Il vino Neozelandese has long been in the spotlight among wine lovers and has often received positive reviews from industry critics. Climate, terroir and suitable grape varieties have all contributed to this success, which is certainly set to grow – but would you open a shop dedicated entirely to the wines of this country?
This is the idea of Melanie Brown and The New Zealand Cellar – already a rather unique concept – but what adds even more curiosity to this initiative is the fact that it relied on Crowdfunding through the Kickstarter platform, and that the funds were just raised online (37 minutes ago!). Just 123 hours – a little over 5 days – to receive donations of around £42,500, surpassing the set target of £35,000.
And so it begins! Destination New Zealand – or rather, London! Melanie will now create an inviting space where people can "explore" New Zealand and its wines without leaving London; there will be a retail point of sale, events, and an office for developing the concept!
The goal is simply to sell and raise awareness of these wines – nothing particularly groundbreaking! To create the dedicated space, wood, marble and concrete will be used, aiming to reproduce something reminiscent of a New Zealand building, with every detail carefully considered! And for donors? Those who donated £150 will have their name inscribed on the founders' list, which will always be displayed on the shop wall and on the website; donors of at least £250 will receive VIP tickets to Taste London 2015 or a set of Riedel glasses, while organisations will receive support with distributors located in the United Kingdom; donors of at least £500 will be granted a two-hour tasting with Melanie alongside a small group of friends, including travel and accommodation (outside London) and six samples; those who donated more than £750 will receive a unique limited-edition print, their name on the "founders' wall" and on the website; those who donated at least £1,000 are entitled to a "Total New Zealand Wine Experience" with a tasting of 10 wines with Melanie and their name on the founders' wall and website; with donors of £2,500 or more (i.e. no one!) it would have been possible to open a conversation about potential opportunities together!
And what are we Italians doing in the meantime? Crowdfunding here is still very immature and poorly regulated, companies are reluctant to engage in similar projects, and we are missing out on development opportunities.
What do you think?
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