Rising stars Jimmy Metta and David Elghanayan
What's so special? They say they've shaken up the luxury drinks market and expect to double their £4.2m turnover this year

Jimmy Metta's knowledge of, and passion for, wine is palpable. The co-director of premium wine and champagne distributor, Vanquish Wine, says: "Wine is an incredible product, and the first growth is the best wine on the planet. Because I had very good access to these wines (through a family member with a significant cellar in Switzerland), I saw it as a good opportunity to get into business."

He set up Vanquish Merchants in 2003 and immediately began trading and investing in rare wine bottles and collections. When his friend David Elghanayan expressed an interest in joining the firm in 2005, they changed its name to Vanquish Wine and now focus on wholesale distribution to the leisure industry as well as supplying clients and traders.

Elghanayan says understanding the market has been their biggest advantage: "We weren't burdened by the provenance of doing business for 25 years. We got every major premium nightclub, restaurant and bar [in London] as our client from a standing start because we're the guys going to these places. We know who's sitting on which table and what they want, not the guy who works for the vintner who's 55-years old and wearing a suit and a bow tie. Life moves on and this is our niche."

But Metta's talent for building appealing and unusual collections and finding rare bottles quickly has also been a boon. "We're good at finding vintages that are sought after, reputable and have healthy price tags," he says. "We sold a Chateau Lafite collection, a bottle from each year between 1789 to 1870. Only a handful of people in the world will buy those wines. A collection like that goes for €1m. That was huge for us," he says, "and we've got the clients to prove it."