Waikato Business News December 2017/January 2018

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS December 2017/January 2018
New business delivers
a wine education
If you’re one of the many people who wish
you knew more about wines but don’t want
the hassle of joining a wine club or going to
tastings, Bottle Service is perfect for you.
The new Waikato-based
business is founded
on educating people
about wine in a convenient,
comfortable way through a
monthly wine delivery which
slowly widens their repertoire.
The wines, chosen by
experts, come with easy to
read information to increase
knowledge. The varied wine
selection gradually gives customers
an understanding of
what wines they prefer most.
My goal is that you
can sit down at
a restaurant and
order from a menu,
knowing exactly
what will go with
the meal that you’ve
ordered.
Bottle Service and its
website bottleservice.co.nz
was launched in November
by Kiran King and Kelly
Maguire and delivers all over
the country. The concept
behind Bottle Service was a
product of Kiran’s own personal
experience.
“My best friend and I used
to always pick the same bottle
of wine every time we went to
the supermarket,” he says.
“We always took the safe
option. We couldn’t figure out
what the barrier was and why
we always ended up with the
same one. We wanted to get
out of our comfort zone and
try something new.”
“We met a wine connoisseur
and we gave him a
budget and asked him to pick
out four wines each month.
That’s where the idea hit me.
What if this was delivered
to your door and you took
away that barrier which is
stopping people from learning
and experimenting?”
Kelly says there is so much
wine on the market and so
many varieties to choose from.
“It’s quite intimidating.
There are all these bottles of
wine and you have no idea
where to start. And you may
not know what you really like
because you will have actually
only tried a very small
proportion of wines.”
A commitment-free monthly
delivery, Bottle Service
exposes customers to a massive
variety of wines from various
grapes, vintages, regions
and countries. Customers will
never get the same wine twice
but if they find one they love
they can order in bulk.
Kiran says there are many
situations where having some
wine knowledge is an advantage;
from choosing wines for
clients at a business dinner
to impressing someone on a
first date to knowing which
wine to bring to a summer
barbecue.
“My goal is that you can sit
down at a restaurant and order
from a menu, knowing exactly
what will go with the meal
that you’ve ordered,” he says.
Bottle Service has already
gained strong interest from
corporate clients who can see
the potential in the business’s
gifting options.
“Many of corporates are
looking at doing a six month
package for their platinum
Sign up to Bottle Service before 31 st Jan
2018 - and get FREE SHIPPING...
forever!
bottleservice.co.nz
“Life is too short to drink bad wine.”
- Anonymous
Bottle Service owners Kelly Maguire and Kiran King.
customers. There is dual
branding on the box so every
time the client opens the box
they are reminded of the business
relationship.”
Bottle Service is already
doing a roaring trade in
Christmas presents.
Kiran says a lot of thought
went into selecting the right
wine supplier. They wanted
to ensure the integrity of the
wine selection. It was important
to them that no particular
lines were being pushed and
that customers have access to
all wines.
“The Hamilton Beer and
Wine Company really know
their stuff and it’s a bonus
that they are from Waikato
as well.”
The packaging, provided
through another New Zealand
company, APC.Innovate, is
aimed at providing more of an
experience for the customer.
Kiran has a strong educational
background while
partner Kelly brings expertise
in marketing, promotion and
design. Kiran says after a two
to three year buildup and the
long journey of sorting out
licensing, logistics, packaging
and delivery, it’s a great feeling
to finally go “live” with
the business.
He says price is not always
a reliable indicator for wine
quality but Bottle Service customers
are generally paying
about $20 for wines that range
in price from $30 to $50.
Bottle Service has two
packages; the Dabbler which
is four bottles a month at $79
or the Connoisseur at $149
which comprises six bottles
including two premium wines.
Customers can order monthly
or for longer periods.
Kiran and Kelly say the
business is built on a philosophy
of taking some of the
elitism out of wine.
“It’s also about empowering
people with the knowledge
to pass on to their peers. To be
able to talk more about wine
and enjoy and better understand
the wines they drink.”
Drink. Enjoy.
Learn.
bottleservice.co.nz
171210 BSNZ qtrpage WBT ad w bleed.indd 1 10/12/2017 14:02:16