HEDONISM WINES RAISES BAR FOR FINE WINE RETAIL

Hedonism Wines has been set up by businessman Evgeny Chichvarkin, founder of Russia’s largest mobile phone retailer, Evroset.

Chichvarkin has brought in former project manager Tatiana Fokina to run this new company, along with ex-Harrods wine and spirits buyer Alistair Viner.

Introducing the Davies Street store, whose development has been kept a closely guarded secret during the last 18 months, Viner explained: “We wanted to get all the details spot on. We’re looking to take wine retailing to the next level. It’s not just about the product, but also the level of service, with nothing being too difficult.”

Although admitting “It’s a tricky time to open such a store,” Viner noted: “There are luxury hotels and restaurants opening at the same time as us – there still seems to be a demand for the finest things available.”

Describing Mayfair as “the place to attract the right sort of customers,” Viner flagged up London’s cosmopolitan mix of high-spending residents and visitors as he observed: “We’re hoping to attract an international clientele, from China, Brazil, Russia and America.”

db’s Lucy Shaw and Phoebe Brookes carefully admire the large format display
With a large section of the downstairs area dedicated to large format bottles from high profile producers, Viner explained: “We always wanted to make a feature of large formats as they make quite a statement and they live up to the Hedonism name.

Despite its grand location and creatively arranged displays of the world’s most prestigious wines, Fokina highlighted the childrens’ play area and tasting machines as signs of a commitment to making this an accessible destination for wine lovers.

The 12-strong store team, who are on hand to guide customers through the two-storey, roughly 4,500 SKU collection of wines and spirits, speak several languages between them, including Mandarin, Russian, Japanese, French and Italian.

Although the Hedonism Wines range is not quite as extensive as that offered by wine specialist Lavinia, which has branches in Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, Viner highlighted a desire to offer not just quantity but quality, remarking: “It’s about choosing your vintages and producers.”