European W. Share Discussion Threads

[piedro] 05/8/2005 15:40

After much inactivity, seems that volume is picking up.

Am topping up.

[grupo] 11/4/2005 18:02

LONDON (AFX) - English Wines Group PLC said non-executive chairman Paul
Brett has purchased 500,000 ordinary shares in the company at 10 pence each.
Also today, Oakover Properties Ltd sold 1,500,000 shares at 10 pence each
and no longer has a notifiable interest.

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[bingobarnes] 21/1/2005 17:02

T1ps members may have seen this tipped back in July 2004 at 16p. The price has since fallen back. I should add that I do not own shares in the English Wine Group (EWG). I merely noted there was no thread and thought that it was time there was a place for people to discuss this as potential investment.

Although EWG is an Ofex stock it has attracted high profile super-investors in the form of Nigel Wray who put in £1.5 million in a placing in early 2004 in return for a 40% stake in the company and property mogul Richard Balfour-Lynn who put in a further £405,000 for 11% of the company.

Investing in EWG is not going to be a get-rich quick scheme. With vines only recently having been planted in EWG's vineyards at Tenterden and Lamberhurst in Kent it will take some time for the vines to mature and the wine to start flowing. Whilst EWG will never be able to achieve the economies of scale that the New World wine producers enjoy, Champagne houses in particular could do a lot worse than to look to the UK were we consume more Champagne than any other country - around 34 million bottles a year. So then, can EWG tap into the Champagne market?

With Bush refusing to sign up to Kyoto's emmission targets and President Blair recently trying to scuttle European emmission targets perhaps so. EWG's Managing Director Frazer Thompson in an interview with stated that France's Champagne region was now becoming too warm to grow the acidic grapes that are needed to make the sparkling wine: "It would only take a one degree increase in temperature before the south of England becomes the new Champagne"

In the long term then this share could have us reaching for the Champagne. One to buy and tuck away in the cellar.


Regards

Bingo