It’s time to turn the final pages of the 2023 diary which is putting us in a reminiscent mood so we’re going to have a look back at what happened here at iDealwine this year. One thing for sure, 2023 was a year rich in projects and developments for the team. Here are 10 achievements we can’t stop talking about and at the end of this article, you’ll also find a short video which reviews all of iDealwine’s 2023.
1 – 47 wine auctions on iDealwine
During 2023, there were no less than 47 online wine auctions organised on the iDealwine website. That’s four auctions a month, excluding the summer when we reduce the frequency as everyone, including ourselves, are enjoying the beach. To keep up with this pace, 280,000 bottles passed through the iDealwine Lab where they are thoroughly checked by our 12 wine specialists.
2 – Fixed price: 70 new partner producers
iDealwine’s network of partner domains now amounts to 918 producers and winemakers with 70 new domains being added in 2023. Opening our office in Beaune has allowed our purchaser Amicie Debavelaere to reinforce our ties to wineries in Burgundy, Jura and Savoie. It’s an honour for us to be able to represent these brilliant producers which wine enthusiasts around the world dream of having in their collections. Our team works hard to be able to offer you the magnificent wines from producers all around the world.
3 – iDealwine’s inaugural secret dinners
This year saw the start of iDealwine’s Secret Dinners. These are exclusive events where customers can meet and the winemaker and enjoy a meal that perfectly accompanies their wines. Wonderful Parisian restaurants were the backdrop to our soirées organised around the wines of Opus One, those produced by Jura’s François Rousset Martin and Champagnes from Krug. The team also took wine enthusiasts to explore the cellars of Château Lafite and the kitchens of Domaine de Trévallon. Other evening events were organised for our Quintessence customers in London, Hong Kong, Milan, New York and Singapore. What is more, we also organised virtual tastings with Biondi Santi, Bouchard Père & Fils, and Château Troplong Mondot for those further afield.
4 – The iDealwine website is now available in four languages
You know the encyclopaedia of information available on iDealwine… Well for two years straight, a team worked to translate all this to create two new versions of the website: one in Italian and one in German. Our international and IT teams work hard to complete the project with the launch of the sites in June. So now, wine lovers can consult the iDealwine website in the languages of Voltaire, Shakespeare, Dante and Goethe. On top of this, the team worked hard and released the English version of iDealwine’s En Primeur website in time for this year’s campaign.
5 – A new Fine Spirits Auction website
Launched in 2020, Fine Spirits Auction has quickly become a go-to site for fine spirit enthusiasts. The website had a facelift this year and a new version with enhanced features was released in October. 2023 saw eight spirit auctions, which allowed bidders from around the world to battle it out to get their hands on rare bottles of whisky, rum. Cognac, Armagnac and Chartreuses. The Fine Spirits Auction team also contributed to the huge success of Whisky Live Paris which took place in October.
6 – iDealwine plants its flag in Singapore
After having a presence in Asia for the past 10 years, iDealwine reinforced its work there by adding an office in Singapore to the one that already exists in Hong Kong. The aim is to be closer to our customers, these great lovers of French fine wine, to be able to respond to their needs better and to take part in events like the wine fair organised by Bettane+Desseauve in Singapore in June.
7 – A new, completely automated warehouse
Our partner Gamba & Rota, situated in Aube not far from several large Champagne houses such as a Drappier, invested heavily in new technology to perfect its storage and management services for professional wine retailers like ourselves. A new warehouse was opened in April 2023. Entirely automatised, it means that we can have an even better overview of stocks and speeds up the time it takes to prepare orders. It’s a major advancement that iDealwine wholeheartedly supported as Gamba & Rota is always on the forefront of innovation.
8 – UK customers can now pay import taxes when placing their orders (otherwise known as DDP)
Brexit has not affected the wine trade between our two countries. Since the start of 2023, UK clients could place orders on iDealwine without suffering from the administrative burdens brought about by the post-Brexit importation rules. Orders are being sent “Duty Paid” – or DDP – which means that iDealwine takes care of all the administrative and customs formalities. Customers sending parcels to the UK pay the local taxes and import fees at the same time as the shipping fees so there should be no more surprises when the postie knocks on the door delivering the wines.
9 – Charity fund raisers for the environment and those working in wine
Each year, the iDealwine team is happy to answer the calls of charities and associations that are close to our hearts. That is why several charity auctions took place on both the FSA and iDealwine websites. There was the auction in aid of Vendanges Solidaires where bottles donated by producers went under the hammer with all the proceeds going to help winemakers in need and on Fine Spirits Auction, there was an auction that benefited the Good Planet Foundation (which is run by Yann Arthus-Bertrand). Elsewhere, iDealwine contributed to the success of the Bike to Care dinner which took place in the Halle aux Grains in Paris in April. The event was held to raise funds for the Jean-Claude Vrinat association which supports young people who wish to train for the hospitality sector. In November, iDealwine also contributed to a gala dinner held for Union pour l’Enfance, a children’s charity that helps underprivileged children, at the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud in the Loire Valley.
10 – A team carefully looking after our wine lovers
The whole world, or most of it, has an account with iDealwine. Wine lovers from 65 countries get excited when they see our next auctions and fixed-price selection. What is more, iDealwine is able to reach more and more people. One example of this is delivery to Australia which has been possible since the summer. Our team is made up of 64 employees in offices in Paris, Bordeaux, Beaune, Hong Kong and Singapore, and we monitor every stage of your orders as closely as possible. As we always say , we work “in the service of wine and fine spirits, committed to those who make them and to those who share them, since 2000.”
Everyone at iDealwine thanks you for your loyalty and your support with each and every one of our projects. We really can’t thank you enough for sharing this year with us as you have done every year since iDealwine’s creation.
The entire iDealwine team would like to wish you a Happy New Year and a 2024 rich in wine discoveries!
Watch our year in review video
Buy wine on iDealwine to start your 2024 off on the right foot.
