CASE STUDIES
\ GARCON WINES \TERRAVIEW \UITKYK WINES \INBOUND ACQUISITION \CHÂTEAU PAS DE LOUP /SUSSEX WINE TOURISM PROJECT
\ GARCON WINES
Garçon are a sustainable recycled PET packaging start-up that’s bringing about a significant advancement to wine bottles and their impact on the environment. With essential and highly effective advancements to the shape and material of wine bottles they are improving the eco-friendliness, retailing, logistics, and cost-effectiveness of wine. This enables a healthier planet, happier consumers and a more prosperous industry.
WBA have been engaged to scope the Southern African market to conduct detailed market research, conduct a feasibility study and a business plan for the creation of local manufacturing capability in South Africa. WBA identified and introduce all of the key up-stream and down-stream players in the recycling, PET, plastic, manufacturing, retail and wine production space. This engagement is ongoing.
\ TERRAVIEW
The Terraview mission is to create the most valuable enterprise software company of the 21st century by blending technology with each bottle of wine that the world produces. Terraview has created a unified vineyard management digital platform including a fully integrated suite of innovative products like yield estimation, smart irrigation & disease predictions.
WBA have been engaged to scope the market with the intention to introduce the Terraview platform to the South African wine industry. Detailed market research, vineyard trials & networking with the intention to make Terraview an essential and valuable digital support tool for the most innovative and ambitious South African winegrowers and winemakers. This engagement is ongoing.
\ UITKYK WINES
Uitkyk, the historic Stellenbosch property of nearly 600ha, has been purchased by The Uitkyk Domain, a South African company ultimately owned by The Paulsen Familiae Foundation, which holds worldwide investments in both real estate as well as wine and spirits producers and distributors. Uitkyk has been sold as a going concern.
Wine Business Advisors was engaged by an international client to provide strategic advice in identifying and facilitating the acquisition of a premium historic property in South Africa.
\ CORPORATE DUE DILIGENCE – INBOUND ACQUISITION
Wine Business Advisors was engaged by large multi-national corporate client, based in Switzerland, and domiciled in the Isle of Man. The brief was to participate in identifying Stellenbosch winery acquisition targets and opportunities to fit within a specific investment mandate. Comprehensive due diligence in vineyard, soil, winemaking facilities, future growth potential and long-term strategic potential were all included in the brief. Advisory further included the development of a hypothetical strategic business model.
\CHÂTEAU PAS DE LOUP Â SAIX
Chateau Pas De Loup is a 120-hectare property near Saix in France’s Loire Valley with recorded history dating back to AD 680. The owner engaged WBA to conceptualize and implement a complete reboot of the entire property, a new wine portfolio, a fresh new brand identity and a long-term sustainable business model.
WBA introduced a new, slightly controversial, Val de Loire ‘Pink’ positioning with only two wines in the portfolio; a still Rosé based on the Provence model and a sparkling Rosé based on the Crémant de Loire model both under a new sub-brand ‘RoséRose’. A new tagline “STILL OR SPARKLING?’ was introduced with all collateral trademarked. #PinkChateau was introduced as the marketing cornerstone. With new target markets identified, a comprehensive new design language and brand bible was established, and a new digital marketing strategy implemented.
\SUSSEX WINE TOURISM PROJECT
WBA was appointed by Plumpton College, the UK’s premiere viticulture and winemaking college to work on a Wine Tourism Project to build an implementation plan for the East Sussex wine producing region. WBA Chairman Mike Ratcliffe headed up a working group of producers who are geographically very close to form a new cluster. The objective was to work towards a regional wine tourism strategy. The brief was to work closely to integrate the plan with Sussex Modern in partnership with South Downs National Park Authority, Plumpton College and Lewes District Council.
WBA contributed towards a best practice document incorporating expert international know-how for the future development of wine tourism independently, and wine tourism in conjunction with the greater Sussex tourism community including the Sussex Modern initiative.
Read the final report here.
