Revolutionizing Wine Storage: Bottle Bank Damon Raque Pt. 1

Host
00:00:00

Welcome. Welcome to The Best 5 Minute Wine with Forrest Kelly.

Forrest Kelly
00:00:06

Traditionally, wine is stored in a cellar or basement, but bottle bank is revolutionizing this practice by offering a modern, secure, climate controlled solution with other amenities, too. We return to our engaging dialogue with Damon Raque of Bottle Bank.

Forrest Kelly
00:00:23

They can store it there, and more importantly, they can enjoy it.

Host
00:00:26

That's The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast

Forrest Kelly
00:00:29

Putting this whole thing together, you did some research, right?

Damon Raque
00:00:32

Correct.

Forrest Kelly
00:00:33

Was it done through a company or your just own experiences and you just started putting them down? How did you come in to make it a clear vision?

Damon Raque
00:00:40

Really kind of on my own. It's morphed over time.

Initially it was, I looked at strictly wine storage, and there's a couple of folks in Atlanta that do traditional wine storage. Just a warehouse at 55 degrees, basic utilitarian storage for folks that have outgrown their current cellaring situation.

And I was looking at wine storage literally all over the world. So Australia, New Zealand, the UK, different places in Europe, all over the US.

And again, that's when I kind of realized most of these places didn't have anything that allowed people to take advantage of a wine community. You know, some had a small little tasting room or a tiny little lounge, but nothing really hospitality driven.

And in my former life, I was in sales and consulting and financial services, and did a lot of work with restaurateurs and chefs and those types of folks. So had kind of had a background in hospitality from that side of it.

And I think it started out as more of a wine storage concept supported with hospitality. And over time, as we've conceptualized the business, it's really flip flopped. Now it's more of a hospitality concept with a wine storage component.

Forrest Kelly
00:01:52

So like a safe deposit box kind of situation where you. When.

If you bring in a particular bottle, you know, so I don't know if you've listened to the episode, but I talked to a wine investors, and where you can buy, together with multiple people, buy a $5,000 bottle of wine, say Vint.co Perhaps you buy this expensive bottle, you bring it to the bank. Is it stored someplace else, or is it in your actual storage part of the bank?

Damon Raque
00:02:21

So each individual member. So we're gonna be a semi private concept. So we are open to the public, but we also have an optional membership component.

So one of the benefits of membership is an individual private wine vault. And we're gonna have two different sizes.

We're still figuring out the exact capacity, but as it stands now, we'll have one size that's gonna be between three and four cases and a second size that will be smaller at one case.

So individuals will have the ability to source wine from us, but also more importantly, wherever they obtain their wine, if it's online, if it's at a local wine store, if it's via an allocation list or a wine club subscription, we can accept their shipments, they can come and pick them up or they can say leave the wine there. At bottle bank, we will stick it in their private vault, they can store it there and more importantly they can enjoy it.

So the overall size of the space is about 9000, which about 3000 sqft is gonna be the wine vault where members can store their wine.

And the remaining square footage is gonna be again a big lounge, tasting rooms, chef's table, tasting counter, some other fun kind of amenities that we've put together to kind of create the bottle bank experience holistically.

Forrest Kelly
00:03:45

In our next interview with Damon Raque, co founder of Bottlebank.com, we will get into who their customer is.

Damon Raque
00:03:54

I envision bottle bank appealing to a variety of individuals and that's the great thing about wine. You know, it's inclusive and it is connected.

Host
00:04:03

Who's bringing wine to the next big scene? It's Damon Raque and he's living the dream. Bottlebend.com he's co founder too.

Damon Raque the name bottle banks the game from fine winings to sellers. He's changing the frame chandelier bar tasting nights so divine. Private events with the perfect wine.

Curated dinners and tasting so fine by the glass where you sip and shine. Private cellaring events that impress with Damon Raque, you're sipping the best.

Damon Raque the name bottle bank's the game for fine wines to sellers. He's changing the frame chandelier bar tasting night so divine. Private events with the perfect one. The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast

Forrest Kelly
00:05:19

Don't forget my favorite part.

Host
00:05:21

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Forrest Kelly
00:05:28

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