Building a serious wine cellar on a coral island is a logistical exercise that most Maldivian resorts quietly avoid. Anantara Kihavah, in Baa Atoll, committed to it early and now operates a climate-controlled cellar with thousands of references across Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Piedmont, California, and a rotating Indian-Ocean-adjacent selection.
The List
The cellar leans into small-grower Champagne houses — Jacquesson, Cédric Bouchard, Ulysse Collin — alongside classic reference bottles from Dom Pérignon, Krug and Salon. Burgundy runs deep into small domaines; Bordeaux covers the left and right bank classics with a reasonable bench of older vintages. The list is updated quarterly and the head sommelier programmes private tastings in the cellar on request.
Why Here
Two reasons. First, Baa is the most wine-friendly atoll climatically — cellar temperatures hold better at its elevation and lagoon exposure. Second, the Kihavah kitchen has built its culinary identity around cellar-driven pairings, which means the wine list is not decorative; it is the point. For owners, the cellar is a destination in its own right and the easiest private-tasting experience in the Maldives.