Venture capitalist invests in online wine retailer
Following the investment of an undisclosed amount in Port2Port by former FNB chief executive and venture capitalist Michael Jordaan, the South African online wine retailer is set to develop its platform significantly, expand its product range and boost its marketing efforts.
Nicolò Stortiglione Pudel
Port2Port was launched into the 'vinosphere' in January by self-proclaimed wine lovers Nicolò Stortiglione Pudel, MD of Pier2Pier and Vincent Bührer, owner of the Saxenburg Wine Estate, to provide wine enthusiasts with access to a carefully curated catalogue of distinctive South African and internationally acclaimed wines at the click of a button.
As part of its continuing expansion into the realm of fine wines and liquor, Port2Port also offers a selection of blended malt and grain Scotch whiskies, marking the website as a one-stop hub for discerning enthusiasts of quality alcohol. Other luxury products on offer include Russian caviar and other surprises.
Jordaan invested in Port2Port through his venture capital firm Montegray Capital and will become a director of the company. Jordaan is well known for his love of wine and has been chairman of industry association Wines of SA since last year.
"Having someone with Jordaan's business acumen on board is an incredible boon to Port2Port. We're going to use this investment to improve our warehousing, logistics and overall customer experience, both online and offline," said Pudel. "We'll also be evolving our platform, which we are constantly curating to include more custom products, as well as investing in greater marketing efforts and exposure."
Bührer added: "We believe that the experience and mentorship of Michael Jordaan will be of great value to the company, which is obviously rendered much easier through a shared passion for the products we list and plan to list in the future."
In-depth tasting notes
Port2Port's online features include in-depth tasting notes and pairing suggestions for each wine, weekly newsletters, user-built 'mixed cases', profiles on featured farms, a user rating-and-review system, and archives of vintage and speciality wines. The site's 'personal sommelier' feature analyses the ordering habits of customers and sends them a weekly suggestion of six quality wines based on their preferences.
The Port2Port platform is revolutionary in its promotion of a social media community for wine enthusiasts and experts, which up to now has not existed in South Africa. The start-up aims to educate consumers about winemaking, farms, styles and vintages to facilitate an engaged, unified and large-scale South African wine community.
"Wine and whisky should no longer be mysterious commodities. We would like to reward passion and interest for the art of wine making and whiskey blending, with an insightful communication and highly interactive service, which is why we are so passionate about Port2Port," said Bührer.
