THE CAPITALIST is raising a glass to the news that online wine merchant Naked Wines has announced a third round investment of $10m, to help it start popping more corks in the US and Australia.
The British crowdfunding site is backed by angel investor customers who pay £20 per month to invest in small winemakers, and in return can buy bottles at wholesale prices.
South African-born founder Rowan Gormley, who helped set up Virgin Money and subsequently Virgin Wines, told The Capitalist yesterday that he started the firm when he parted company with Virgin Wines – “we had a minor disagreement” – and took a dozen old colleagues with him.
So what is Gormley’s tipple of choice? “Honestly I am as happy drinking a £4 bottle of rosé on a sunny afternoon as I am drinking £200 worth of expensive claret. In fact I’m probably happier.”
“I don’t really get a kick about spending a lot of money on wine, which some people really do,” confessed wine entrepreneur Gormley. In vino veritas, as they say.