ON THE LIST | Shirley Tan

Shirley Tan’s interest in wine was sparked via the Bachelor’s degree in hospitality that she took at Taylor’s University in her native Malaysia, where ‘the oenology class was the only one in which I was able to stay awake.’ So much so that she joined the university’s Wine & Dine club and embarked on her Wine and Spirit Education Trust exams. After starting out as a trainee in bars and restaurants, she continued to read and study about wine, before taking the opportunity to work as a sommelier in Macau. There, the exposure to a huge range of F&B concepts, from casual oyster and steak houses to Michelin-starred restaurants, built her knowledge further. When she returned to Singapore in January 2022 she joined 67 as Senior Sommelier and has since risen up the ranks to become Deputy Head Sommelier.  

 ‘A recent discovery was the 2021 Chardonnay N28 from Xige Estate in the Helan Mountains, a desert mountain range forming the border between Inner Mongolia’s Alxa League and Ningxia, in China. The wine expresses Chardonnay’s typical ripe orchard and tropical fruits on a rounded and creamy mouthfeel, but is particularly well-balanced, with crisp acidity and stony minerality. Chinese wine is growing on our list – we now boast over 50 labels from different regions and varietals spanning white, red and sweet – and Ningxia is definitely a region to watch.