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From passion project to eight-figure business: The Oeno Story

By LLM Reporters   |  

From humble beginnings as a loss-making passion project some five years ago, fine wine investment company Oeno is now a highly successful multi-million pound business with a string of accolades to its name.

Earlier this year Oeno stood alongside global business and banking heavyweights like Deloitte to be awarded Fine Wine Investment Firm of the Year for 2019 at The European Global Business and Finance Awards.

“Receiving recognition on the global business stage proves that Oeno has become the go-to company for fine wine investment,” said Daniel Walker, Oeno’s head of investment.

Oeno is the only fine wine investment company to be a member of the WSTA (Wine and Spirits Trade Association)

“At the heart of our success is our clients. From the very beginning the Oeno way has been to make money with our clients, not from our clients. Our industry-leading investment expertise and analysis have produced exceptional results for our clients and enabled us to shape the future of the fine wine market.”

In addition to shaking up the fine wine investment industry, earlier in the year Oeno launched an exciting new venture to connect investors with the broader fine wine trade. Headed up by former Hakkasan wine manager Olivier Gasselin, OenoTrade is the group’s new trade sales arm which provides top London restaurants with access to the rarest and most exclusive wines on the market.

Thanks to Gasselin and director and co-founder Daniel Carnio’s excellent relationships with key decision makers in the trade, OenoTrade allows the company to offer a watertight market exit strategy for our investors.

Oeno were awarded Fine Wine Investment Firm of the Year for 2019 by The European Global Business and Finance Awards

Through Oeno’s pioneering ITA account the company purchases highly sought-after wines on behalf of our investors which are then offered for sale to prestigious restaurants in the capital. This account is ideal for investors looking to minimise risk and offers the potential for shorter-term returns of around 5-7% per annum.

According to Gasselin, one of the most exciting parts of his work is “having amazing contacts in the fine wine world which allows us to source remarkable wines we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to get hold of. For example, we are the exclusive UK supplier of Liber Pater which ranks amongst the world’s most expensive wines. Our access to our private clients’ cellars also enables us to offer extremely rare mature vintages of cult wines which simply aren’t available on the market today”.

For Carnio, this is just the beginning of Oeno’s journey. He told Luxury Lifestyle Magazine: “Up until this point we have been laying the foundations of a successful company, but I’m really excited about what comes next.

From left to right: Olivier Gasselin and Daniel Walker

“In 2020 we will be opening OenoHouse, a gorgeous space where our clients and wine lovers can gather and enjoy some of the finest wines on the planet. This will truly be something London has never seen before.”

For more information on Oeno’s investment services and trade sales, visit oenofuture.com.