By Adam Bloodworth
Lockdown forced much of the wine industry online, opening itself up to the digital age and a whole new audience. The app Vivino pre-dates the pandemic, having launched in 2010 and pitching itself as the most democratic of wine apps as the ratings and reviews come from members of the public who choose to post them.
This month however, a new app has been launched for the other end of the scale. VintageCellar is a new innovative app for fine wines, promising to offer a premium, round the clock, concierge-style service to its select community of high end wine lovers.
It has been launched by Selim Bocti, whose family business in Lebanon specialising in food and beverage distribution meant he forged strong relationships with winemakers and merchants. Bocti noticed an increase in curiosity about collecting fine wines and saw the opportunity to develop a brand built around luxury with the big wine houses he was now close to. With the rise of online platforms, an app seemed the wisest idea.
His aim was to build a community of like-minded enthusiasts who wanted to discover and collect some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after wines. The app itself sounds impressive, offering a view of your integrated cellar (reliably stored for you) from the comfort of your own home, cellar management, asset valuation and expert updates on vintages, but it is the human element that makes it stand out. “The app is the front line, but to be recognised as bespoke, people will play an important role,” says Bocti.
Every member has a dedicated real-life Sommelier who works one-on-one with them to offer advice, build their personal taste profile, and create a “tailor-made experience.” Clients include collectors, amateurs and to a lesser extent investors. “We are selective with those seeking investment as we don’t want wine to be treated as a commodity,” says Bocti.
Investment may be something they branch into more but, like with Art, “even if you are buying a piece for investment people like to know the story of the Artist and the painting.” It is important to Bocti that this is the beginning of a journey allowing people to grow their knowledge as they grow their collection. Though fine wine obviously comes at a certain price point, “our clients are spending £50,000 a year” says Bocti, and will inevitably attract high net worth individuals, he does not want it to be seen as elitist.
“We strongly believe as a business model, that there is a demand for ultra-luxury products, but we make sure that, unlike some competitors out there, there is no minimum spend each year and nor is there a membership fee to join”. “We work on retainers and margins, but we want to keep the smile in wine, not put pressure on people to spend. It’s wine, we have to keep enjoying it”.
Request a demo or a call via their website, vintage-cellar.com
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