Vino Fino

ABOUT VINO FINO
Vino Fino is a privately owned, wine specialist, liquor store. Since opening in 1993 Vino Fino has become the largest single retailer of Fine Wines in Christchurch, specialising in wines from New Zealand, Australia and around the world.

When we started out 25 years ago, the wine scene was vastly different to what it is today. Marlborough was an emerging region, with Sauvignon Blanc only making its mark. It was around this time that many wineries which are now household names, made their first appearance. The very first North Canterbury and Central Otago wines were only just appearing in the market. As a business we have grown alongside those same wineries establishing firm relationships along the way. Nowadays, far from being at the ‘end of the world’ for wine, we are at the centre of some of the world’s most exciting wine regions right here in the South Island.

Our philosophy has always been to offer both wines of distinction and those that offer outstanding value, backing it up with ‘good-old-fashioned’ service. We are a proud, local, independent family owned business and we will always try to keep things real. We have no ambitions to be the Biggest, Fastest, Flashest… just to be very good at what we do in an honest and sustainable manner with our customers, suppliers and staff.

With the vast array of wines available in the New Zealand market today, it is important that you, the consumer has some guidelines on which to make your purchasing choices. We are continually tasting and evaluating wines to make our stocking selection. We are very proud of our ability to be able to identify wines of distinction and especially those wines that offer outstanding value.

Vino Fino specialises in wines to suit everyone with a wide range of products in all categories. We offer advice and recommendations to suit everyone’s budget and requirements. We hope you enjoy your shopping experience with Vino Fino – either on-line or in person in our ambience filled shop.

MEET THE TEAM
Of course none of this would be possible without a great team. Vino Fino is headed by Rex Ormandy with 35+ years experience in Liquor retail. Over this time Rex has been involved in all aspects of retail, beginning his career with Waikato Wines and Spirits before moving to Christchurch and joining Wilson Neill. Rex is one of the founding partners and the only one still working in the business. Over this period Rex has also been involved with wine education and judging and his passion and interest in wine has continued to grow.

Paul Cabout has been with Vino Fino for over 15 years. Firmly customer focused, Paul is the retail manager and the friendly face that most instore customers recognize. Being of Dutch descent, Paul is alway keen to find a bargain and you can be sure that he will know the ‘best buys’. He also has a taste for the finest and is our ‘spirits’ man.

Dean Lovett joined Vino Fino after the earthquakes irreparably damaged the wine shop where he had worked previously. Dean’s wine passions are definitely focused toward European wines.

After working many school and university holidays and a stint with wine sales and marketing in Melbourne, Michael Ormandy returned back to Christchurch and is now an integral part of the team. His focus is on IT development and marketing and is excited by the new trends in wine such as natural wines.

Jame O’Flaherty joined us from a background in a Supermarket wine department. In addition to wine, what really excites James though is the Craft Beer scene and James is responsible for our ever growing and changing Craft Beer Selection.

The team is supported by part-time and casual staff and of course holding it all together is Judy who looks after the accounting side of the business.

When visiting our shop at 188 Durham Street in Christchurch, you will be impressed by not only our range but also the large amount of wine memorabilia on display. These rare artefacts are kindly on loan from the Kingscote Family Trust and were once part of the Fletcher Humphrey Museum Collection