Last week, one of my freelance clients asked me to do a business piece about a local expat businessman who is running a wine and seafood showroom, office and export business in our local commercial centre in Algorfa. As Erik - who runs Balt-Scandic with his partner, Roma - is a very busy man, the only way he could make the interview was if I went to the showroom, where he could talk to me between customers, and also let me try some of the wines. Yes, I know - it's a lousy job, but somebody has to do it!
This blog post was going to be about Erik's business model, with a bit of human interest thrown in, but I got talking to some of the people that came through the doors in the couple of hours I was there. I thought I'd share that first, then look into some of the interesting aspects of the business in later posts.
Basically, the showroom serves as an office for Erik's export business to Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, and a showroom where his clients who come to Spain on holiday can see and try the wines they're getting. In between all that, Erik also sells wine, seafood, olive oil and Scandinavian licorice products and other confectionery to anyone who's lucky enough to be passing during opening hours.
The first thing he says when you walk in the shop is, 'Would you like to try some wine while you look around?' And it's not served up in a plastic cup - it takes a proper wine glass to showcase these DO wines from small producers in a ring around the area. The two young mothers who came in with their children had obviously not expected that. They were just looking for a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner, but after trying two or three organic reds at 4 Euro a bottle, they left the shop giggling - and with around 25 Euro of wine and chocolate. I just hope Trafico aren't breathalysing mums with pushchairs these days, because they'd probably have failed the test!
A little later, a 40-something couple who are regular customers came in for scallops for supper, and to replenish their wine stocks. They remarked how nice it was to be able to get decent wines without going into town or paying telephone number prices, and I had to agree with that. Another 40 Euro changed hands, and Erik said that's a typical sale. People come in, try a couple of wines, look around and take back enough to last a while. Even though they're local, a lot of the customers are busy people in their 40s and 50s, and they appreciate having quality on the doorstep.
Just before I left - with about six pages of notes and several glasses of very good rose on board - a retired couple came into the shop. It was their first visit, and the husband looked very Spanish, although he spoke with no trace of an accent. When we got talking, it turned out that he was born in Barcelona - and no, his name wasn't Manuel, and he wasn't a waiter in Fawlty Towers. His family brought him to England as a three-month old baby at the start of the Spanish Civil War, and he'd lived in Europe for most of his life, but had now returned to his homeland.
We had a very interesting discussion about that period - I'm interested in it as well, and I've recently read a stunning novel called Guernica, by Dave Boling. it turned out he hadn't read it, so I filled him in on a few details, and told him where to get it. When I've got time, I'll review it here. The trouble is, I have so many ideas for posts, I sometimes feel as if I'll never get around to them all.
If you're in the vicinity of La Finca Commercial Centre in Algorfa between noon and 7.00pm, call in and see Erik. Tell him Sandra sent you, and he'll give you an extra glass of wine. In fact, it may be a good idea to walk - or at least get someone else to drive!
