Behind the Scenes: Where Fine Wine Enters the UAE

The Tasting Class has had a front row seat to how the alcohol industry in the UAE operates for over a decade. However, we only recently got a front-row seat to see its first “port of call” in the UAE—pun intended.

I’ve spent years explaining to guests at tastings why provenance and storage in restaurants — and how to care for your wines at home — matter. But this was the first time I was properly stepping behind the scenes to see how transportation, importation, and warehouse storage work in the UAE.

So off we went to visit Craft & Culture‘s bonded storage facility at RAK Port, Crurated‘s logistics partner. The port features numerous large warehouses, many holding thousands of cases of beverages destined for the UAE. Given the UAE’s hot summers, temperature management is crucial. To prevent damage, Craft & Culture built a fully refrigerated, climate-controlled, and constantly monitored warehouse inside their larger steel structure. Monitoring involves temperature gauges throughout the unit, including sensors in a sample bottle and a sample wooden wine case, ensuring comprehensive coverage. This advanced infrastructure is why Crurated confidently stores its wine here for clients who buy to drink, or to collect or trade as an asset.

This is also where bonded storage becomes an important concept to understand. It refers to a customs-approved facility where wines are held without upfront duty payment. The wine owner pays duty only upon removal. This allows those holding wines for eventual trade to defer import fees, even when selling to international buyers. For Crurated in the UAE, their wine is then transferred to sales partner City Drinks, which sells it via their website and App.

For fine wine buyers, custody is critical in protecting value. If you don’t know where the wine has been stored and can’t guarantee its condition, or even its authenticity, it can make finding a buyer in the future much more difficult. This is where Crurated really adds value. The wines are far more secure because Crurated sources directly from the producers. That means the wines leave the estate under professional care and continue their journey in fully refrigerated containers before arriving into bonded storage in the UAE. There are no unknown previous owners and no secondary-market grey areas.

And further to that, every Crurated wine bottle carries its own NFC-enabled tag. With one quick tap of your phone, you can see the full history of the bottle — from its origin to its transportation journey and storage record. For anyone who has ever worried about buying wine on the secondary market, where storage conditions and authenticity can be uncertain, this level of traceability is a game changer.

And then, of course, there’s the wine itself. Crurated specialises in very premium bottles. Burgundy is one of their sweet spots — from long-established, iconic producers to ambitious new-generation winemakers shaping the future of the region. But it’s not just about trophy bottles. They’re also bringing in affordable luxury in their Open Cellar range — top-quality, small-production wines that offer serious character without requiring long-term cellaring. Think elegant, fascinating wine, carefully selected boutique producers — the types of bottles you might expect to discover through a specialist importer in London.

The UAE wine scene is evolving quickly. Not long ago, we were simply grateful to have access to international products. Now, collectors and drinkers are asking for everything from unique parcels to “unicorn” bottles. Dubai has become a world-class culinary city. It makes sense that our wine offering — and the infrastructure protecting it — ups its game in unison.

After seeing how Crurated’s wines are transported, stored, monitored, and digitally tracked bottle by bottle, it’s clear that the systems behind the scenes are catching up with the market’s ambition. And in a market evolving as quickly as the UAE — with storage challenges like our intense summer heat — knowing that your bottle has been sourced directly, stored properly, and handled with precision is no small thing. It’s the difference between drinking a label and experiencing a wine at its best.

For those interested in collecting wines with an eye toward future trading, the full membership program on the Crurated website is the place to start.

If you are in the UAE and eager to enjoy exceptional wines, many of which are newly available in the region, you can visit the City Drinks website and App. Head to the Open Cellar section and use the code tastingclass for an additional 8% discount. City Drinks now offers delivery across the entire UAE.