You do not need a sommelier, or any wine vocabulary, to enjoy a Chinese wine tasting in Singapore. You need four glasses, a little curiosity and a simple routine. This guide shows how to turn the Premium Chinese Wine Flight at Vinflow Wine Bar & Bistro into a proper tasting, and how to keep going on the tap wall afterwards.
What is a Chinese wine tasting at Vinflow?
At Vinflow you can build your own tasting from two ingredients: the Premium Chinese Wine Flight and our 32-tap self-pour wine wall. The flight is the guided part, with four different Chinese wines, one glass of each, spanning three regions of China (Ningxia, Xinjiang and Shanxi) and several grapes. The wall is the free-form part, where you pour at your own pace and compare.
This is the practical side of our wider Chinese wine collection in Singapore, which lists 32 Chinese wines from 15 wineries across seven regions. If you would rather read about the category first, start with is Chinese wine good? and come back.
How does the Premium Chinese Wine Flight work?
The terms are simple:
- It is a $20++ top-up to regular-priced free-flow ordered between 5 and 8 pm.
- Each top-up includes one flight of four different Chinese wines, one glass of each.
- Refills are not included.
- It is exclusively for regular-priced free-flow; promotional packages are excluded.
Check the promotions page for current free-flow packages. The wines, vintages and availability are subject to change, so the team will confirm what is pouring on the day.
The four wines, in a sensible tasting order
Wine professionals commonly taste from lighter, fresher styles towards fuller ones, and whites before reds, so that a heavy wine does not flatten your palate for a delicate one that follows. Here is how we would run the flight, using the published tasting cues for each wine. It is a suggestion, not a rule, and the cues are published profiles rather than our own tasting assessments.
Bottle images for reference. Vintages served are as listed below.
1. Kanaan Riesling 2024 (Ningxia)
Start here. The published notes are grapefruit, green apple and blossom, which suggests a fresh, aromatic opener. Ask yourself: is the first thing you notice citrus, orchard fruit or flowers? Kanaan was founded in 2011 by Wang Fang, who studied in Germany and invited German winemakers to Ningxia, which fits the choice of Riesling.
2. Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Chardonnay Muscat 2023 (Xinjiang)
Next, a second white from a very different corner of China. The published notes are floral, fresh and gently fruity. Compare it directly with the Riesling: both are white and fresh, but does the Muscat in the blend make it more perfumed? Tiansai sits in the Yanqi Basin at the foot of the Tianshan mountains, so this glass also takes you from Ningxia to Xinjiang.
3. Grace Vineyard Recalling The Year 2025 (Shanxi)
Now the first red, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Marselan. The published notes are fresh fruit and a supple texture, so it is a gentle bridge from the whites to the structured red that follows. Notice how it feels as much as how it smells: does it seem soft and rounded?
4. Fei Tswei Lava Cabernet Franc 2021 (Ningxia)
Finish with the firmest wine. The published notes are mint, plum and raspberry, with firm tannins. Tannin is the drying, grippy sensation on your gums and cheeks; it is the main reason this glass goes last. Back in Ningxia, it makes a neat full circle with glass one.
How to taste each glass: a simple routine
Wine Folly's beginner method reduces tasting to look, smell, taste and think, and the WSET's systematic approach organises the same ideas into appearance, nose and palate. Use whichever label you like. For each glass:
- Look. Tilt the glass against something white. Is the colour pale or deep?
- Swirl and smell. Swirl gently to release aromas, then take a good sniff. Try to name two fruits and one other aroma, such as a flower, a herb or a spice.
- Sip. Take a small mouthful and let it coat your tongue. Think about sweetness, freshness, texture and how long the flavour lasts.
- Think and compare. Go back to the smell after sipping. Did the flavours match? How does this glass differ from the last?
Drink water between glasses. A few small sips of water keep your palate fresh and, over four wines, it makes the later glasses easier to judge. Temperature changes things too: wines tend to show differently as they warm in the glass, so revisit your favourite after a few minutes.
What to write down: a simple tasting card
You do not need a notebook; your phone will do. Four lines per wine is plenty:
- Appearance: pale, medium or deep.
- Nose: light, medium or pronounced; two or three aromas.
- Palate: sweetness, body (light, medium or full), freshness, tannin if it is a red.
- Verdict: would you order a glass of this again, and with what food?
Then rank the four. At a table of friends, the rankings rarely match, which is the whole point. If you find yourself drawn to the red, our guide to the Marselan grape and our Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon guide are natural next reads.
Keep tasting on the self-pour wine wall
Once the flight is done, the wall lets you test what you noticed. Vinflow has Singapore’s only 32-tap wine wall, and three Chinese wines are currently on tap:
- Chapter and Verse Select Chardonnay 2018 (Hebei) — published cues of orchard fruit and citrus.
- Chapter and Verse Select Merlot 2016 (Hebei) — plum and rounded fruit.
- HUWEI “Zhuan” Marselan 2021 (Ningxia) — black fruit, chocolate and spice.
The tap selection is subject to change and availability. Some comparisons that work well:
- Chardonnay, two ways. Taste the Chapter and Verse Select Chardonnay after the flight’s Tiansai Chardonnay Muscat, or beside a Chardonnay from elsewhere on the wall, and see what the grape does in different places.
- Merlot against Merlot. Pour the Chapter and Verse Select Merlot next to another Merlot from the wall and compare the plum and the texture.
- Marselan against the flight’s red. Try HUWEI “Zhuan” after Grace Vineyard Recalling The Year to see how a dedicated Marselan differs from a blend that includes it.
Because the wall is self-pour, you control how much you try and how fast. The full wine list is on our menu page.
Group and team tasting ideas
A tasting is more fun with company, and it needs no preparation from the host. A few formats we think work well:
- The blind guess. One person orders the flights and the others try to match wine to region or grape before the notes are revealed.
- The scorecard. Everyone ranks the four wines privately, then you compare. Ties and upsets are common.
- The team icebreaker. For colleagues who do not know wine, a flight is an easy shared activity with no wrong answers.
- The celebration table. Start with the flight, then let each person pick one wine from the tap wall to share.
For a larger group or a hosted evening, see our private events page or message us on WhatsApp. Reservations for the main dining room are made through OpenTable.
Turn the tasting into a meal
Wine often tastes different alongside food, and the flight runs from 5 to 8 pm, which is right at dinner time. Order a few shareable plates for the table and revisit each wine with a bite. Pairings are only suggestions, and our Chinese wine and food pairing guide has ideas. If you are shopping rather than sipping, the Chinese wine gift guide may help, and best Chinese wines profiles some of the producers worth knowing. If Ningxia caught your attention, see the Ningxia wine guide.
Where to try it in Singapore
Vinflow Wine Bar & Bistro is at 55 Keong Saik Road, #01-01, Singapore 089158, and open daily from 3 pm. The flight is available with regular-priced free-flow ordered 5–8 pm. We recommend reserving; you can book through OpenTable or ask a question on WhatsApp. Selection, vintages and availability are subject to change, so ask the team which wines are pouring when you arrive. Wine service is for guests of legal drinking age; please drink responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chinese wine tasting in Singapore
Where can I do a Chinese wine tasting in Singapore?
Vinflow Wine Bar & Bistro at 55 Keong Saik Road, #01-01 offers a Premium Chinese Wine Flight with four different Chinese wines, one glass each, and has Chinese wines on its self-pour tap wall. Open daily from 3 pm. Selection, vintages and availability are subject to change.
How does the Premium Chinese Wine Flight work?
It is a $20++ top-up to regular-priced free-flow ordered 5–8 pm. Each top-up includes one four-wine flight: Kanaan Riesling 2024, Tiansai Skyline of Gobi Chardonnay Muscat 2023, Grace Vineyard Recalling The Year 2025 and Fei Tswei Lava Cabernet Franc 2021. Refills are not included, promotional packages are excluded and the line-up is subject to change.
What order should I taste Chinese wines in?
A common rule is to move from lighter, fresher wines to fuller, more tannic ones, and whites before reds. For the flight that means Kanaan Riesling, Tiansai Chardonnay Muscat, Grace Recalling The Year, then Fei Tswei Lava Cabernet Franc.
Can a team or group do a Chinese wine tasting at Vinflow?
Yes. Groups can share a flight table, compare notes on the tap wall, or ask about our private events space for a hosted evening. Message us on WhatsApp or see the private events page for details.