News

Vinotheque

06 July 2003 By db staff writer

Caring for Wine in the Perfect Environment

THE 19TH CENTURY grade II listed industrial building, housing the Vinothèque wine cellars in Burton-on-Trent, displays all the expected characteristics of the Victorian period in which it was built.

Elegance and grandeur, combined with practicality and efficiency. It was constructed and onceived for the housing of grain for the local brewery, but the architects and builders that designed it over one hundred years ago could easily have had wine storage in mind, so well suited is the building to its current use.

Its metre-thick, red brick walls ensure a constant and steady temperature – cool enough to ensure the precious property within remains unaffected by the fluctuating weather patterns that affect the outside world. And its four perfectly formed floors couldn’t have been designed better.

The ground floor is in possession of those majestically grand columns and ceilings that are the hallmarks of the period’s industrial architecture and are now ideally suited to the storage of large volumes of fast moving stocks of wines, used to supply the on-trade and off-trade around the country by Vinothèque’s extensive list of customers.

The upper three floors are more intimate, more compact – and hence ideal for the placement of fine wines during maturation and smaller, high value consignments that require long-term storage, along with close monitoring and detailed cataloguing.

"In a way, we couldn’t have found a more ideal place in which to set up our operations," claims general manager, David Hogg. "Obviously we’ve had to make some alterations to bring it into the 21st century, but it is a great building, ideally suited to storing wine and keeping it perfectly conditioned over the longand short-term."

By alterations Hogg is referring to the large fans that sit either end of the main building, those that nestle in the false ceilings and the specially sealed window units. "It was a challenge to make sure we updated the building without destroying the fabric of what is a grade II listed building."

Working closely with the local council and planning officers, the company went to great efforts. Each window was sealed and insulated, so that light, and hence temperature fluctuations, could not seep in, but from the outside they retain their unique character.

And, perhaps most importantly, it’s secure. The heavy oak doors and significant ironmongery from yesteryear have been boosted by state-of-the-art CCTV cameras that monitor every angle and corner of the building, inside and out, extensively.

A security company – the same firm that protects the major banks and high value businesses elsewhere in the area – has 24/7 security patrols, and there are, of course, all the usual security checks and monitors on all staff and visitors to and from the site.

"What we want to offer our customers," comments Hogg, "is a comprehensive service that gives them all the benefits of a 21st century state-of-the-art storage facility in wonderful traditional surroundings.

"We believe the natural characteristics of Vinothèque allow us to provide first class storage facilities for fine wines, and when combined with our recent capital investment in systems, security and modifications to the building itself, put us in a position of being able to offer one of the best facilities available anywhere in the country.

"We’re a young dynamic business and whilst we’ve done very well in a short space of time so far, we’re not content to rest on our laurels. We’re planning to expand our facilities so that we can continue to exceed our customers’ expectations of us and anticipate their future needs.

We put a lot of emphasis on delivering very traditional service values – but in a thoroughly modern way." Hogg also believes Vinothèque can offer a competitive edge. "Naturally, because of our location, we offer excellent channels for distribution across the country – an essential factor for customers that deal with clients across the UK.

But importantly, we believe our services can also be offered at competitive prices compared with many London-based warehousing operations, where rents, rates and labour costs can be astronomical.

It’s a competitive edge that we feel we have, but above all it is the quality and reliability of our services and the warehouse environment that we are marketing at ‘value for money’ prices." And the proof seems to be in the pudding.

Since Vinothèque first launched just over two years ago it has recruited around 150 customers including some impressive names such as Lay & Wheeler and Mayfair Cellars. The latter is just one of the clients happy to confirm the company’s dedication to providing a quality service.

"We store all our private clients’ private reserve wines at Vinothèque," says David Searle, managing director of Mayfair. "Our customers often spend large amounts on the wines they want to lay down and we are concerned that they should be stored under the best conditions available.

We usually have between £8-10m worth of wine under storage on behalf of our clients at any one time. "And whilst we have only just begun working with Vinothèque, so far we have been more than satisfied with the efficient handling of our customers’ wines."

And, points out Searle, there is one distinct added benefit. "They also happen to be a pleasure to deal with." This is a view shared by many other customers.

Lay & Wheeler holds all its UK-based trading stock at Vinothèque and additionally entrusts around 100,000 cases of group reserves and customer reserves to the care of David Hogg and his team.

US dealer Bob Thomson, president of Washington DC-based Thomson Cellars, has stored his not inconsiderable European wine holdings in the careful hands of Vinothèque. Indeed, he frequently visits the facility, keen to inspect his collection which includes a wide range of some of the world’s finest wines.

We spoke to Thomson after a recent visit when he left suitably impressed with the company and confident that his wines were being stored in the best possible conditions available. "Making our customers feel comfortable and responding to their needs is a paramount part of what we offer," explains Hogg.

To this end, the company has embarked, just two years on from its original investment in the building, on a programme of continuous improvement "Things move so fast in this usiness, not only the question of Customs and Excise Regulations, but rapid changes in warehouse management technology that to stay ahead of the game you have to think ahead of the game: you can never be happy to settle for the status quo," says Hogg.

To this end the company will be investing in a new visitor centre, a new web site that will have interactive capabilities and allow customers to monitor their wine storage remotely, alongside condition reporting and real-time information tools.

"What we want to make sure of is that our customers are fully satisfied that their goods are being stored in safe and secure conditions," says Hogg. "They’ve invested a lot in their wine, and so we’ve invested a lot in keeping it in top condition."

WHY CHOOSE VINOTHÈQUE?

The Perfect Environment

The temperature and humidity within Vinothèque are close to ideal. Insulation, air flow and natural light shuttering make certain that wines develop in a carefully controlled atmosphere.

Constant monitoring ensures that all wines from inexpensive table wines to top Château Claret are kept and matured in ideal conditions. Trade customers or private individuals can therefore be assured that their investment is secure.

Fine Wines

Vinothèque serves customers who subscribe to the Bunch Code of Practice developed by a group of independent wine merchants over the past 10 years to provide customers with full confidence in the security of the fine wines stored under their care.

By prior arrangement and in association with such customers, annual wine stock certificates with current market valuation for fine wines can be provided if required.

Duty Paid and Under Bond

Vinothèque offers the flexibility of Under Bond or Duty Paid storage and warehousing according to customer requirements. Full customs accreditation plus the installations of sophisticated computer systems ensure the efficient tracking and management of customers’ stock.

Warehousing and Distribution

For trade customers efficient warehousing and distribution is essential to effectively manage the business as well as to keep increasingly demanding customers happy. Working with expert distribution partners, Vinothèque already services leading wine merchants, wholesalers and on- and off-trade retailers.

Deliveries are currently made to all parts of the UK from this central location. A highly flexible approach ensures that the customers’ needs are paramount. An efficient receiving, handling and documentation service is in place.

Service arrangements include the on-line monitoring of deliveries dispatched from Vinothèque to track their progress through to delivery to customers’ homes or business premises.

Cost Effective Rates and Terms

Competitive rates are offered dependent on the level of volume and the quality of service required. Modern computer systems track and manage customer stock and deliveries in conjunction with distribution partners.

Vinothèque is able to deal with all sizes of delivery from cases to pallets to full trunker loads. A dedicated customer service team handles all contracts to ensure a rapid response to orders and queries.

The essentials

– Grade II listed building

– Former brewery grain warehouse

– Substantially improved and upgraded to meet modern standards

– Prime central location in "The Golden Triangle"

– First class facility for fine wines

– Duty Paid and Under Bond storage

– Full Customs and Excise accreditation

– Efficient receiving, handling and documentation

– Sophisticated computer systems

– Highly flexible approach to meeting customer requirements

– Nationwide UK delivery using selected distribution partners