Abbi Moreno plans new hybrid wine business after parting ways with family firm

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 13 August, 2018

Abbi Moreno, third generation scion of family wine merchant Moreno Wines, has parted company with her old firm after 21 years, announcing her intention to open a hybrid wine shop-come-wine bar business in early 2019.

Moreno, who with brother Marcel steered Moreno though some challenging times, sold the business to Boutinot in 2016, but remained on hand until this August to help oversee the transition of the company under its new owners.

“Boutinot bought the company two and a half years ago, and wanted to take the business in another direction; I’d always planned to stay on and hand over and then go, and now couldn’t be a better time,” Moreno, told Harpers.

Moreno says she will start a new business in February 2019 when freed from contractual non-compete obligations, with a zero waste, organically-focused hybrid wine shop-come-wine bar at the heart of her plans.

“I’ve been offered jobs in sales and some people want me to do wine consultancy, but it’s a tough time to be selling out there in the trade at the moment and for now I want to keep my options open,” said Moreno.

“I’ll be looking at sourcing wines for the new business, but taking a break until February, when more will be revealed – I’m going to enjoy not working for six months after a non-stop 21 years.”

Moreno said that her new venture would be in her “stamping ground” of northwest London where her family have been based since before Moreno Wines first opened its doors in Maida Vale in 1968.

Juan and Salome Moreno began by selling Spanish wines to the Spanish restaurant community around Portobello Road before second generation Manuel Moreno added agencies (and Chile) to the growing portfolio in 1980, with Abbi and Marcel Moreno later adding Italy to the portfolio during their time at the helm.

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