THE MISSING CLINK
During Circuit Breaker, it wasn’t uncommon to see restaurants offering their wine list for delivery and pickup, in lieu of customer dinein. So when Lo & Behold announced Clink Clink as a new “sommelier-led online bottle shop”, we wondered if it was the same, ahem, case. Resident sommelier Matthew Lamb breaks it down for us.
Each of the concepts within The Lo & Behold Group operates with its distinct beverage offering, just as Clink Clink does with its selection. As such, Clink Clink won’t be a ‘master list’ for all products ranging within the group.
The wine selection suits explorers, or coming of age drinkers who are looking beyond their usual bottles. These are wines that tell a story, and evoke the people, place and vintage through bundles of three or six bottles.
In Singapore, I find that there is a thirst to see what’s out there and an interest to try something new. There are people that have an idea and understanding of what they enjoy drinking but are still open to new producers, regions globally of a favourite grape or lesser known varieties, for example. This has been really demonstrated with Clink Clink’s sales across all styles.
As a resident sommelier vs a restaurant sommelier, the major difference is the lack of a true faceto-face interaction. When you’re tableside you can gauge the guest’s reaction to see if what you’re saying is hitting the mark, whereas with an online point of view you’ve got a single opportunity to present the information and get your point across.
The selections are based on limited quantities for the particular wines themselves. I don’t expect a bundle to remain on the site for longer than 2-3 months. Some bundles are designed to be a rotating selection, such as ‘I’m A Grower, Not A Show-er’ highlighting lesser-known Champagne producers. We sold out of that first iteration within a couple weeks.
Not being beholden to fixed suppliers allows us to operate with a true ‘quality first’ approach. We’re not pushing our portfolio nor are we committed to minimum spending with a single supplier. It gives us the freedom to operate on a truly open approach. In addition, our direct imports help add uniqueness and deliciousness to our wine bundles and Custom Orders.
The global sommeliers’ selection were selected on the basis of being leaders within the industry. I’d wager they’re drinking some pretty delicious drops at home that won’t break the bank! The upcoming series include Vincent Tan of Odette, Isa Bal MS of Trivet (London), and Pascaline Lepeltier MS of Racines (NYC).