Ep. 2366 Isa Ketebaev of Monte Bianco Almaty | Asia Wine Market: Almaty Special Edition

Since twenty fifteen isa started working at Montebianco family run wine importing company since twenty twenty one, he became Almaty branch director of Montebianco. Our focus for today is going be Montebianco, but also operational procedures and challenges of imports. So our three key learning objectives for today, the first one, understand Montebianco's role, it's operational structure and portfolio development strategy. Second, we're going to gain insights into operational realities, local partnerships, bureaucratic hurdles, logistics, taxes, tariffs, when importing points. And third, we're going to understand the consumer behavior in Kazakhstan, identify trends and market opportunities for Italian producers. So let's dive in. Welcome to Asia wine market, Almati special edition with me. Your host, Rosa. In this special series, we're exploring the growing wine culture of Kazakhstan, with almighty at the heart of it all. Each episode will meet with Italian wine professionals, importers, psalms, and producers who are shaping the future wine in central Asia. Whether you are a winery looking to expand into new markets or a local expert curious about the market dynamics, you are in the right place. Hello, and welcome to Asia wine market, only a special dish Today, I'm excited to welcome Izaki Dubai since twenty fifteen, Issa started working at Montebianco family run wine importing company since twenty twenty one. He became ALmaty branch director of Monte Yankon. So welcome, Lisa. We're very happy to have you here today. Hello, everyone. Thank you for inviting me, sir. Have a good one. And honor is ours. Thank you. Today, the focus of our conversation is going to be the operational procedures and challenges of imports. And also we're going to talk about Montevianco and their portfolio as well. And before we dive in into our main topics for today, could you please briefly talk about yourself and how your journey in the wine industry began And, first of all, what led you to Montebianco? I've been part of Montebianca since the very beginning of it brief, but dynamic history, let's say, since twenty fifteen. The year we received our wholesale alcohol license at that time, I was studying international trade in China, Beijing, and working part time in my uncle's company mostly during university holidays. I was doing all sorts of things from designing promotional brochures, delivering wine to restaurants. Actually, I still do some of that from time to time. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have gotten into wine seriously if it weren't for this show. In the early years, I took wine courses in Almati at the school after I'm debited and participated in a few national wine competitions. Most of what I know today came through this kind of experiences. Plus, my job, when we import new items, we learn about winery grapes, they use its appletions, etcetera. I still remember my first ever wine trip, a summer visit to Sardinia. I must have placed more of your maintenance that week. And in my entire life before, we stayed near the coast and every evening felt like, a ritual where seafood the sound of the sea and shield glasses of Vermentina. The trip changed what I thought about the wind in total. I realized it's not just about rape, it's about place. The emotion connection is what really drew me in and it still drives my passion a wine today. And you're very lucky to have your first ever wine trip to Sardinia. It's such a beautiful place. Yep. And also, we must say kudos to Arton Levedev. He's my fellow Italian wine ambassador. Echolique, and he is one of the people who pioneered this wine movement in Kazakhstan. Yeah. No doubt. He is a big man, big influence after this man changes our Kazakhstaniwa in history by himself. That's true. I think that in the show notes to this episode, I will include one of the episodes with Art Tom, one of the wine to wine sessions where he talks about Kazakhstan Weinstein, the wine to wine that happens in twenty twenty three if I'm not mistaken. So while listening to this episode, you can also find the link to the episode with Arton. Alright. So as I've already mentioned, our focus for today is going to be Motobianco, but also the operational procedures and challenges of tow. Our three key learning objectives for today, the first one, understand Motobianco's role, its operational structure and portfolio development strategy. Second, we're going to gain insights into operational realities, local partnerships, bureaucratic hurdles, logistics, taxes, tariffs, when importing wines. And third, we're going to understand the consumer behavior in Kazakhstan, identify trends and market opportunities for Italian producers. So, miss dive in, so first of all, let's start with your work at Montebianco. Could you give us an overview of Montebianco's structure? Which channels and regions you covered and also your main role within the company. Firstly, Montebiyank is a family business founded by my uncle. We are small and united team with a clear vision and shared values. And I think that's one of our biggest things. We work across both Polycom and retail segments offering an important portfolio for restaurants, hotels, wine boutiques, and premium chain stores. Our focus is on premium wine boutique selections, whilst with character, sense of lace, strong identity. Many of our producers are family run liners themselves. We see that as a reflection of our own ones. Currently, we have branches in four key CPs actau, Atarau, Astana, and Almati, covering nine venues in total nine chain stores. I did Talmati branch, which plays a central role in our operations. Omati is not only the largest city in the country. I'd also call it the wine capital of gas many of the most engaged one consumers approach. My responsibility is representing our brand locally, building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and partners, organizing events and pasting helping to develop long term strategies for brand growth and market position. Okay. Got it. And I must add that as I saw already mentioned, the company was founded in twenty fifteen. So this year, it's actually ten years. Ten years. Yeah. It's too big. It seems like not a long time, but I must say that the company as I see it, the company is doing quite well. You were as an importer and distributor, but also you've got your on premise and off premise spaces too. Okay. Let's shift to your portfolio right away. And what is the percentage of Italian wines in your portfolio and which Italian wineries do you currently represent? We got the car of nine hundred wines in our for you and around two hundred of them. They represent eighteen out of twenty one regions. So our coverage is quite comprehensive. Some of the standout producers we work with include artisanal, casanova, Nella and many others. Okay. Got it. You mentioned that you represent eighteen of twenty regions. And could you please tell me which regions you don't represent? Now it is Avaya Dosta. And Melissa regions. But we have the wine from one of the oyster. It was, it was less credits, winery. Okay. Got it. And why did you stop importing those wine? Also, the wines are beautiful. And not regular to our market. We sold them for three or four years. We imported small quantity. We pushed them up, and yet, as I said, they didn't find the final consumers to say, frankly, Okay. Got it. But we're very happy that we helped them in our portfolio. Mhmm. Maybe it's not the last time we helped them. Okay. Got it. But we still have to educate the consumers a little bit more so they could see the value of those wines and the wines from that beautiful region. Here's the question for you. What does Montebianco typically look for when choosing new producers to work with? The first criterion is, of course, value for manual quality has to justify buy the price. Secondly, we always ask ourselves. Would this wine be interesting to our consumers? Sometimes the wine is technically excellent, but doesn't find it's audience. It's pretty to be honest. We track global trends, but we always adapt them to our core reality. The Palestinian market has many players focused on fleshy labels or bargain wines. Montebrianna's mission is different. We want to leave threats, not just follow them. We see ourselves as a part of, culture shift, more sophisticated wine culture in Palestine. Okay. And you also mentioned some of the producers. Could you name top three best selling regions in your portfolio? I think it is not suprised for everyone. First one is a Perseco. The second is in Agrisio, and cert can be some to Sky new owners. Okay. Super to Sky new owners. Okay. So Super Tuscans. I actually asked this question when I talked to Zudhia from Alma wine. Ratmeer from Kazakhstan wine and spirits, also Ramand from Makeatry. I think the answer was the same. And I think next time when I'll be interviewing a person from an importing company, I think there is no need to ask this question again. Alright. And now we can move on to partnerships and challenges that you've got importing wines on the market what are the most common operational or communication challenges you face when working with foreign wine suppliers and especially Italian wine producers? Frank is saying we don't face many major issues. As long as, all the documentation like certificates of origin and other export papers, in order, things usually go smoothly. Italian producers in particular have a lot of experience working with international markets. Which makes collaboration with them easier. Okay. Again, you said there are no major issues, but maybe there is a way to make your partnership even better what kind of supports or maybe a level of flexibility or tools would you like to see from producer site to help make your job as an importer and distributor easier and more effective Okay. If I could change one thing, I'd ask for a longer term business visas for it. That would make it much easier to visit exhibitions and meet with the partners in person. Which is essential for building strong trust based relationships. I understand that it is not in the power of producers, but still it is a one big major issue that I see. Oh, that is very interesting. Well, actually, before this interview, we talked to Esai a personal conversation. He mentioned that sometimes issuing business visa for him was an was an issue. Okay. Now let's go to Kazakhstan. What are some of the main bureaucratic or regulatory challenges you face when importing and selling wine in Kazakhstan. Could you just walk us through the typical import process, first of all, and give us a rough breakdown of the key costs involved such as import duties, Texas, licensing, and some of the other Texas. Yes. Yes. The cost structure is definitely significant except, excel, prices itself. First, there's logistics, which is a major part of the expense as incomes, import duties, which depend on the specific tariff codes, we'll also pay, excise taxes and the VAT. Which is currently twelve percent, but will increase to sixteen percent next year. In addition to that, it was wholesale and retail licenses to legally. So a couple products must be certified and labeled in accordance with Kazakhstan regulations when all is set and done, it's normal for water to reach the shelf at three or four times the acceler price from the liner. That's the reality of consulting one in our region. Well, yeah. That's true. That is why sometimes it's really hard to justify to the final consumer the value of this wine when because of all of these costs, the final price is super high in comparison with Europe. And sometimes it's really hard to justify to the final consumer why the same bottle of wine costs one price here, like three, four times more here than in Europe. Exactly. And I saw has already mentioned that our government is going to increase the value added tax that is for sure is not helping the importers and distributors here and also, like, all of the places that are selling wines final consumer. And what about the import tariffs on Italian way? As I know, there are two import ties for the European products. They are a bit different. I wouldn't say exactly what other accents about that. Okay. Thank you. Alright. And also, I think the exchange rate is a very big issue. So how does the exchange rate or currency fluctuation impact your pricing strategy for foreign coins? Yes. Currency fluctuations are an important factor in our pricing strategy. We try not to react to every small moment in the exchange rate. Instead, we adjust prices, primarily at the point of custom clearance when we actually do the payment. That way, we can maintain more stable pricing for our clients while still protecting our margins. Okay. And now when we talked about some of the problems, some of the challenges. Let's talk about some opportunities. So let's be optimistic and talk about some opportunities. You also import Italian food. So here, I would like to say that Montebienko also imports Italian food products. So why do you think made in Italy resonates so strongly with consumers in our country Is it the quality? Is it the image or maybe something else? Italian brands are very active in, Kazakhstan market. Several reasons for that. First is a strong support from the Italian ministry of trade, Italian trade agency. Second, it is, productive for all of the Italian chamber of commerce. And I said, yeah, high marketing intensity and visibility, and importantly, they've been present in Pakistan for a long long time. Maybe it is first, you're a European country as it, started representing their products in Pakistan. So, in Pakistan and cuisine, Omatsi is even more popular than traditional local food. If you walk around in Omatsi, you can see and confirm. People genuinely love it that emotional connection helps Italian wines and products thrive here. Yeah. Here, I must agree with Islam. That's true. Sometimes it feels like Italian restaurants are even more popular with locals rather than traditional cuisine. Well, sometimes it looks like this. That's true. And based on your experience, when it comes to Italian wine specifically, what factors drive local purchasing decisions? Is it the grape? Is it the region, the price point, the producer, or brand? Normally, people tend to drink what they are familiar with in the premium category, Supertusconson, Bruno, lead to a on the affordable and pinout bridges are extremely popular in the mid range. Remitivos and persectors are consistent favorites, but it's not just about the great variety of price, producers, story also plays a huge role. Consumers are increasingly interested in the background of the winery, the winemaking process and the intensity of the product. People want to know what the win they are drinking has a story behind whether it's a small family around vineyard with generations of history or producer committed to sustainability and innovations, branding also helps a lot, especially in the premium segment where consumers often look for wines with strong brand recognition and attractive packaging to reflect their own taste and lifestyle. So this is a few terms that you must keep in your mind as Italian producer. And you already told us which Italian wines, leading the way on our market. Could you also tell us in your opinion which other wine categories or regions you believe could have even greater potential to become more successful here. I absolutely. There are still many unexplored regions that Palestine consumers, unfamiliar with. I believe Dimonte in particular has massive potential. It's wines are world class yet still underrepresented on our market. Additionally, regions like flu, living in central, or transitional barges also have a lot of potential. These areas produce unique white wines and exceptional sparkling wines and there's growing demand in Pakistan for more diverse and high quality Italian whites, especially in the premium category. With the right positioning and, storytelling wise from these regions would easily capture the interest of local customers who are increasingly looking for something beyond that mainstream varieties. Okay. And that's very promising. I hope the Italian wineries from these regions in particular will be listening to our conversation today. It's almost time for us to wrap it up. But before doing that, I've got three rapid fire questions for you to summarize our conversation today. So the first one, what's one key thing Italian and winery should keep in mind when entering our market? They should think long term. Palestine is not a market where you see overnight results. It takes time to build trust and educate the consumers, but the potential is real, and the audience is growing fast. Okay. Thank you. If you could introduce one new wine trends or great variety to Kazakhstan, what would it be anyway? Since the site of, distributor, we have the flexibility to import almost everything. Anything. And, I think the market is ready for some more diverse offerings. Personally, I'd love to see more well balanced, elegant wines on our market, wines with Venus rather than just power. An excellent example would be Nipio from regions like Wagyu or or euroero. Alright. And the last question, which is not related to wine. So if you weren't working in wine, what other profession or industry, could you see yourself? I think I could have made a decent interviewer. But most likely, I'd still be in sales, perhaps selling other kinds of products or services after I did graduate, into traditional treat. Alright. So, actually, it can be any type of profession, good sales. Okay. Alright. It's time for us to wrap it up. And thank you yourself for all the insights that you shared. With us today. I hope it's going to be a very valuable and very insightful conversation for our listeners to understand our market more and what kind of challenges we face here as importers and distributors first of all. And, again, thank you a lot. Thank you for your time. Yeah. It was a pleasure, a big hello from Kurdistan to all listeners. Thank you, Rosa. And how could our listeners connect with you? I have not very professional Instagram. But if you find it, you can text me there. I leave my account information to Rosa. I think you can check. And I have email, like, every other human. The email can be found through want to be a cost efficient email. Okay. Got it. Thank you again. Thank you. And have a nice day and chat. Thank you. Bye bye. Thanks for listening to Asia wine market Almati special edition. Don't forget to subscribe and follow the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your parts. And if you are curious to discover more about the central Asian wine scene, join us at the Vineet Lake Calleksan roadshow on July seventh. See you in the next episode, and until then, cheers from Almaty.