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By Rick VanSickle

SINGAPORE — With this job, travelling the world, drinking fine wines and dining on succulent meals prepared by the finest chefs is all in a day's work. It's very hard to praise one place over another and difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

Of course, it's gorgeous in Bordeaux and Burgundy. Tuscany is divine and immortalized in many a Hollywood movie. How can you go wrong in Champagne, Napa Valley or even the Niagara Peninsula, where this scribe lives, works and plays? They say Argentina is spectacular, while Chile is breathtaking and the scenery in South Africa wine country just can't be beat. But one destination goes beyond all of the above and it doesn't even grow its own grapes or make its own wines. Everything is imported from other parts of the world.

It is Singapore, a tropical island of 4.5 million people in Southeast Asia, only 650 sq. km in size with its nearest neighbours being Malaysia and Indonesia. It is one of the cleanest nations on earth (it's even a crime to chew gum out of fear for the yucky mess it leaves on the sidewalk) and one of the friendliest. It also happens to be an emerging world hot spot for fine wine.

Half the fun of visiting Singapore is just getting there.

From the moment you board a Singapore Airlines flight (the best airline in the world, in this traveller's opinion) and are ushered into your business class seat by a smartly dressed Malaysian beauty, you know this is going to be special.

Even before the engines rev up she's pouring you a tall, cold flute of Piper Heidsieck Rare Cuvee Reserve Brut Champagne (they serve Krug, the world's greatest Champagne up in first class). And once airborne, the wine really starts flying with Joseph Phelps Pastiche or Lockwood Vineyard Chardonnay served with delightful satay and peanut sauce. The wines keep coming, endlessly, as the hours slip by all too quickly. Try a St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon or Rive Barbera d'Asti Superiore with Korean-style beef short ribs followed by a selection of Vintage Ports and Cognacs and dial up a Hollywood movie from your personal entertainment centre.

A short while later, a comfortable nap in the business class "space bed" is followed by a hot towel treatment, and a German Mosel Riesling is offered up to go with a smoked halibut salad. You can see why this is the only airline in the world where passengers hope the flight takes longer than it should.

Singapore Airlines goes to great lengths to make sure the wines served on board are the best they can offer from each point of departure. And the wine selection is different for each city and country you leave from.

A panel of three wine judges get together twice a year to taste more than 1,000 submitted wines and whittle it down to the 50 best. The wine list changes every three months and the airline spends in excess of $25 million per year on vino, serving up 2.1 million bottles on its various flights per year. No other airline comes close to the wine program offered on board Singapore Airlines.

And no expense is spared in the selection process. Three of the world's greatest palates — Steven Spurrier, who founded the first Paris wine school, Jeannie Cho Lee, the first Asian Master of Wine, and Michael Hill-Smith, also a Master of Wine from Australia — come together twice a year in Singapore to choose the wines during a rigorous process of elimination.

"It always amazes us how much rubbish you go through," said Hill-Smith. He said the key to finding the perfect in-flight wine is to look for "soft and fruity" qualities as opposed to wines that contain a lot of acidity and tannins, which are amplified in high altitude flights.

Singapore has exploded recently into a fine wine and culinary destination. Only 10 years ago fine wine lists were left to the big hotels and visiting tourists who desired only the finest French wines. All that has changed as the island nation has embraced the culture of wine. It's now a part of the fabric of society at all levels.

As a tourist to Singapore, because of the surge in popularity, wine and expert advice is prevalent in nearly every restaurant you go to.

At the opulent Snappers in the Ritz Carleton Hotel in downtown Singapore, an Asian-infused feast was matched with wines chosen by Spurrier and Hill-Smith. With smoked salmon we had a zesty, typical, bright and herb-infused Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. That was followed by a Pine Ridge Chardonnay from California to go with cauliflower and truffle soup.

Joseph Drouhin Morey-Saint-Denis Burgundy matched beautifully with the pan-fried swordfish medallion, spiced sea urchin and tomato nage. A beef fillet was paired with Chateau Gisours, a Margaux from Bordeaux, and Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. What a beautiful pairing.

When not wining and dining in Singapore, there are plenty of other things to do. The sparkling clean streets of this gorgeous and safe city make it a fabulous place to explore on foot. After eating, shopping is considered the national past time on the island.

Browsing around local markets and shops in the ethnic districts to the flashy stores of Orchard Road, the experiences are endless and fascinating. Orchard Road is a must visit shopping area, crammed with malls and hotels. There's also Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India and Holland Village with shopping open as late as 10 p.m. every night.

As for dining beyond the fancy hotels, it is no secret that Singaporeans eat and drink with a passion. For the newcomer, deciding where and what to eat can be an intimidating, yet exciting experience. Singapore's multi-cultural diversity is reflected in the variety of local cuisine it has to offer, from Chinese to Malay, Indian to Peranakan.

There are plenty of golf courses as well on the island. It's sunny and warm all year round, with lush greenery and world-class golfing facilities. Take your pick from large and well-equipped public courses, or enjoy the more intimate atmosphere of the golf courses at country clubs and hotels.

A full list of Singapore courses can be found here: www.worldgolf.com/courses/singapore

rickwine@hotmail.com

09/09