It all started with his search for exquisite wines in Tokyo. He was amazed that he couldn't find anything besides the staple rice wine in Japan. Jamie Paquin saw a business opportunity and that's when he decided that he wanted to open an all-Canadian Wine Store in Tokyo, Japan.
At around the same time, he noticed that wine produced in Canada is starting to get recognize by the world. Their wines are getting awards from different categories. He felt that the lack of sophisticated wine in Japan and the new-found success of the Canadian wine industry is the perfect formula for business.
Heavenly Vines, Paquin's shop in the "upmarket area of Ebisu", contains wines from at least 35 wine producers, the majority of which came from Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. Other major wine suppliers come from Niagara and Prince Edward County in Ontario. The price of the wines is ranging from $23 to $175.
Aside from establishing a profitable business, one of Paquin's goal is to educate the people that Canada is producing great wines. The intimate set up of his shop allows him to educate about the history of the wine, the raw materials that were used to make the wine and what can the customers expect from the wine.
Paquin said that he is marketing his products and his shop through social media, free wine tasting, presentation about the wines on restaurants and of course, endorsements from satisfied customers.
James Paquin is from Brockville, Ontario. He came to Tokyo, Japan in 2006 as a doctoral student from York University. He met Nozomi Mihara and the two eventually got married. He spent most of his time educating the people in his community on what Canada can offer in terms of high-quality wines.
According to Paquin, his All Canadian Wine Store can offer its customers a "new and unique" experience when it comes to wine.
