For a city that has had a net loss of over 1500 businesses over the past two years and is now in a state of emergency following torrential rain this week, Wellington has had something of a cloud hanging over it, both literally and metaphorically. But last week saw the opening of a new business by optimistic entrepreneur, Liz Wheadon. She brings three decades of experience to bear in opening a specialist wine retail store - with a difference. It's set inside an art gallery on a side street and will also champion small New Zealand wine brands. 

The store opened on a clear and starry Wellington evening with champagne, rosé and French cheese, along with speeches about Liz's vision for the store. I asked her to tell us more about her own journey into wine and her plans for the future.

Who or what first inspired your journey in wine?

I left school determined to be a chef. Like many New Zealanders, I headed to the UK for an OE so it  was there, at a Marriage of Food and Wine course at Le Cordon Bleu, that I discovered French wine. With a thirst for knowledge, I spent a lot of time at my local wine store; so much so that they thought it best to start paying me. I was surrounded by others with a love for wine, and my interest grew.

How did you formalise your experience in wine?

I studied Hospitality Management at the Auckland University of Technology and was involved in the wine education programme there. At the same time, I also became involved in wine competitions and tastings, working in hospitality, in kitchens and front of house. When I finished studying, I decided to go into wine retail as a career.

What's your vision for opening a new store in Wellington following the closure of so many businesses there, of late?

There’s no denying it has been a tough time for all businesses. In establishing Normanby, it was clear that we needed to reimagine retail and do it differently. This includes understanding changes in the market and deliver what encourages customers to come in and enjoy what we offer.

What can Normanby offer to new customers?

Normanby is more than a retail store. It’s a shopping experience that includes hospitality. Normanby Wellington is a retail store with a wine bar so customers can come in and enjoy a glass of wine with plates of great food based on high-quality ingredients.

Customers can choose a bottle from the shelf and, for the retail price +$20, enjoy it onsite in Riedel stemware. A $17 bottle of red is $37 onsite; a bottle of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2018 is $365.

We've worked hard on our selection of wines. They all tell a story, over-deliver, and are all fine wine in our view from $17 upwards. Fine wine is not a term that's confined to wines that sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

To deliver this, the team is highly experienced team and also enjoys sharing knowledge and offering excellent service in a non-intimidating, inclusive way.

What other strings are there to your business bow?

We love hosting wine tastings and sharing knowledge. Whether it’s our series of tutored tastings or tailored events for customers.

We also offer a catering service for events held on site or at customers' own venues. Corporate drinks and delivery are another service that we offer.

We also offer cellaring advice and we're in specialists in en primeur with sales of the 2025 vintage coming soon. 

We will have wines available on www.winefutures.co.nz 

Tell us where Normanby Wellington is...

The store is located within Webb’s Gallery in Marion Street. In our first week, we collaborated on a musical tribute to the art on display and hosted an artist’s talk.

And are there other drinks on offer?

We also have a great range of sake and take its storage and service very seriously. We import IWA and Noguchi sake. Our spirits collection is curated by Anthony Sorensen, our Head of Client Services.

What's your main wine speciality area?

Fine wine from around the world. We're currently importing wines from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, America, Chile and Argentina. We will continually expand this as we develop more direct relationships around the world.

We also have a range of wines from smaller producers doing great things in this country. It's become very hard for New Zealand wineries to sell their wines domestically and we love being part of a solution in supporting these producers.