VinMagazin: importer and place to enjoy wines
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Winesday App is constantly looking for places dedicated to wine lovers and today we are happy to present you the Wine Advisor - VinMagazin project, a wine shop with a showroom located in Bucharest between Piața Română and Piața Victoriei.
Its owner, Mihai Vasile, has a 15-year career in the wine world, is the founder of the company Wine Advisor, a distributor of unique imports and local wines.
We had the pleasure of talking to Mihai about the differentiating elements of his business and below we present the interview he gave us.
Its owner, Mihai Vasile, has a 15-year career in the wine world, is the founder of the company Wine Advisor, a distributor of unique imports and local wines.
We had the pleasure of talking to Mihai about the differentiating elements of his business and below we present the interview he gave us.
Carmina Nițescu: Hi Mihai. I am glad to talk to you today and also to visit you at Vin Magazin, a showroom located in Bucharest on Str. Gheorghe Manu no.8.
Mihai Vasile: Welcome (back), Carmina, it is always a pleasure to see you again.
Carmina: Please tell me more about Vin Magazin: when did you open the shop, what wines do you have available for sale and from which countries.
Mihai: These days we are celebrating 11 years since VinMagazin project was born. It was a natural continuation of the activity as a blogger and wine critic. At the same time, we have 8 years of our own imports from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.
Carmina: What is the differentiating element of VinMagazin compared to other wine shops/importers in Bucharest? How does the public know you for in first place?
Mihai: I think we are the only importer with a physical shop in Bucharest, which holds frequent events with new product presentations, in addition to the online shop. We manage to bring wines from the best international wineries directly to the table of the local consumer, passionate about diversity and new experiences.
Carmina: I know that you constantly go to wineries around the world and that you are also part of the jury in several wine competitions. How does this help the VinMagazin activity?
Mihai: It is the foundation of our selection. The tasting interaction with 5000 to 10,000 wines per year at the largest fairs and competitions in the field is the defining element in differentiating yourself on the market. I frequently judge in London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Paris, to name just a few of the important competitions. At the same time, I tend to keep a detailed look at the local market, because from here too we have several partners with wines of exceptional level: La Sapata, Domeniul Bogdan, Lechburg, Via Sandu, Migdali, etc.
Carmina: How do you choose the wines you import? How often do you make changes to your wine portfolio?
Mihai: The choice is always based on the quality of the wines. Of course, it is often not enough, with parameters such as logistics, the characteristics of our market, the appearance of the product or, obviously, the price coming into the equation. The changes are also driven by the consumer – it seems that we are no longer so loyal to certain brands, we want new experiences more often, we are looking for niches to show off with them – so more often than I would like or than 8-10 years ago.
Carmina: What type of customer comes to VinMagazin? Are there any differences between those who come to the showroom and those who buy from the online shop?
Mihai: There are several categories, but I can say from the very beginning that we do not rely on the customer who comes “from the street”, but on the one who already knows the ABC of wine. We thank those who are in charge of transmitting these elements to the consumer and I believe that you are one of them. In online it is only a battle in prices, but I cannot minimize the short path we have to the consumer.
Carmina: You also have wines from Romania at VinMagazin. Please tell me about this selection: how do you choose the wineries and wines from Romania?
Mihai: If at the beginning we worked with 70 Romanian producers, unfortunately their number has shrunk year by year. My personal theory is that on a domestic market that absorbs all production year by year, there is no real competition between wineries, the consequence being a rudimentary level of quality – I mean wine, people, services. We had employees coming from the industry with “vast experience” who didn’t know how to open a computer or who had as their only sales tool the touch of decision makers in the hospitality industry and waiters with little attention. So now we only work with those who understand the mechanisms of the market, in its complexity.
Carmina: I know you organize wine tastings because you have a dedicated space for them. How often do they take place and where can those interested find out about them?
Mihai: These are sessions to present new products to resellers or end customers that we hold periodically in our own space or at various partners. We communicate them through newsletters, social media and soon through in Winesday app.
Carmina: Mihai, thank you for your answers. See you next time!
Mihai: May the wine be with us! 😊
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
Mihai Vasile: Welcome (back), Carmina, it is always a pleasure to see you again.
Carmina: Please tell me more about Vin Magazin: when did you open the shop, what wines do you have available for sale and from which countries.
Mihai: These days we are celebrating 11 years since VinMagazin project was born. It was a natural continuation of the activity as a blogger and wine critic. At the same time, we have 8 years of our own imports from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.
Carmina: What is the differentiating element of VinMagazin compared to other wine shops/importers in Bucharest? How does the public know you for in first place?
Mihai: I think we are the only importer with a physical shop in Bucharest, which holds frequent events with new product presentations, in addition to the online shop. We manage to bring wines from the best international wineries directly to the table of the local consumer, passionate about diversity and new experiences.
Carmina: I know that you constantly go to wineries around the world and that you are also part of the jury in several wine competitions. How does this help the VinMagazin activity?
Mihai: It is the foundation of our selection. The tasting interaction with 5000 to 10,000 wines per year at the largest fairs and competitions in the field is the defining element in differentiating yourself on the market. I frequently judge in London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Paris, to name just a few of the important competitions. At the same time, I tend to keep a detailed look at the local market, because from here too we have several partners with wines of exceptional level: La Sapata, Domeniul Bogdan, Lechburg, Via Sandu, Migdali, etc.
Carmina: How do you choose the wines you import? How often do you make changes to your wine portfolio?
Mihai: The choice is always based on the quality of the wines. Of course, it is often not enough, with parameters such as logistics, the characteristics of our market, the appearance of the product or, obviously, the price coming into the equation. The changes are also driven by the consumer – it seems that we are no longer so loyal to certain brands, we want new experiences more often, we are looking for niches to show off with them – so more often than I would like or than 8-10 years ago.
Carmina: What type of customer comes to VinMagazin? Are there any differences between those who come to the showroom and those who buy from the online shop?
Mihai: There are several categories, but I can say from the very beginning that we do not rely on the customer who comes “from the street”, but on the one who already knows the ABC of wine. We thank those who are in charge of transmitting these elements to the consumer and I believe that you are one of them. In online it is only a battle in prices, but I cannot minimize the short path we have to the consumer.
Carmina: You also have wines from Romania at VinMagazin. Please tell me about this selection: how do you choose the wineries and wines from Romania?
Mihai: If at the beginning we worked with 70 Romanian producers, unfortunately their number has shrunk year by year. My personal theory is that on a domestic market that absorbs all production year by year, there is no real competition between wineries, the consequence being a rudimentary level of quality – I mean wine, people, services. We had employees coming from the industry with “vast experience” who didn’t know how to open a computer or who had as their only sales tool the touch of decision makers in the hospitality industry and waiters with little attention. So now we only work with those who understand the mechanisms of the market, in its complexity.
Carmina: I know you organize wine tastings because you have a dedicated space for them. How often do they take place and where can those interested find out about them?
Mihai: These are sessions to present new products to resellers or end customers that we hold periodically in our own space or at various partners. We communicate them through newsletters, social media and soon through in Winesday app.
Carmina: Mihai, thank you for your answers. See you next time!
Mihai: May the wine be with us! 😊
Carmina Nițescu
Winesday.ro & Winesday App
