COMINGS AND GOINGS

In the market for premium wines

Vin Van Cymru is the latest wine merchant to join the steadily growing ranks of Welsh indies.

Owner Sara Hobday launched the shop in the newly reopened Newport Market in March, following the success of the online and events business she started two years ago.

Hobday says that her original plan didn’t really involve retail. “I was hosting pop-up Welsh wine tastings and then the pandemic hit, so I went back to the drawing board and that’s where the online side of things came from,” she explains.

“But I like talking to people and having a conversation, so that’s why I’ve been keen to open a physical space, where I can see people.”

Previously the business had been operating solely from The Bridge Studios in Cardiff, a creative workspace consisting of upcycled shipping containers, which Hobday used mostly for storage and as a delivery hub.

While she says it would never have been suitable as a retail venue, she admits it works very well as an outside bar. “Flowerhorn Brewery is based at the Studios,” she says. “They moved in just after I did. They built a taproom on site and we shared the space. I’m definitely keeping the unit there and will be reopening the wine bar in April. As soon as the weather improves, it’s going to be buzzing. I’ve had people messaging me saying, ‘I’ve had to drink gin and tonic for months, when are you reopening the bar?’”

Hobday is working with ABS, Vintage Roots and Berkmann, who she says have all been “really supportive”. She sources most of her Welsh wines direct from the vineyards and she’s also hoping to add a few more Welsh gems from Daniel

Sarah Hobday of Vin Van Cymru

Lambert’s portfolio.

The recent move into retail has allowed Hobday to increase her wine selection. “The Welsh wine range has expanded since moving into the shop and that will continue to grow,” she says.

“I also want to work on the German section. I want to get more variety; I want to try different things all the time.

“During the pandemic I was concentrating on quality, affordable wines and now I think people are happier to spend more on a nice sparkling instead of Prosecco from Tesco. So I’m trying to expand the higher-end wines, which I wasn’t able to do before, and that is exciting for me.”

The Blue Glass in Bedford is up for sale, and, for the right buyer, there’s plenty of scope for the business to grow.

Currently turning a profit on its threeday week, it would be fair to say that the hybrid shop and bar has not yet reached its full potential.

Owner Kevin Kavanagh says he is selling because he has plans to live life to the full. “I’m turning 70 next year and I don’t want to be morbid, but if I live until I’m 90, I’ve got another 10 years where I’ll be reasonably active and there’s lots of other things I want to do – like travel. If I was 50 years old I wouldn’t be selling it at all.”

The wine shop and bar has seating for 64 people plus an additional 18 outside. It’s priced at £125,000, which includes nine years of the 12-year renewable lease, and all fixtures, fittings and equipment.

“What’s important to me is that I sell it to someone who is ready to take it to the next stage,” says Kavanagh.

“There may be someone in the team who might want to buy it, so we’ll see. It’s only been on the market for six weeks so it’s very early days.

“I live here in town and in my old age I want to be able to go there and have a glass of wine.”

Blue Glass has potential to grow

David Schroetter

Santé’s move was worth the wait

Santé Wines has moved premises but remains in the Somerset city of Wells, where owner David Schroetter has traded for more than 10 years.

Since parting ways with a previous business partner, Schroetter spent much of the last year looking for his new shop. “It took me nine months to find the right property,” he says, “but I kept going through that period, just doing deliveries.

“I’m still importing as much as I can. I do a lot from France and I have a huge range from Italy and a little bit from South America and Georgia – I love their wine.”

A little shop with some big ideas

Walton near Felixstowe in Suffolk is now home to The Little Wine Bar.

Deborah Mcglynn-Hale says her shop and bar may be “very tiny”, but that’s not stopping her from having a big selection.

“We’ve got room for hundreds of wines,” she says, “providing I only have a couple of bottles of each.”

She says 98% of her wines are vegan. “Sustainability is really important to us, especially as wine has such a huge carbon footprint. We are doing our best to offload that,” Mcglynn-Hale explains. Her business is plastic-free and carbon neutral.

Previously Mcglynn-Hale worked for John Greenwold at Wine Boutique in Felixstowe, and most of her stock is sourced from Winefantastic, Greenwold’s wholesale company.

“I know his wines and I trust them. It’s good having things on my shelves that I can be passionate about,” she says.

The Little Wine Bar has been open for just over a month and Mcglynn-Hale says that, while it’s pretty much all drinking-in at the moment, she’s expecting the retail element to grow.

“Where we are situated isn’t a real retail place and I’m hoping with time that will change, but I don’t expect people to walk in and trust me immediately,” she says.

“People need to try the wines and make sure they are happy with them before they commit to buying, and you can’t develop a trusting clientele overnight.

“We do have people walk in and buy wine and there is conversion of people having a drink in and thinking, ‘wow, that’s lovely, I’m definitely taking that home with me’ – and I really want people to have that experience.

“It’s important they get to try things that they might never have touched before.”

She adds: “It’s been overwhelming how positive people have been about it. People have been coming in at two in the afternoon, when I expect the bar to be empty, and saying, ‘I’m just coming in for one drink now, because it’s so important to us that you stay here’.”

• Brunswick Fine Wines & Spirits, a broker and stockholding company, has branched out into retail with its first shop. It opened on New Road in Brighton last month, close to the city’s Theatre Royal. THE WINE MERCHANT april 2022 5

Don’t nick from Nick

It’s not surprising that Leytonstone locals might have been feeling rather emotional about the closure of their beloved independent wine shop and bar, To Be Consumed. But it was a little annoying to see some of them halfinching the merchandise as they went in search of mementoes on Nick and Bianca Chapman’s closing night.

“Disappointing how many glasses people walked away with on the weekend,” the couple posted on social media.

“Just because we’re closing doesn’t mean you can steal our property. You can buy them online. Don’t be a cheapskate.”

Who’s up for the Médoc?

Spring has sprung, the world is gradually opening up, and some wine trade folk are whispering darkly about the Médoc Marathon on September 10. This year, they are suggesting, could be the year they finally take the plunge.

It’s a marathon like any other, measuring 42.195km, with runners of all ages and abilities trudging their way to the finishing line in varying states of dehydration and exhaustion.

What marks out the Médoc event as something different, however, is the nature of its refreshments.

Runners are spurred on by cups of the local wine (rumoured to be moderately good) at the 22 stands along the route, and are also plied with renowned energy boosters such as oysters, ham, steak, cheese and ice cream.

If that prospect isn’t terrifying enough, the organisers are promising “the presence of hundreds of disguised and delighted school children”. It’s really no surprise that six hours is considered a pretty decent time.

Register at marathonmedoc.com.

NOT YOU AGAIN! customers we could do without 33. Kris Anóitos Vlákas

Yeah, the monthly wine deliveries have been an absolute lifesaver and the wine club really exposes us to things that we’d never normally come across, so thanks my friend, you’re doing an excellent job! It’s a big day when that box arrives and all four of us fight to rip it open to see what’s inside … I like the weird stuff, maverick producers and grape varieties I’ve never heard of like Mise En Bouteille and San Giovese … it’s so cool and really broadens your horizons … there was even an orange wine there last month and I have to admit I had no clue at all you could even make wine from oranges … what an idiot … the app you’ve done is brilliant too and we love giving feedback and seeing what others have put … yeah, I guess some of ours can be a bit on the sweary side but that’s just us in party mode … you’re right, we did give last month’s Malbec 1 out of 100 and I think Marie put something like “this is shit – avoid!” but genuinely I thought it was pretty good and I guess people will see it’s just banter … a bit of bantz … no, I did not see your text about the direct debit being rejected three times …

Supplier of wine boxes and literature

• 12 Bottle carrier box with dividers • 6 Bottle carrier box with dividers • 12 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 6 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 4 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 3 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 1 Bottle mailing box with dividers

01323 728338 • sales@eastprint.co.uk • www.eastprint.co.uk Congratulations to the five Wine Merchant reader survey respondents whose names were drawn at random and who each win a Coravin, courtesy of ANAGRAM TIME our partner Hatch Mansfield. Can you unscramble these California wine producers? If so, you win a 25cl pot of alcoholic coleslaw. Peter Fawcett, Field & Fawcett, York Anthony Borges, 1. Demon Vibrator The Wine Centre, 2. Maggie’s CleanerGreat Horkesley, Essex3. Pasta Legs Zoran Ristanovic, City Wine Collection, 4. Admen Coronaries London5. Honda Dominance