
Rytenė Morkūnaitė opened a Moldovan wine shop in Alytus almost two years ago. After joining the acceleration program of the co-working space "Spiečius" created by the Innovation Agency, she is successfully developing her business and is proud to have chosen her hometown for this purpose.
How did the idea of opening a Moldovan wine winery come about? Why did you choose to export wine other than French or Italian?
Wines from Moldova are not a common phenomenon in Lithuania, and it is difficult to get quality ones. The idea came when my parents went on a tasting trip in Moldova. They are wine lovers and this country is the land of wine. At first, we had the idea to deliver wines for ourselves and friends, but Moldova is not an EU country, so it is difficult. We need to have licenses and export large quantities, so we decided to open an online store.
in 2020 we wanted to participate in the "Wine Days" in Vilnius, we had rented a place, but the pandemic started and we had to cancel this plan. We did not participate until 2022, when event restrictions were already lifted. Although we had doubts about participating after a gap of several years, we decided to take the risk.
We couldn't believe it ourselves, but we did extremely well. This is a relatively new product, because there is a lot of Italian or French wine, and there is not much Moldovan wine of good quality. People's interest prompted us to open a physical store where customers could taste the product they want to buy.
Rytene, why did you choose to create a business in Alytus and not in a big city? After all, the demand would be higher there.
I myself am from Alytus district, I didn't want to run somewhere far away. I see how rapidly our city is growing and expanding. Young families are returning here more and more often. As for the winery itself, I wanted to create a place where people could not only shop, but also sit down and enjoy a glass of wine.
How do you choose the wines you sell?
As soon as we got established, we started working with small wineries. My parents used to go to Moldova and get to know small family businesses, their products, and we take what we like to Lithuania. For example, in 2022 in the fall, just before the physical store opened, we went in search of sparkling wine. So, you go to wineries, taste and look for something new to offer your customers. After almost two years of existence of the physical store, we have already selected products that we like very much. Of course, it happens that the winemakers also offer something new, and since we already have mutual trust, we replenish the assortment based on their recommendations.
Do you not face the attitude that Moldovan wines are not as high quality as Italian or French?
As soon as we opened a physical store, we had to deal with this quite often. There was a stereotype that the wines of this country were only sweet and of poor quality. Now the customers who come to us know what country's products they will find, they try the innovations and, I think, they are satisfied.
Is Wood & Wine a picky customer?
At the beginning, it seemed that the client of Alytus is a little attached to innovations, the one who tends to choose a familiar and safe option. Wines that are not common in our market raised suspicion. We tried to prepare for this customer reaction in advance and created a space where not only shopping, but also tastings take place. They allow customers to get to know our products better. It's nice to see familiar faces keep coming back, with their favorite flavors or looking for something new. Over time, the client becomes more and more selective, asks for recommendations, and is interested in news.
What was the most difficult thing for you as a young person to start a business?
At the very beginning, there was a lot of uncertainty, a lot of calls to various institutions, a lot of documentation. At that time, I did not know what permits and licenses would be required, and what institutions would need to be contracted with. Until now, I have never done anything like this, so I had to learn everything through practice, call and ask, and I had to fill out some forms several times before they were accepted. Later, friends opened businesses, so it's nice that I was able to advise them to make things easier.
You also participated in the acceleration program of the cooperation center "Spiečius". Tell me more about the program. How did this program help you? What skills did you develop?
At that time, I already had my own business, and the program is intended for such individuals. In this program there are intensive lectures on business development where we get assignments and do them with our existing businesses. We gain knowledge about effective marketing, communication basics, effective sales and financial planning in business. Being in this community center can give you a different perspective on your business, because when you're working, you don't even think about some things.
And how did you find out about "Spiečių"?
I learned about him last summer, when "Spiečiaus" was opened in new premises. There was a presentation of the cooperation center, later I contacted the project manager Iveta Dimšiene and she told me more about the center's activities. I got interested and thought it would be interesting to gather a circle of business people around me, so I joined.
Let's fantasize: how do you imagine your business in ten years?
In fact, it is very difficult to see some kind of vision, but there is a great desire to expand. I don't know if I would want a second winery, but I might want other rooms with more privacy.
Do you want to become a member of Alytus "Spiečius"? Contact project manager Iveta Dimšiene. tel. no. +370 658 75 610 or e-mail Mr. [email protected] Or fill out the membership form: https://spiecius.inovaciuagentura.lt/narystes-anketa/ More information: https://spiecius.inovaciuagentura.lt/ Collaboration centers "Spiečius" are active business spaces created by the Innovation Agency, adapted for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, which provide free services in order to grow and expand their businesses, strengthen entrepreneurial competences, cooperate with each other and thus find new business partners.