Vinnico Export was founded in 1996 by Nicholas "Nico" Hammeken whose wine industry experience began with the completion of his professional Cellar Master designation in Denmark. He then continued with work in wine production in Germany, France and Spain before moving into the wine trade in England. Nicholas was especially interested in the wine regions in southeastern Spain, particularly the Murcia region. Winery improvements from the 1990's had produced wines that were much more suited to modern tastes.

The reason for starting this company was my fascination for Spanish wines. From many being dull and boring years ago, a new generation of young Spanish winemakers now make delicious New Wave wines at competitive prices. Innovation seems more and more often to be one of the key words in the Spanish wine trade, both in terms of making new wines and improving traditional wines.

Nicholas likes to describe the wines we work with as "Tomorrow's Spain". Traditional Spanish grape varietals from old, established vineyards and winegrowing regions are combined with modern viticultural and winemaking techniques to produce fresh wines that emphasize the true characteristics of each grape and each region.

As well as being our managing director, Nicholas is also involved with sales and has a specific focus on Scandinavia. He was also responsible for launching Vinnico Export wines into North America and Japan.