There are businesses born purely from market opportunity, and there are those born from lifestyle, passion, and lived experience. Wine Adore belongs firmly to the latter.

For founders Luiz and Gustavo Pinheiro, the story behind Wine Adore began long before the company itself, shaped by their Brazilian British upbringing and a deep connection to the ocean. Before entering the wine world, both brothers worked within the oil and gas industry as engineers and scientists, a career path that took them across the globe to remote and exotic locations throughout Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Those years of travel exposed them to vastly different cultures, hospitality traditions, cuisines, and social experiences, ultimately shaping much of the worldview behind Wine Adore today.

Surfing and sailing also played a major role in their lives from an early age, eventually leading Luiz Felippe Pinheiro to spend significant time living in Portugal, where his relationship with wine truly began to develop.

Portugal’s coastal lifestyle introduced wine in a very natural way, not through luxury or formality, but through community, hospitality, and shared experiences. Many of the wines that left a lasting impression were discovered in small seaside towns, hidden family wineries, marina restaurants, and gatherings after long days spent surfing along the Atlantic coast. Wine became less about prestige and more about emotion, storytelling, craftsmanship and connection between people.

That philosophy would later become the foundation of Wine Adore.

The birth of Wine Adore came years later in Southeast Asia. The company was first launched from Bali, Indonesia, in 2019, an island whose international energy and lifestyle culture perfectly reflected the founders’ vision for a more modern and experiential wine company. Bali represented a unique intersection of hospitality, entrepreneurship, surfing culture, wellness, and luxury tourism, making it the ideal environment to shape a brand centered around experience rather than traditional wine retail.

From Bali, Wine Adore expanded into Singapore and across Southeast Asia, evolving into a fast-growing wine technology and experience platform operating across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The quieter Covid years unexpectedly became one of the most important chapters in the company’s development. With international travel slowing down and life becoming more reflective, the founders spent significant time reconnecting with Portuguese wines and producers. It became an opportunity to rediscover Portugal’s incredible diversity, from elegant sparkling wines and old vine reds to highly age worthy wines offering exceptional value compared to many traditional European regions.

That rediscovery helped shape the portfolio Wine Adore presents today.

Among the wines the company is particularly proud to represent are premium Portuguese sparkling wines from Murganheira, elegant reds from regions such as Dão and Alentejo, and a growing collection of wines that balance authenticity, aging potential, and accessibility. The focus has always been on wines with strong stories, craftsmanship, and emotional connection rather than simply prestige labels.

Community has also played a major role in Wine Adore’s evolution. The company’s growth has been deeply connected to the passionate community of wine enthusiasts, collectors, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs and lifestyle-driven consumers who regularly participate in tastings and events. Many ideas behind the business, including the tasting experience formats and digital platform concepts, were shaped directly through interaction with guests and members over the years.

This philosophy extends into the physical spaces Wine Adore creates. Rather than functioning as traditional retail stores, the company’s tasting environments are designed to encourage interaction between wine experts, collectors, and guests in a more relaxed and immersive setting. The founders believe wine is best experienced socially, where conversation, storytelling, food, music, and hospitality all come together naturally.

At the same time, the tasting rooms are also designed as artistic spaces where wine and the arts converge. Inspired by the atmosphere of contemporary art galleries, Wine Adore pairs wine with sound, sculpture, canvas art, ambient lighting, and immersive storytelling. The objective is not simply to taste wine, but to emotionally transport guests into the regions and cultures behind each bottle.

“We try to teleport our guests into the world where the wine comes from,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “Through music, visual art, atmosphere, and storytelling, we create a meditative and immersive experience that allows people to slow down, disconnect from the outside world, and fully appreciate the moment.”

This same thinking inspired the creation of Wine Adore’s Members Private Club, which offers guests access to curated tastings, private events, rare wines, preferred pricing, networking opportunities, and early access to experiences connected to the wider Wine Adore ecosystem.

Technology has also become a significant part of the company’s direction. Wine Adore is currently developing a Wine Super App designed specifically for wine lovers and collectors in Singapore and Southeast Asia. The platform combines wine discovery, cellar management, wine ratings, digital purchasing tools, and Singapore’s largest corkage fee directory, helping consumers better connect wine with restaurants, hospitality venues, and social experiences.

Looking ahead, the company continues expanding both operationally and creatively across the region. The next major expansion markets include Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Miami, cities that naturally align with Wine Adore’s vision of combining wine, hospitality, luxury lifestyle, international business communities, and yachting culture. Beyond wine retail and tastings, Wine Adore is also growing its media capabilities, technology infrastructure, and lifestyle partnerships throughout Southeast Asia and internationally.

The connection with yachting developed naturally over time. Wine, sailing, travel, and hospitality all exist within the same world of shared experiences and appreciation for craftsmanship. Most recently, Wine Adore featured during the Singapore Yachting Festival and Yacht Style Gala, presenting curated Portuguese wines and rare large format bottles to distinguished guests from the international yachting community.

On the growing alcohol free wine trend, Luiz Pinheiro remains respectful of changing consumer preferences, but still holds a very traditional view when it comes to fine wine itself.

“As my favourite winemaker António Mendes from Quinta do Javali says, non alcoholic wine is not wine,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “It becomes difficult to even categorize it in the same way once you remove such a fundamental part of what wine has historically been. We don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel or overly manipulate something that has existed beautifully for thousands of years.”

At the same time, Pinheiro believes innovation should still be explored thoughtfully, particularly by companies willing to challenge conventional thinking.

“Being a truly innovative company means remaining curious,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “If there is a meaningful way to create a healthier, elevated, and enjoyable social experience, then we believe we are the right team to explore it.”

Rather than focusing purely on alcohol free wines, Wine Adore has become increasingly interested in adjacent wellness innovation. One of the early-stage concepts currently being explored internally involves the use of natural ingredients such as Ashwagandha to potentially recreate some of the relaxation and social unwinding effects traditionally associated with wine, while maintaining a more wellness-focused approach.

Alongside this, Wine Adore is also developing Adore Shield, a natural wellness supplement designed to be taken before and after drinking. The formulation focuses on helping the body filter, shield, and recover, with early feedback showing encouraging results not only in social drinking settings, but also in relation to inflammation reduction, mobility, energy, and overall recovery.

“For us, wine has always been about enjoyment, moderation, hospitality, and creating memorable experiences,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “We believe there is space to support healthier lifestyles while still respecting the authenticity, craftsmanship, and culture of fine wine.”

When asked what drives him daily, Luiz Pinheiro explains that the motivation goes far beyond business growth alone. At the heart of Wine Adore is a genuine desire to reimagine one of the world’s oldest and most biblical industries through a more modern, experiential, and technology-driven lens.

“We are inspired by the opportunity to elevate how people experience wine,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “Every bottle we sell eventually reaches a dinner table, a yacht, a celebration, or a gathering between family and friends. That bottle becomes part of someone’s memory. In many ways, we are not only in the wine business, we are in the experience and memory business.”

That philosophy continues to fuel both the company and its team as Wine Adore expands across Southeast Asia and internationally, combining hospitality, storytelling, technology, and lifestyle into a more immersive approach to wine culture.

And finally, when describing what makes a truly good wine, the answer is surprisingly simple.

“A good wine is one that creates a memorable moment,” says Luiz Pinheiro. “It’s not only about price, ratings, or prestige. Great wine creates emotion, conversation, and connection between people. That’s what stays with you long after the bottle is finished.”

Click here to visit the official Wine Adore website.

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