Coach bets on American wines for Singapore restaurant launch
New York luxury brand Coach has opened a new restaurant concept in Singapore with a distinctly American point of difference: an American wine list excluding Champagne and a fortified section. Nimmi Malhotra reports.
Located at the Jewel terminal at Changi airport, forms part of Coach’s high- end lifestyle positioning, which includes two other concepts debuted in Singapore: The Coach Bar on Keong Saik Road and The Coach Coffee Shop in Sentosa.
Led by head chef Kurt Sombero, formerly of Burnt Ends and Meatsmith Little India, the leather-accented restaurant offers a mix of quick bites and indulgent meals ranging from NY Pizza and Hot Dog to Maine Lobster to T-Bone steaks.
According to Trevor Wagstaffe, senior director and head of F&B APAC, the decision to create an American wine programme was intentional and closely aligned with Coach’s brand identity.
Expressing heritage
“At the Coach restaurant, the wine program was always meant to be an extension of the brand,” he said. “An all-American wine list is our way of expressing Coach’s heritage through a modern lens: grounded in craftsmanship, driven by creativity, and defined by what we call expressive luxury.”
California forms the backbone of the wine list, balancing established producers with more restrained, modern expressions. Key names include Kistler, Chateau Montelena, Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Opus One. Other Californian regions, including Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Santa Lucia Highlands, were chosen for their freshness and versatility.
The list also features Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Oregon, Russian River Valley and Sta. Rita Hills. “These areas were chosen for their ability to express terroir with precision,” Wagstaffe said, pointing to a broader shift in American winemaking towards balance and elegance.
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Prices range from SGD100 to SGD18,000 for rare bottles like vintage Dominus Estate, Opus One, and Screaming Eagle at the top end. The ‘by the glass’ selection is quite concise, featuring three whites and three reds.
‘Growing curiosity’ in US wines
American wines remain a very niche market in Singapore, with Gerald Lu, head of the Singapore Sommelier Association, accounting for less than 5% of the market. “The logistics and shipment prices for ex-US are high; they are not as pocket friendly as other wines from Australia and New Zealand,” he said, adding that US wines are most commonly found in American styled steakhouse and on high-end contemporary restaurants wine lists.
Despite this, Wagstaffe believes Singapore is well-positioned for the concept. “Singapore diners are adventurous, open to discovery, and deeply engaged with storytelling,” he said. “While European wines have long dominated the region, there’s a growing curiosity around American producers, especially among experience-driven, globally minded diners.”
The scale of the opportunity for the restaurant and its wine list is significant: Changi Airport serves close to 70 million passengers in 2025 and is projected to handle up to 140 million a year when Terminal 5 is completed in the mid-2030s.
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