What level of knowledge does a client need to have prior to starting a
collection with you? Does this differ for consumption or for investment?
No prior knowledge required. While a large proportion of our clients have
been advised by Atlas since inception in 2011 (and by me and Simon in
the years leading up to that, as we have each been in the wine trade since
the early 1990s), we are always happy to meet with new clients who may
be interested in our advice. We do not advertise as such. The vast majority
of our clients come to Atlas by referral. We have a strong database of long-
standing, loyal, clients. I could give you numerous examples of individuals
new to Atlas, each of whom has embarked on a different route with us and is
now themselves a happy and loyal client. This is all down to the flexibility of
our approach. One such client pleaded an initial limited knowledge of wine,
but having embraced our events calendar and having attended multiple
dinners and tastings, now owns an enviable collection of fine wine to enjoy
over many years. Another client had heard much about wine investment,
but had not dipped a toe. After several months of communication with me,
they gained confidence in the dynamics of the market and began a collection,
from which, within a year, a parcel of one wine was sold at more than fifty
percent gain and replaced with a new set of wines to keep the value of the
collection growing. A great result all round. We also take on clients who have
kicked off with another merchant, but do not feel valued or well advised.
One client recently transferred their collection to us. We rationalised the
portfolio in line with the request to follow our strategy. The realised funds
were reinvested. Key in all these examples is an on-going, direct, personal
relationship with the client to ensure they feel, and are, looked after.
You are based in London. What service can you provide to the people of
the Wirral, the northwest area?
For much of my wine career, many London-based merchants rarely
travelled north of Watford! We are always keen to travel further afield to
meet potential clients. We do travel regularly around the country to meet
clients personally as well as to conduct tastings and dinners in, for example,
Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh. And in fact, we held
an incredible dinner for around twenty existing and potential clients at The
Hillbark Hotel in the Wirral itself earlier this year, something we would be
delighted to repeat – if they will have us back!
What sort of events do you hold? Would it be of interest to hold events in/
on the Wirral or in the North West region?
Events are crucial to our model. They allow us to demonstrate our knowledge
and approachability. Many events have frequently been in conjunction with
existing clients wishing to introduce prospective clients. I think this speaks
volumes about the relationships we work hard to cultivate – our new clients
come to us through referral. We would be delighted to explore events in the
North West and the Wirral.
What is your philosophy as regards sourcing and stock holding?
We are a low-stock-holding business, buying only what we believe in through
our own experience. We act more as a broker; sourcing the stock, offering,
then committing when the wine is sold. We are constantly searching for
wines of outstanding quality, which we believe offer excellent value. We will
offer such finds as and when we discover them, rather than simply look to
fill a pre-determined schedule. With respect to suppliers, we rigorously vet
anyone we deal with since a poorly stored case is of no value to anyone.
One thing that many people do not like is the hard sell and feeling they
are being loaded up with wine. What is your philosophy here?
As mentioned, 90% of our sales are bespoke. We never liked the idea of
obliging clients to take any wine – a practice which is still too prevalent
across the wine industry. We understand the reasons behind this, but see it
as indicative of a lazy approach to sales and a lack of willingness to engage
more personally with clients. Not everyone wants or likes the same thing
after all. As I have said, our aim is to understand our clients and work with,
and for, them towards a tailored collection where value is of paramount
importance.
If there is one piece of advice/ message that you would want to pass on to
someone/ your everyday wine drinker about the wine world today – what
would it be?
Simple: find a merchant whose palate and advice you trust. This is something
I learned in my earliest days in wine. Customers would often come in to the
store where I worked and tell me they needed a case of a wine enthused about
in a Saturday newspaper. Since I had taken the trouble to learn their tastes
over time I found myself able to tell them otherwise, occasionally opening
Pictured: Richard O’Mahony
a bottle for them to taste to prove my point. Trust was built. Integrity was
also the guiding principle I learnt in the seven years I worked at Sotheby’s
Wine Department. For me, seeing the way wine is so often sold solely on
critics scores is over-simplistic and saddening, and yet it appears to be the
approach of too many firms.
Christmas is approaching. Perhaps a bit of advice for those who ponder
what to drink?
Above all else Christmas and New Year are a time for Champagne. I cannot
say it often enough, but it really is possible to drink exceptional champagne
if you are prepared to step off the treadmill of the well known brands. We
have long championed growers such as Egly-Ouriet, de Sousa and Guy
Charlemagne, to name a few. These are much smaller in scale than the
well-known and ubiquitous, established brands. All the grower’s efforts and
investment are dedicated to the quality of the wine, rather than being poured
into large marketing budgets and sponsorships. The quality can therefore be
much higher per pound in your glass, a point that many Champagne buyer’s
continue to miss. Heed the advice!
So there we are. Ten tailored questions, with ten very interesting and
informative answers from, as it were, ‘the horses mouth’. From my perspective,
living on the Wirral as I do, Atlas are unique, friendly and provide a first
class service for both the individual consumer and for anyone who either
invests in, or who would like to invest in, wine. If you are interested in
starting your own little wine collection, or your own little cellar collection,
then look no further than them. If you are interested in buying only a few
bottles of something decent for a special occasion (wines normally will
come in cases of 6 or 12), then look no further than them. If you want to
explore the intricate and fascinating world of investment in fine wine, then
look no further than them. If you simply want to buy some decent wine
to drink, then they have it. As Richard has said already, they do host wine
tastings and events throughout the year and have, on request, also hosted
a number of private wine tasting events on the Wirral. Perhaps something
to organise with them yourselves, or to keep a look out for? I have been
dealing with, have been obtaining advice from and have been buying wine
from Atlas since their very beginning many years ago. I have no personal
interest in their business, such that I need to give them a ‘plug’! But, when
it comes to fine wine, there are a number of ‘musts’ in my view. Experience,
knowledge, judgment, insight and service are all essential ingredients in this
field. You get all these and more with Atlas. They do not push wine onto
you. There is no expectation that you will buy this, or that. There is nothing
pushy about their service. There really are no strings attached which, in this
day and age, is refreshing. If any of you are interested in making contact with
Atlas for whatever reason, whether it be to buy wine for your own personal
consumption, to talk about wine investment or to discuss anything else to
do with wine, then give them a ring on 020 3017 2299 and ask for Richard,
Simon or Hannah. Alternatively e-mail them at [email protected].
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