FAMOUS novelist, poet and travel writer Robert Louis Stevenson once said: "Wine is bottled poetry."

This sentiment would undoubtedly be echoed by David Lim, founder of the wine specialty concept store chain, Denise the Wine Shop, which was launched in Singapore just a year ago last August.

With 13 stores already tucked safely under his belt and two more set to open within the next two weeks, Mr Lim's wine store chain is the largest in Singapore - a truly remarkable achievement in such a crowded, burgeoning market.

What, then, is the secret to his success? A visit to his newly opened flagship store at UE Square provides some insights: it is a homely, comfortable affair with sleek bottles lining the shelves, some of which can only be reached by means of a ladder. The effect - desired, of course - is one that is reminiscent of a private library.

"One of our greatest selling points is that we offer a personalised experience," says Mr Lim, when questioned about the success of his stores.

"I do not believe in merely selling bottles of wine; vending machines could do that. I am very particular about my staff. They have to possess the passion and knowledge about wine, so that this attitude can translate across to the customer and provide a highly individualised wine selection experience."

Of course, other aspects of the Denise chain factor into its success. Each store boasts a vast range of wines from Australia, France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand, among others. The majority are in the price range of $20-$80 per bottle.

Rare vintages are also available to the more discerning wine connoisseur, though for a proportionately higher price that stretches into the thousands.

The competitive price range is achieved in part by Mr Lim's shrewd business sense. Under the current scale of operation, he is able to source his wines directly from some of the best vineyards all over the world, eliminating profit-leeching middlemen - the importers and wholesalers.

Practising such a hands-on approach also ensures that he has complete control over the conditions the wine is exposed to. For example, each and every bottle is kept at 20 degrees Celsius, regardless of price and quality.

"Quality control is very important. This way we gain the customer's trust and they have complete confidence in the fact that, whenever they purchase a bottle of wine, they are assured of nothing less than the very best," Mr Lim says.

His marketing strategy has indeed delivered - approximately half of the clientele are repeat customers. In the span of 11 months, Mr Lim has also scored deals with the big players in the lifestyle industry, purveying wine to Singapore Airlines, Shangri-La Hotel, Raffles Hotel and various fine dining restaurants, to name a few.

However, not all of Mr Lim's experience here has gone down quite as smoothly as a glass of Burgundy Pinot Noir; he has indeed faced some tough challenges.

"The biggest obstacle I faced in Singapore was the operating cost - rental prices are incredibly high. I guess you could say we were lucky as rental prices had not risen so much when we started out last year.

"But from now on, the only way for prices to go is up," he lamented.

"Another headache is the staffing. My main recruitment criteria are passion and attitude, which do not come cheap in the current work environment. I also ensure each store manager undergoes extensive training - attending wine courses and visiting vineyards in France in order to gain first-hand experience of the wine-making process. All this puts serious pressure on the company finances."

He revealed that investment in this Singaporean venture has soared into the tens of millions.

Fortunately, though, "our investors have foresight, and are able to see the long-term prospects of this business", Mr Lim says.

Coupled with his astute business acumen and managerial skills, as well as the increasing maturity of the wine retail industry in Singapore, Denise the Wine Shop has been able to mushroom all over the country in this short span of time, despite being such a 'media-shy company'.

"We are just quietly lining up our infrastructure and back offices. We let our wine do the talking," Mr Lim explains. "People have also noticed the sudden prevalence of our shops islandwide - that is advertisement enough."

What future plans, then, are in store for this young company with close to 35 stores in Singapore and Malaysia?

"Apart from expanding further in these two countries, we are looking at places like China and Vietnam with developing markets," Mr Lim elaborates. "With our experience in both a fledgling market in Malaysia and a mature market in Singapore, I believe we have acquired sufficient expertise to venture into different territories."

This quality of confident determination is the main ingredient that has contributed to Mr Lim's success today.

As a fresh graduate from a pre-medicine course at the University of Iowa 15 years ago, he decided to explore uncharted terrain - dabbling first in the shipping line, followed by the health food industry.

After "crashing out quite spectacularly in 1997", he gained an interest in the wine industry in 1998 when an ex-manager earned a fair volume from selling wine to relatives and friends during Chinese New Year.

Undeterred by his recent setbacks, he set up the first Denise store in 2001, in Petaling Jaya, a middle-class suburban area in Malaysia. The rest, as they say, is  history.

"Perseverance is essential in any business," Mr Lim said, when asked about his advice for budding entrepreneurs. "One also needs to possess a hands-on attitude, and should treat his staff the way he would like to be treated."

He adds: "A vision-oriented, passionate, loyal team is very important", as they make up the backbone of any enterprise.

A self-confessed 'extremist', Mr Lim is indeed imprinting his glorious, Epicurean life philosophy on the local scene. "Life is getting unnecessarily stressful, what with the bird flu, Sars, global warming. Working in the wine business in which we focus on the finer pleasures of life suits my personality very well."

With a glass of 'bottled poetry' in his hand, Mr Lim imparts his final words of wisdom: "Don't just stay alive; feel alive!"

Is this article useful to you?