Pictured above: Grant Ashton, founder and CEO of 67 Pall Mall

Grant Ashton spent 30 years in finance before deciding to open a wine bar in 2015, not anticipating that he would create an international business recognised by oenophiles around the world – 67 Pall Mall. It is the first group of private members' clubs exclusively for wine lovers, where industry professionals and collectors alike gather to explore the clubs’ extensive and ever-evolving wine lists. Always one step ahead of the game, Grant and his team were the front-runners of virtual tastings during the 2020 pandemic, having organised 250 virtual tastings by the end of the third month of lockdown. Following the founding of 67 Pall Mall's inaugural club in London, Grant has since set up shop in Verbier, Singapore (where he currently resides), and Beaune. And it doesn't stop there - all eyes are on new clubs opening in Bordeaux and Melbourne next year.

Grant reveals his affinity for China's up-and-coming wine scene and tells us about the best wine lists in Singapore while reaffirming his soft spot for wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Wine Lister: Tell us about your current "house wine".

Grant Ashton: I’m a firm fan of the French classics – they were the wines that started me on this journey – so I’m usually happy with Burgundy and Bordeaux. There’s a good reason why they are so revered – there is such variety and such complexity. And even a few bargains, if you know where to look.

WL: What do you drink when you're not drinking wine?

GA: A good IPA or spicy margarita.

WL: What does "fine wine" mean to you?

GA: Wine that’s worth talking about.

WL: The best restaurant wine list in Singapore?

GA: No contest – Les Amis.

WL: What emerging region are you most excited about?

GA: China. Give them twenty years and (I suspect) a move towards whites from reds, they will be challenging the world.

WL: What is your standing on natural wine? 

GA: It’s great for some and introduces a new audience to wine... But you’re asking a classic Bordeaux collector.

WL: Your go-to wine shop in Singapore? 

GA: I’ve already got far too much wine! And not to mention a 6,000-line list to choose from here at 67 Pall Mall's The Singapore Club… But when the need arises, I prefer to support independent ones, of which there are quite a few in Singapore: 1855 The Bottle Shop (which incidentally also carries 67 Pall Mall's newest book, Wine and the Food of Asia) and Bound by Wine to name a few.

WL: If you could share a glass of wine with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you drink? 

GA: Miles Davis – as a former, and very bad trumpet player myself, it would be great to share a glass with one of the legends. It would probably be appropriate to choose an American wine – I think 1974 Charles Krug “Vintage Selection – Lot F1” would fit the bill rather nicely.

WL: If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?

GA: Probably still living in London, dreading my 40^th year in banking. In 2015, I left a 30-year career in finance in the hope of opening a small wine bar, which was the genesis of 67 Pall Mall. 

WL: To finish, can you share with our readers one producer to watch?

GA: Célèbre in China are doing extraordinary things with Chardonnay and Bordeaux blends – they’re not cheap, but they really do challenge the best in the world.