managed by the twelfth-generation owner Claude Giraud; his son Emmanuel; and son-in-law and winemaker Sébastien Le Golvet – takes prides in showcasing.

Photo: Henri Giraud

“We want you to taste the purity of Äy,” says the winery’s spokesperson, Stéphane Barlerin. He explains how Äy’s terroir shows through in its signature raspberry notes.

This emblematic cuvée of the house nods to the 2018 vintage on which it is based. A blend of 80% pinot noir and 20% Chardonnay, this wine brings together other aged vintages to add complexity and depth.

The MV 18 Aÿ Grand Cru invites you in with beautiful floral aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle, which leads into concentrated, complex flavours of berries, stone fruit, brioche, nutmeg and white pepper.

4. A prestigious producer Champagne that consistently tops blind tastings

The only producer Champagne in this programme, Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires 2007 is a prestige cuvée – the house’s finest product. Made in the blanc de blanc (meaning “white from whites”) style, this pour uses 100% white Chardonnay grapes compared to other Champagnes that may include two other varietals, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

The Blanc des Millénaires 2007 is a consistent favourite amongst experts. Photo: Charles Heidsieck

“In blind tastings, Charles Heidsieck keeps coming out on top for its sheer quality and depth”

Blanc des Millénaires is only produced once every few years when the weather conditions are just right for Chardonnay. The 2007 vintage – a year of exceptional Chardonnay – was the seventh time that this wine has been crafted since its inception in 1983. You’ll find a melange of ripe citrus notes of lemons and grapefruit on the nose, leading to an expressive palate of lemon curd and alluring salinity that flow languidly on the tongue.

Chardonnay from five top growth vineyards in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs district is selected for this wine, each contributing their signature characteristics such as minerality and richness, before the wine is aged for 15 years in third-century UNESCO World heritage-listed chalk cellars.

As SIA’s wine consultant Lee explains the choice: “The reason is simple: In blind tastings, Charles Heidsieck keeps coming out on top for its sheer quality and depth.”

To learn more about the A Celebration of Champagne series or our wine experts, visit here.

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10 stunning new Singapore hotels to look out for in 2024

If you’re one who thrills for the new, Singapore’s luxury hospitality scene is well and ready for you. The recent mushrooming of hotels continues well into 2024, so take your pick of tastefully designed stays or nostalgic heritage lodgings in cultural districts. There’s something for everyone, be it gorgeous infinity pools, co-working spaces or snack bars stocked with local goodies. And that’s not even mentioning the host of scintillating culinary options to choose from. Get the low-down here:

Along the bustling Orchard Road

The beating heart of Singapore’s shopping scene, Orchard Road is home to iconic malls and upscale boutiques. Many of the newly-opened luxury hotels are a mere stone’s throw away.

1. The Singapore EDITION

For a luxurious experience acclaimed by the trendiest tastemakers

This hotly anticipated luxury boutique brand opened its doors last November, becoming the first Southeast Asian outpost of this iconic brand by legendary hotelier Ian Schrager.

In keeping with the EDITION’s trademark of creating one-of-a-kind experiences that take inspiration from their locale, nature intertwines with architecture here at The Singapore EDITION. The light-filled conservatory at the lobby is lush and leafy, while a skypark and a sunken garden continue to deliver an expression of Singapore’s tropical abundance.

The Singapore EDITION’s lobby sets the mood with its gold leafed domed ceiling and tropical plants galore. Photo: The Singapore EDITION

The rooms themselves exude a plush minimalism, with every single room type featuring a marble bathroom with a bathtub, the fluffiest La Bottega bathrobes and exquisite Le Labo amenities. For further pampering, book an appointment at their signature spa, where plunge pools replete with powerful jets and an ice fountain await.

While there: Take a dip in their 43-metre long rooftop pool – the longest you’ll find along the Orchard belt – and enjoy the curious experience of peeking at the diners below from its transparent acrylic oculus base.

2. Artyzen Singapore

For picture-perfect infinity pool shots

Just down the road from The EDITION, Artyzen Singapore offers a different expression of luxury while also being a mere pebble’s skip away from the main shopping belt of Orchard Road.

Book a stay here if you enjoy a touch of eclecticism in your décor: its 142 rooms exude a fun, modern vibe with their splashy, colourful carpets and throw pillows alongside brushed chrome and black light fixtures.

Photo: Artyzen Singapore

The crowning glory of this hotel is its 25-metre long cantilevered infinity pool that has a transparent base, set alongside a leafy rooftop garden. Enjoy peering down on the crowds along Orchard Road as you unwind.

While there: For a charming morning adventure, take a ride to the nearby Singapore Botanic Gardens – Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site – on one of the hotel’s complimentary city bicycles.

3. Conrad Singapore Orchard

For a family-friendly stay that you’ll never have to leave

With staggering food and beverage options from Italian-style buffet brunch at Basilico to glitzy destination bar at Manhattan, to the Michelin-starred Summer Palace serving Cantonese fine dining, your every gastronomic need can be satiated without ever stepping out of the Conrad Singapore Orchard.

The Italian-style buffet brunch at Basilico features a sumptuous spread, including an extensive array of cheeses in a dedicated cheese room. Photo: Conrad Singapore Orchard

Its 445 guest rooms are furnished in calming sand tones with terracotta accents, and boast floor-to-ceiling windows with a breezy view. The hotel’s suites particularly feel like a home away from home, with their residential-style floor plan and plentiful seating options. All room types enjoy minibars stocked with favourite local snacks that celebrate the Lion City.

If you’re bringing the kids or travelling as a large group, you’ll be happy to know that connecting rooms can be requested for all room types.

While there: Start your morning right by signing up for their complimentary poolside sessions, which rotate daily between yoga, meditation and movement classes.

4. Pan Pacific Orchard

For sustainability-minded luxury

If eco-consciousness is your jam, look no further than Pan Pacific Orchard. The 347-key hotel embraces biophilic design and sustainable features such as rainwater collection, solar panels and a biodigester system.

The biophilic facade of Pan Pacific Orchard. Photo: Darren Soh / Pan Pacific Orchard

Its four lushly-vegetated terrace spaces offer tropical alfresco vibes, starting with a breezy check-in at the Forest Terrace. Over at the bar Florette at the Garden Terrace, guests can indulge in an impressive Champagne list that includes growers and rare vintages. Pair these with fresh oysters for an evening of decadence.

While there: Try their exclusive Singapore’s Orchard Gin, crafted in collaboration with local distillery Tanglin Gin.

5. The Standard Singapore

For first dibs on a glitzy stay in late 2024

As if travellers who intend to stay close to the main shopping belt aren’t already spoilt for choice, there’s one more highly anticipated hotel due to open in July. The Standard Singapore is slated to be the city’s next social hub, and will be the trendy global brand’s third property in Southeast Asia – the first two being in Hua Hin and Bangkok, Thailand.

The hotel will include 143 rooms on its prime – yet tranquil – Orange Grove Road location, directly across from the renowned grand dame Shangri-La Singapore.

Artist rendering of The Standard Singapore. Photo: The Standard

Along cultural hotspots and nightlife jaunts

These hotels near Chinatown, Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay offer the perfect roosting spot for those exploring Singapore’s cultural district, and those who plan to party into the night at trendy bars and clubs.

6. The Robertson House

For cosy rooms decked out in luxury colonial style

Stepping into The Robertson House is akin to entering the bygone era of British colonial Singapore. Every space in this 10-storey hotel is perfumed with bespoke scents inspired by the historic spice and tea trade along the Singapore River, while each of the 336 rooms are decorated with a nostalgic black-and-white print of the river and decorated with visuals narrating the city’s port history.

The room décor pays homage to Singapore’s port history in soothing monochrome. Photo: The Robertson House

The inspiration extends to its culinary offerings. All-day dining restaurant Entrepôt pays homage to Singapore’s trading port growth by way of its fantastic Anglo-Asian cuisine. The must-try is its grilled tiger prawn malfadine pasta with wok-roasted shellfish bisque and sakura ebi, an umami flavour bomb that does its inspiration, the Singaporean hokkien noodles, justice.

The private quarters are on the snug side at 24 square metres for most room types, but the views that look out to the Singapore River make this boutique stay a delightful one. Choose The Robertson House if you’re looking for charming digs to return to after an adventurous day out about town – historic Fort Canning Hill and party central Clarke Quay are right around the corner.

While there: Indulge in the complimentary in-room mini-bar, which features snacks by local businesses, such as spiced pepper chips by The Golden Duck Company and granola by Amazin’ Graze.

7. Pullman Singapore Hill Street

For a cosmopolitan food trip in railway style

Offering quintessential railroad charm, Pullman Singapore Hill Street welcomes guests with a replica Pullman sleeping cabin that serves as its luggage area. And right on theme, the marble and wood-clad lobby are adorned with vintage carriers and antique-style elevators.

Right on theme, the hotel’s entrance feature wall is filled with vintage suitcases. Photo: Pullman Singapore Hill Street

Its 350 rooms take some design cues from private railroad cabins, but unlike the locomotive experience of yore, here you can look forward to plush bedding, open-concept wardrobes and smart technology with customisable functions.

Pick a vibe and swing by one of the hotel’s three dining options. Madison’s on the ground floor offers New York-inspired, all-American deli bites, while El Chido on the rooftop is a Mexican-themed swim-up bar with an infinity pool and views of the Marina Bay Sands.

Last but not least, modern Japanese Izakaya and cocktail bar MOGA promises to please with its curated selection of sake and small plates – don’t miss their melt-in-your-mouth A3 Wagyu striploin.

While there: A stay at Pullman Singapore Hill Street puts you at the heart of the local cultural district. Art lovers, check out the National Gallery Singapore – a treasure trove of Southeast Asian modern art – while history buffs, make a beeline for the Asian Civilisations Museum.

8. 21 Carpenter

For a historic shophouse stay that art and architecture enthusiasts will love

Nestled between the lively nightlife of Clarke Quay and the cultural allure of Chinatown, heritage boutique hotel 21 Carpenter is a design-forward stay that breathes fresh life into a former remittance house. This architectural revival of the Chye Hua Seng Wee Kee house – which dates back to 1936 – was led by the award-winning local firm WOHA. 21 Carpenter is only Singapore’s second member of the international Design Hotels network.

The mix of textures and motifs in the Heritage Suite are understatedly chic. Photo: 21 Carpenter

The building’s interior blends heritage and contemporary design, with its 48 rooms exuding a quiet sense of chic with their mix of textures and motifs. At between 30 to 56 square metres, the rooms are amply sized for a city hotel. Enjoy sweeping views of the city and Marina Bay at the rooftop infinity pool, and lounge on the third-floor garden terrace.

While there: See if you can spot artworks by local artists dotted around the hotel, such as a hand-drawn charcoal mural by Dawn Ang, a tapestry by Heman Chong and bespoke vases by Jenevieve Studio.

On the city fringe

If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, consider staying in the cultural district of Little India where there’s plenty to shop, eat and explore.

9. Owen House

For an immersive working-holiday stay in Art Deco style

Those looking for a flexible living experience should check out Owen House by Habyt, nestled in this characterful precinct. The hotel extends an array of flexible accommodations and co-living solutions, with some room types featuring kitchenettes and pantries. It’s a great stay to feel like a local while immersing yourself in a rich cultural hotspot.

Sunlight and Moonshine, Owen’s House lobby and bar space. Photo: Owen House

If you’re feeling social, whip up your meals in their two communal lounges that come with fully-equipped kitchens, or nurse a coffee while you work at Sunlight and Moonshine, a co-working space that transitions into a 35-seater cocktail bar at night.

It’s a slick, modern take on co-living, with décor that nods to the neighbourhood’s famous New World Amusement Park from the 1920s.

While there: Check out New World’s End, an immersive art experience and night tour where you’ll learn more about this historic neighbourhood.

Offshore in Sentosa

One of Singapore’s main entertainment destinations, Sentosa offers a gamut of attractions, from aquariums to beach clubs and adrenaline-pumping rides. And now, travellers can look forward to a new all-villa resort:

10. Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa

For a secluded island resort escape

One would not typically think of heading to Singapore for a villa stay, but this might all change when the Little Red Dot’s first all-villa resort opens its doors in the third quarter of 2024. Expect the height of tropical extravagance in the Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa, which will span over 10 hectares of gardens, with views of the South China Sea.

Each villa in Raffles Sentosa has its own private pool. Photo: Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa

The resort promises a serene island escape with its 62 villas, each equipped with its own private swimming pool. Guests can also look forward to top-notch amenities – including bars, restaurants, a fitness centre and state-of-the-art meeting spaces – alongside personalised hospitality by the renowned Raffles Butlers and luxury wellness offerings at the Raffles Spa.

For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to Singapore, visit the official website. 

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AMI Patisserie

Housed in a charming Kyoto townhouse-inspired building along Scotts Road – just off the main Orchard shopping belt – AMI Patisserie is a calming hideaway with exquisite treats to boot. Enjoy chef Makoto Arami’s inventive pastries a la carte or book the Chef’s Table Discovery Experience for a six-course tasting menu that will expand your horizons about what dessert and pastries can be.

Here, Arami boldly incorporates produce and savoury elements such as eggplant, mayonaise and caviar to create a dessert omakase that will well satisfy your hunger, proving that pastries can be enjoyed anytime. Poised at the precipice between sweet and savoury, the eggplant brulee with miso caramel and sansho pepper is a particular triumph of subtly shifting textures.

Every course is finished a la minute, giving diners at this intimate 8-person dining room front row seats to the chef’s precision and artistry.

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Dipping into nature’s palette

It’s a chilly October afternoon in a tiny village on the outskirts of Shaxi, Yunnan, nestled within rugged mountains and golden paddy fields. I’m here on a slow living retreat to learn natural dyeing, hosted by Shenzhen native Ting Wang.

In the backyard of her rustic two-storey home, we peel and chop five kilos of overripe bananas and apples. The airy space is scattered with a dozen or so dye vats. Hundreds of walnut shells lay drying across the ground, while piles of chopped firewood sit neatly in the corner. We boil the fruits over a hot charcoal stove until they become pulped water. Then, we stir this into a mixture of indigo paste and limestone powder, carefully transferring it all into an enormous ceramic vat.

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Breaking down barriers through sign language

From making in-flight announcements to interacting with customers, every cabin crew member knows that effective communication is key. Many flight attendants are well-versed in several languages and this enables them to better serve customers on board.

Just ask Evelyn Lim, a Leading Stewardess with Singapore Airlines. Not only is she bilingual in English and Mandarin, but she is also fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), which enables her to assist customers who are deaf. As Evelyn explains, ASL is a complete language which uses handshapes, facial expressions and body gestures to communicate.

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