Wine, like art, is never just about what’s in the glass. It carries memory, place, ritual and emotion, ideas that sit at the heart of À TABLE!, the latest edition of the French Excellence Programme by Alliance Française de Singapour.

Running from 7 February to 18 April 2026, the sixth instalment of the programme invites audiences to explore French winemaking not only as a craft, but as a cultural language that speaks through music, theatre, dance and shared sensory experiences. More than a festival, À TABLE! unfolds as a season-long celebration of French heritage, creativity and conviviality.

Launched in 2021, the French Excellence Programme has become a signature platform for Alliance Française de Singapour, spotlighting the people and ideas that shape France’s global influence, from gastronomy and design to innovation and the arts. This year, the focus turns to wine, a subject as poetic as it is technical, and one deeply woven into French identity.

“Wine is a living thread that connects people, places and art forms,” shares Aude-Emeline Loriot Nurbianto, Executive Director of Alliance Française de Singapour. “With À TABLE!, we wanted to create an edition where audiences can discover not just the techniques behind winemaking, but also the cultural stories and emotions that surround it.”

The programme is centred around the À TABLE! Exhibition, an immersive, multi-sensory experience created in collaboration with Bordeaux’s renowned Cité du Vin. Free to the public, the exhibition invites visitors to journey through the world of French wine across three carefully curated sections.

The experience begins in the vineyards, tracing the history and geography of winemaking through France’s diverse terroirs, grape varieties and regional traditions. Bordeaux’s role as a global wine capital is explored through objects and narratives drawn from the Cité du Vin’s celebrated museum collection.

From there, visitors move closer to the craft itself. The exhibition reveals the biology of grapes, the delicate processes behind red and white wines, and the skilled hands, from viticulturists to cellar masters and coopers — that shape every bottle. Science and artistry meet here, underscoring the patience and precision that define French winemaking.

The journey concludes with a sensorial finale: aromas, textures and the art of pairing take centre stage, inviting visitors to reflect on how taste and scent intertwine. For those keen to go deeper, private wine-tasting workshops offer an intimate extension of the experience, while guided tours are available in both English and French. Visitors can even enhance their visit with a glass of wine for a small additional fee.

On 28 March, Introspections brings together classical music and wine in an evening designed for quiet reflection. Led by sommelier-in-training and musician Ida Pelliccioli, the concert draws parallels between the compositional process of early 20th-century music and the artistry of winemaking.

Inspired by the emotional depth and elegance of Maurice Ravel, Pelliccioli presents a programme that pairs live music with three carefully selected wines. Guided by sommelier-journalist Gérard Olivier and Philippe Faure-Brac, World’s Best Sommelier 1992, the experience unfolds as a dialogue between sound and taste — contemplative, layered and deeply personal.

The season opens on 7 February with Reflections in Red, a multidisciplinary performance that sets the tone for À TABLE! through improvisation and collaboration. Following the success of Reflections in Blue in 2025, Alliance Française reunites with Neill’s Jazz Lab and award-winning French drummer Neill Gautier for a new creation.

Blending live jazz, contemporary dance, poetry and live visual art, the performance takes its cue from the colour red — a symbol of intensity, pleasure and bold expression. Like a full-bodied wine, Reflections in Red unfolds in layers, inviting audiences into a shared moment of spontaneity and exchange.

Wine also becomes a lens for storytelling in In Vino Veritas, an immersive theatre experience taking place on 27 and 28 February. Transforming the Alliance Française into a multi-room performance space, the travelling production guides small groups through a series of scenes set in familiar wine-soaked moments: an intimate bistro, a champagne party, a vineyard harvest.

As audiences move from room to room, wine accompanies stories of reunion, joy, memory and excess. The experience concludes with a guided wine tasting that echoes the themes of the performance, blurring the line between theatre and lived experience.

Beyond performances, À TABLE! extends into hands-on workshops and social encounters. Monthly Art & Bubbles sessions invite participants to sip champagne while exploring visual art techniques under the guidance of French artist D’Gers. From watercolours inspired by wine tasting to linocut printing, these workshops offer a relaxed, creative take on French conviviality.

Film screenings, curated tastings and cultural encounters round out the programme, making À TABLE! a season designed to be savoured slowly — much like a good bottle of wine.

With this latest edition of the French Excellence Programme, Alliance Française de Singapour once again reaffirms its commitment to creating immersive cultural experiences, where tradition and modernity meet, and where art, taste and imagination flow freely.

À TABLE! runs from 7th February to 18th April 2026. For full programme details, visit the Alliance Française de Singapour website.