Niche wine merchant raises glass to expansion

Published on Saturday 13 December 2008 13:02

WOODWINTERS, the niche Scottish retailer gaining a reputation as one of the UK's top independent wine merchants, is to expand into Edinburgh in a move that will see it triple in size within a year.

The Bridge of Allan firm set up by husband and wife team Cara Winters and Douglas Wood three years ago has hired Valvona & Crolla's former wine buyer John Ritchie and head of sales Mike Billinghurst to spearhead the move.

Douglas Wood, 33, said the expansion into Edinburgh's south side comes ahead of similar moves into Perth and Glasgow next year.

He said: "The blend of our business model, which is one-third wholesale, one-third retail and one-third private clients, has worked really well and we thought that formula would fit Edinburgh. The next year is going to see a lot of changes in the way people buy wine and how they spend their money. But we see an opportunity, as we stock wines that have character and are not put on a shelf by an accountant with a fake half price."

Ritchie and Billinghurst ran Valvona & Crolla's wine department for more than 10 years, winning a string of awards and earning a reputation, particularly in London, as the UK's best Italian specialist.

Ritchie said the idea was to replicate the success with WoodWinters.

"I had been at V&C for 13 years and felt it was time for a change. With the freedom we have here, we want to create a business where we can stock and source almost any wine anybody wants."