ENTR<strong>EP</strong>RENEUR The w<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>dustry, and those who supply it, has long s<strong>in</strong>ce been seen as someth<strong>in</strong>g of a specialist sector, the purview of an elite group usually based <strong>in</strong> France. However, usurpers to the throne have been com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> their droves, with British entrepreneurs lead<strong>in</strong>g the charge. <strong>EP</strong> met with one such enthusiastic purveyor, David Knott, to learn about what made him start his own bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>in</strong> an already packed market and how he plans to set his products apart The Knotted VINE Hav<strong>in</strong>g orig<strong>in</strong>ally studied history and sociology at university David found himself at the age of 21 work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a management capacity for Majestic W<strong>in</strong>e Warehouse. Struggl<strong>in</strong>g to f<strong>in</strong>d a route <strong>in</strong>to trade he made the brave decision to move to Adelaide, Australia, to study for a Masters degree <strong>in</strong> W<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Bus<strong>in</strong>ess</strong> & Market<strong>in</strong>g. Check<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a youth hostel for the first three weeks after arriv<strong>in</strong>g, David says: “My over-rid<strong>in</strong>g memory from that move was try<strong>in</strong>g to sleep on an awful lumpy mattress covered <strong>in</strong> plastic, <strong>in</strong> 42°C heat. It wasn’t pleasant!” He f<strong>in</strong>ally moved <strong>in</strong>to shared accommodation with another Englishman and 18 months later he proudly graduated with an MA under his arm. Along the way he met and was tutored by Professor Locksh<strong>in</strong>, who is the world’s lead<strong>in</strong>g authority on w<strong>in</strong>e market<strong>in</strong>g, has written many books on the subject and guided David towards the NSW Fellowship Grant. This consisted of a dissertation that David undertook with great enthusiasm, titled Booz<strong>in</strong>g or Brand<strong>in</strong>g, which explored the practice of <strong>in</strong>-store tast<strong>in</strong>gs and its effects on purchase or repeat purchases, while <strong>in</strong> the same period he was afforded a feature <strong>in</strong> the W<strong>in</strong>e <strong>Bus<strong>in</strong>ess</strong> Monthly and the International Market<strong>in</strong>g Journal. Follow<strong>in</strong>g this success and achievement, David moved on and settled <strong>in</strong> Dubai, where he became a category buyer cover<strong>in</strong>g markets <strong>in</strong> Australia, New Zealand and Italy. The market <strong>in</strong> Dubai amounted to 1.5 million cases annually, of which David’s accounts made up 75% of the portfolio. The follow<strong>in</strong>g 18 months was spent with a new venture called Liquid Solutions headed up by Nick Midwood, who was to become David’s mentor. Return<strong>in</strong>g to the UK <strong>in</strong> 2012, David got straight to work on his bus<strong>in</strong>ess plan for a w<strong>in</strong>e merchant and, with a small amount of f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>in</strong>vestment from family and friends, launched The Knotted V<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> <strong>April</strong> 2013 out of a small office <strong>in</strong> Farr<strong>in</strong>gdon. “While I was <strong>in</strong> Australia I learned an important <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to consumer behaviours when choos<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>e – simply expla<strong>in</strong>ed, it says that every action is a piece of Velcro. Whether it’s referr<strong>in</strong>g to the bottle shape or label design or colour of the glass or pric<strong>in</strong>g, or if it’s a screw top or cork stopper, the accumulation of how many of these pieces of Velcro you can get to stick with your customer is what will secure your sale and repeat bus<strong>in</strong>ess.” Us<strong>in</strong>g this technique allows David to buy his w<strong>in</strong>e based on the customer rather than his own op<strong>in</strong>ion or personal preference: “My portfolio is 100% for my customer.” The Knotted V<strong>in</strong>e and David have a very fixed view on what they will provide for their customers, and the ethos of this NICK DAWE “My portfolio is 100% for my customer” 40 | <strong>April</strong> 14 | <strong>EP</strong>
fledgl<strong>in</strong>g w<strong>in</strong>e merchant is: <strong>EP</strong> | <strong>April</strong> 14 | 41