Private Cellar and Adnams collaboration underlines need for “different approach” in a challenging market

Fine wine specialists Private Cellar and Southwold based brewer, hotelier and drinks retailer Adnams, have teamed up on a joint-venture to bring wines rarely found on traditional retail shelves, in a collaboration to challenge a difficult market.  

The new Adnams x Private Cellar initiative, which was initially trialled in July, sees a concise selection of “under the radar” wines from Private Cellar Fine Wines stocked in Adnams’ flagship stores.  Joint-branding and fine wine cabinets have been rolled out in seven of its most prominent stores in East Anglia, with the potential to roll out to other stores in the future.

The collaboration came about after Adnams’ head wine buyer Lydia Harrowven and Private Cellar’s marketing director Laura Taylor started talking at a tasting in May and realised they could bring the two companies together.

Speaking to db this week, Taylor explained that while “on paper” the two businesses were very different the fact that the market was so challenging required a different approach. “You’d think we’re competitors and wouldn’t think to work together, as we’ve both from East Anglia, which is a small market,” she said, however both being East Anglia-based meant there was a great opportunity to do something together.

“Diversification and awareness of consumer needs are at the forefront of our thinking, as well as being able to think outside the box to bring fine wines to retail shelves in a highly competitive market,” Taylor said.

She added that it took “some open-minded thinking” to make the collaboration work but the project has got off to a great start and it was proving a “lovely collaboration” that was bringing something to each partner.

The two teams have together chosen a “tight” range of 16 fine wines that includes classic wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux,  Spain and Italy, along with more “accessible” choices from the Rhone, Rioja and Germany. Prices range from £24.99 for a bottle of St Emilion 2018, Ets Jean Pierre Moueix to £165 for a bottle of Seña 2021 from Edouardo Chadwick. Other gems include Champagne Virginie T., Brut NV; a Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Angles 2019, Domaine Lucien Boillot, Burgundy, France (RRP: £74.00); Le Serre Nuove 2021, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Tuscany, Italy (RRP: £79.99); and magnums of Le Terroir, an old vine Côtes du Rhône from Château Beauchêne have also been added in the run up to Christmas.

The Adnams staff were “very receptive to the idea” she said, having attending tastings with Private Cellar to enable them to talk to people about the story of the wine, and make suggestions to customers.

“For twenty years, Private Cellar has connected wine drinkers and collectors with brilliant, often under-the-radar gems with perfect provenance and we are hugely excited to bring our fine wines into Adnams’ stores,” she said.

Taylor also pointed out that while Private Cellar usually sell by the case, the wines are being sold by the bottle in store and will be replaced on a parcel basis. “We’re very flexible, we don’t have huge volumes of older vintages, so when we’ve sold through a line, we’ll switch it up, with a bit of continuity and difference. Not everyone wants to drink the same wines [all the time]”.

Harrowven added that it had been clear from the outset that Private Cellar shared Adnams’ values, entrepreneurial spirit, sense of discovery, and “desire to make fine wine enjoyable rather than intimidating”.

“We have launched a concise range that will be available to purchase by the bottle in selected Adnams stores. Curating this range together felt like a natural step, and one we’re incredibly proud of,” she said.

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