Benzinga | Sep 28, 2021 09:42AM EDT

Luxury from Argentina to Las Vegas

Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

When you think of luxury, countries like France and Switzerland immediately come to mind. Gaucho Group Holdings (NASDAQ:VINO), a U.S.-based Argentinian luxury brand, is trying to fix that. Gaucho has broken into the luxury brand and lifestyle space with its focus on fine wines, breathtaking real estate and high fashion. They are now bringing Argentinian luxury to the United States market.

Argentina may seem like an odd country for a luxury and lifestyle brand, especially in light of the country's recent economic troubles. Argentina has experienced massive amounts of inflation over the past decade, spiking at 25% in 2017, which was 2nd only to Venezuela at the time.

However, Gaucho Holdings views this as an unprecedented opportunity to gain a 1st-mover advantage in an undervalued market. That contrarian strategy has paid off for Gaucho handsomely, with 2021 being a year of expansion -- including an $8 million IPO of their stock and listing on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker VINO.

Making Moves in the US

Their momentum didn't stop there, however. In May the company announced the opening of a flagship store in Miami's design district, allowing it to rub elbows with the likes of luxury brands such as Chanel, Richemont (OTC:CFRUY) and Prada (OTC:PRDSY). The Miami store will give Gaucho's e-commerce customers an opportunity to see, touch and feel its products, which Gaucho hopes will lead to greater brand awareness.

The next brand-building step for Gaucho Holdings comes in the form of a joint venture with LVH Holdings LLC to develop a Las Vegas project that could include opportunities in hospitality, gaming, lodging and retail. The project's creative visionary and partner in LVH, Mark Advent, is working directly with SB Architects to bring the opportunity to life.

With SB Architects bringing its extensive design experience to the table, having created everything from a Ritz Carlton Reserve for Marriott (NASDAQ:MAR) to the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, the Las Vegas project has enormous potential to expand the Gaucho brand in the U.S.

Gaucho Holdings' expansion and brand-building efforts may seem overly audacious, but while the company's leadership prides itself on being contrarian, they remain conservative in their use of leverage to achieve their goals. Even with thousands of acres of land and vineyards -- not to mention a boutique hotel all under its ownership -- Gaucho only has a 14% debt-to-asset ratio, allowing it to remain nimble as it grows into the U.S. market.