Today, the price of fine wines is skyrocketing. Creating a wine cellar is becoming an unattainable dream for many. However, some players have decided to fight back. Meet Bordeaux start-up U'wine.
U'wine defines itself as a wine cellar agent. On behalf of its customers, the company selects and buys the world's finest wines, storing them tax-free and then reselling or delivering the bottles according to the needs and desires of its members.
The company was born from the realization of its founder, Thomas Hébrard. He realized that no solution on the market met his need: building up a cellar of fine wines for personal consumption, and thinking about passing it on to his children one day.
His idea is to buy good bottles at the best prices, thanks to the Primeurs et Allocations system. When the wines reach their peak, a portion of them are resold at the market price, which is naturally higher than the Primeurs release price, generating capital gains and financing the purchase of subsequent bottles. It's a virtuous circle that gives Thomas access to the great vintages he tasted when he was young with his family (at the time co-owners of the renowned Château Cheval Blanc). To ensure the highest possible security and reassurance for his customers, Thomas has also ensured that his offers are registered with the AMF ( French Financial Markets Authority).
Today, the company's wine selection comes from 246 estates in 11 different countries, from which U'wine buys its wines directly. These include not only sought-after labels, but also lesser-known wines with excellent potential and, above all, an unbeatable price/pleasure ratio. Among the many wines on offer are Château Haut-Brion, The Hilt Santa Rita Hills, Château Beychevelle, Château Picque Caillou, Rivetto, Domaine de Chevalier, Château Figeac, Domaine Remoissenet, Domaine Vacheron and Domaine E.Guigal.
The icing on the cake is that once you become a member, you can take part in tailor-made tours of the finest estates in Bordeaux, Burgundy or the Rhône Valley, or attend virtual tastings in the owners' company.
It's easy to imagine how this offer could be put to good use by professionals. Each bottle shipped by the start-up is fitted with an NFC chip on the neck, guaranteeing the authenticity of the bottles purchased directly from the producer, and allowing you to consult information about the wine when reading it with a smartphone.
Finally, if you scan the label using the U'wine application, you can create a virtual cellar to keep track of your stock at all times. A definite time-saver for restocking and day-to-day management.
The company is also planning to go one step further by developing a service dedicated to restaurants: direct connection between the NFC chip and the cash register software to update stock in real time and eliminate accounting discrepancies.
The company is therefore calling for applications to co-develop this new service.
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