In light of his company's upcoming collaboration with Nectar Ltd, Marco Vella – co-founder of Marco Vella Wines Ltd – looks back on 34 fruitful years in the wine distribution industry. Here, he shares why this opportunity for collaboration with one of Malta’s leading food and beverage importers and distributors was ripe for the picking.
Marco Vella has come a long way since he first ventured into the world of wine in 1988. Throughout his time in various managerial positions at other companies, he left his mark on the local sector at large – from importing new wines and promoting local wine production, to introducing wine lists that went beyond the name and included a description of the wine selection. This helped patrons to make an informed decision while showcasing the heritage behind each bottle.
Indeed, now an independent distributor, it is these very practices that Marco still holds close to his heart and that led him and Michelle Vella Gobey, his wife and business partner, to the crossroads that came before their latest business decision.
Nine years into Marco Vella Wines, the dilemma lay in whether to keep growing the business, which Marco knew would involve recruiting more staff, updating logistics and making a warehouse upgrade. Alternatively, he and Michelle could outsource these processes to experts in the field so that Marco could focus on what he was more passionate about: importation market research, specialised marketing to educate the public, designing wine lists and staff training, for the company as well as partner restaurants.
It so happened that the second option was far too attractive a prospect to pass up, so Marco and Michelle decided to go ahead with a collaboration. After all, this was not the first big decision the couple had taken together, as Marco recalls the conversation they had before setting up the business to begin with. At the time, they felt it made sense to take the plunge and build on the extensive experience Marco had gained from 25 years in the industry. This clearly turned out to be a wise move, as the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, nearly another decade later and at the helm of his own business, Marco is eager to keep developing his reach and expertise, and he looks to Nectar almost as his counterpart in food and beverage distribution. Both companies have always imported and distributed a different portfolio of goods, with wine at the heart of Marco Vella Wines, and quality foods and other beverages (excluding wine) as the focus at Nectar. Their distinct specialisations complement one another perfectly, making them well suited for a collaboration.
Interestingly, in a reassuring observation that further validates the collaboration, mutual clients of the two companies have often told Marco that they see one reflected in the other. Pondering the comparison, Marco remarks, “In life and in business, values are everything.”
Gesturing to a lovely and prominently framed photo of his late father, Marco adds: “The values of generosity and humility that my father passed on to me automatically translate into a reminder that I will always be a worker. As lifelong workers, we have a duty to value those we work with just as we value ourselves. These are the values that I see very clearly in the Abela family over at Nectar, which are just as apparent among all their staff members.”
The unity and respect characteristic of Nectar’s team, coupled with their market-wide positive reputation among clients, are what drew Marco Vella Wines to Nectar, who they will in turn provide with consultancy services and staff training. “We feel very comfortable outsourcing some of our gems to someone we trust and who will continue to nurture them so we can keep growing the company – for the benefit of both businesses and all employees, ourselves included.”
This is a source of great excitement for Marco, as he reflects on the tough decision to start small when he first set up the business, well aware that it would take years to establish the company and the strategic positioning of the brands they represented within the market. He is now thrilled to once again collaborate with old clients, study wine culture to create new wine lists, carry out tastings at the historical premises of the Marco Vella Wines Enoteca in Zebbug, and contribute ever more value to the portfolio of services offered to different clients.
It is, in fact, the company’s mission to turn wine into a holistic cultural experience that a drinker owes to the land where it was produced. “As a drinker, it shouldn’t just be about what’s inside the bottle, but what’s outside and around you,” Marco asserts. Drawing on the fascinating findings of recent excavations in Gozo, Marco discusses the role that the unique microclimates across the Maltese Islands have played on viniculture throughout history.
More importantly, he believes that the label on every bottle of wine is an opportunity to communicate the wealth of this history that spans millennia – for as long as wine has existed in human society. And the beauty of it, sadly overlooked by so many drinkers, is that quality most certainly trumps quantity when it comes to wine. As Marco explains, the longer a sip is savoured, the more potent and memorable the flavour and its contextual associations. This, he shares, is the secret to making the most out of every bottle, perfectly summed up in the company motto as: ‘Heritage Cultured in a Glass’.
Visit www.marcovellawines.com/ for more information on Marco Vella Wines and https://nectar.com.mt/ to learn more about Nectar.