Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, having served customers in Hong Kong for years from its office, is finally going public in the city by opening up a retail outlet (Shop 307-308, The Lee Gardens, tel: 2907 2112). 'We are blueblooded, and the profile of the other tenants [at The Lee Gardens] fits us,' Nicholas Pegna, director of sales at Berry Bros & Rudd Hong Kong, says.
The aesthetically pleasing new shop is modelled on the wine merchant's shops in London, but with some extra touches. Besides a private wine-tasting area, there is a cork floor and a laptop computer that can hook up to Berry Bros & Rudd's award-winning website, which is loaded with information about famous vintages. For a more personal touch, the staff (who are certified wine connoisseurs) are happy to share ideas.
Mr Pegna does not want anyone to think of this shop as an overseas branch of the wine merchant. 'Eighty per cent of our clientele is Hong Kong Chinese,' Mr Pegna says. 'We want to be seen as a Hong Kong wine merchant.'
The stock in the shop is 70 per cent Bordeaux and Burgundy, while the rest consists of many excellent picks from other European countries and the New World. Besides the 300-plus wine and spirit labels on the racks, the shop also provides access to 2,500 more stored in Europe. Which means that a purchase made here can range from a $75 Berry Bros House Red to the rarest vintage in the world. If you can not wait, a bottle of Petrus 1950 magnum is yours to take home instantly for $198,000.
