A fantastic turnout at the Chicago tasting!
VINTUS Chicago Tasting!
April 26th, 2012VINTUS San Francisco Tasting!
April 23rd, 2012Another incredible tasting in San Francisco!
VINTUS Boston Tasting!
April 23rd, 2012A great day at the Boston Tasting!
VINTUS New York Tasting!
April 23rd, 2012A monster turnout at the New York City Tasting on Tuesday!
VINTUS Miami Tasting!
April 17th, 2012Super tasting in Miami yesterday!
VINTUS Producer Tour Information!
March 9th, 201225 VINTUS producers will make their way across the country this April, going from Miami on April 16th and then to New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Click on the images below to download the invites! Participants are listed on the back (second) page of each invite.
Miami: Monday, April 16, 2012
New York City: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Boston: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Chicago: Thursday, April 19, 2012
San Francisco: Friday, April 20, 2012
VINTUS named new U.S. Importer of Tommasi
January 20th, 2012An exciting day for us. Below is the press release on our latest development – the venerable Amarone producer Tommasi joins the VINTUS portfolio.
VINTUS Named New U.S. Importer of Tommasi
Top Amarone Brand Joins VINTUS’ Portfolio of Benchmark Wines
VINTUS Acquires Rolar Imports as Part of Tommasi Partnership
(Pleasantville, NY; January 20, 2012) — VINTUS, a leading national fine wine importer and marketing company, and Tommasi, the renowned producer of Amarone and Valpolicella Classico in Italy’s Veneto region, are delighted to announce that they have entered into a long-term distribution agreement, granting VINTUS the responsibility for the exclusive sales and marketing of Tommasi wines in the United States. In a related transaction, VINTUS has purchased Rolar Imports, U.S. importer of Tommasi wines for the past thirty-nine years.
Founded in 1902 in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico, Tommasi is one of the standard bearers of the Amarone appellation, and one of the most important quality producers in the Veneto generally. The Tommasi family is the single largest landowner in the Valpolicella Classico area; over the past 110 years, they have steadily expanded their holdings in other areas of the Veneto, and now own a total of 370 acres in the region. As has been the case since the winery’s establishment, the family works only with grapes they grow, an important quality decision and a reflection of their deep connection to the Valpolicella soil.
“We are extremely pleased to develop this new relationship with VINTUS, and to work with them to increase the presence of our family’s wines in top restaurants and wine shops in the United States,” said Dario Tommasi, co-owner along with his brothers Sergio, Ezio, and Franco.
“It is an especially exciting time for our family: we are celebrating our 110-year anniversary and are seeing the benefits from a number of recent investments and innovations in our vineyards and winery. We believe that Michael Quinttus and his dynamic team at VINTUS are uniquely qualified to enhance the visibility of our wines to the next generation of American consumers. The Tommasi family thanks our dear friends Paul Lardi and Marvin Rosenberg of Rolar Imports for 39 years of successful collaboration.”
VINTUS, founded in 2004, is a national importer and marketing company for leading fine wine estates around the world. VINTUS President and founder Michael Quinttus commented: “The Tommasi family has a tremendous commitment to preserving and sharing the traditions of Valpolicella, and leading the Veneto region into the future. Amarone is a special and rare contribution to the world of wine, unique to the Veneto, and it is a privilege to enter into this partnership with one of Italy’s great producers.”
Tommasi is now run by the fourth generation of the family, a group of six siblings and cousins who share responsibilities at the family properties and other holdings. In addition to the Veneto estate vineyards and winery, the Tommasi family also has two properties in the Maremma totaling 225 acres: Poggio al Tufo purchased in 1997 and located in Pitigliano an hour north of Rome, and Doganella, a more recent purchase neighboring Poggio al Tufo and dedicated entirely to the organic cultivation of grapes.
For a complete list of Tommasi wines available in the U.S., click here. Below are a few of the most celebrated examples:
- Amarone Classico DOC
- “Ripasso” Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC
- “Arele Appassimento” Veronese IGT
- “Rafael” Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC
- “Le Rosse” Pinot Grigio IGT
- “Le Volpare” Soave Classico DOC
VINTUS represents a diverse, international range of benchmark wineries including E. Guigal, Chateau Montelena, Quinta do Noval, Errazuriz, Ch. Pétrus, Ch. Margaux, Ch. La Fleur-Pétrus, Domaine des Baumard, Champagne Bruno Paillard, Lucien Le Moine, Sandrone, Petrolo, Enrico Santini, Schiopetto, Il Palagio, Finca Decero, Telmo Rodriguez, Ferrer Bobet, Disznoko, Dog Point, Mitolo and Heartland. For information on these and other estates, visit www.vintuswines.com.
Patrick Will: Hospice du Rhone 2011 Person of the Year!
May 2nd, 2011We are thrilled to announce that at the Hospice du Rhone this weekend in Paso Robles, Patrick Will was named the 2011 person of the year. This tremendous recognition comes in light of Patrick’s longtime involvement with the event, California’s Central Coast, and the wines of Guigal. Patrick is extraordinarily deserving of this award, and nothing we could write touches on Patrick’s integrity and passion as well as the profile in the Hospice du Rhone program announcing his recognition. You can download the piece by clicking on the article icon just below, or read the full text below the icon.
Our person of the year for Hospice du Rhone 2011 continues a string of magnificently generous, devoted, committed individuals who we are certain never gave a thought to being ‘recognized’ for doing what, to them, just comes naturally. Unassuming and quietly omnipresent, Patrick Will is a very special someone who selflessly, but very personally, enhances every attendee’s HdR experience.
After completing his Masters in Musicology at Cornell University in 1982, Patrick taught Music and English there until 1986, when he entered the wine trade full time after moving to Boston. In 1987 he was named “Grand Wizard of California Wine” by a trade group seeking the most “California wine-knowledgeable” retail or restaurant employee in the US. Patrick moved to Santa Barbara County, California, in 1987 to manage the sales at Firestone Vineyard, and became General Manager thereof in 1989. He served as President of the Board of Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association from 1991 through 1994. In 1996 Patrick, along with his wife Donna, joined Frederick Eck to form Ex Cellars Wine Agencies, Inc. In October of 2010 Ex Cellars passed on the distribution of E. Guigal wines to VINTUS, LLC and Patrick became Vice President of Brand Management and Development at VINTUS.
Estate photos on Facebook
April 17th, 2011We’ve posted a number of photos on Facebook and now have some nice albums of Guigal, Errazuriz, Finca Decero (including photos our recent trip), Quinta do Noval, Telmo Rodriguez and Mitolo. Cool!
Frank Mitolo and Ben Glaetzer walking in the Lopresti vineyard, in the Willunga Hills section of McLaren Vale
VINTUS NEW U.S. IMPORTER OF E. GUIGAL; ACQUIRES EX-CELLARS
October 6th, 2010VINTUS NEW U.S. IMPORTER OF E. GUIGAL; ACQUIRES EX CELLARS
VINTUS and E. GUIGAL are pleased to announce they have entered into a long-term distribution agreement granting VINTUS the responsibility for the exclusive sales and marketing of GUIGAL wines in the United States. In a related transaction, VINTUS has purchased the assets of former GUIGAL importer Ex Cellars Wines Agencies.
VINTUS, founded in 2004, is a national importer and marketing company for leading fine wine estates around the world. VINTUS President and founder Michael Quinttus commented: “It is an honor and the fulfillment of a long dream to now represent the wines of GUIGAL, the leading producer in the Rhone Valley and one of the world’s iconic brands. Adding GUIGAL and other Ex Cellars producers such as Baumard, Philipponnat, François Lurton, D. Milhade, Château de Beauregard, Talmard and Dog Point to our portfolio is a seamless extension of our efforts to offer wine lovers and our distributor, retail and restaurant partners the finest wines in the world.”
Marcel and Philippe Guigal, with a fanatical devotion to quality and terroir, have set the highest production standards in the region, ranging from best-value Côtes du Rhônes to once-in-a-lifetime single-vineyard bottles such as La Mouline, La Turque and La Landonne from Côte-Rôtie. Reflecting on the transition to VINTUS after working for more than 40 years with importer Fred Ek, founder of Ex Cellars, Marcel and Philippe stated: “We will be eternally grateful to Fred Ek for introducing our wines to the U.S. in the 1960’s. Fred, Patrick and their team have given American wine lovers access to our wines for decades. We have also known and respected Michael for many years, and have watched as the VINTUS organization has developed. We believe his company is the natural next home for GUIGAL.”
According to Fred Ek, co-owner of Ex Cellars: “After so many years working with GUIGAL and my other friends in France, successively in retail, wholesale with Classic Wine Imports and finally Ex Cellars, it is a pleasure to pass them along to Michael Quinttus.” Patrick Will, co-owner of Ex Cellars, will become Vice President, Brand Management & Development at VINTUS. He adds, “it has been a pleasure and an honor to work with Fred and these wonderful producers for 14 years. I look forward to being part of what has undoubtedly become one of the very top fine wine portfolios in the country.”
VINTUS represents a diverse, international range of extraordinary wineries including Chateau Montelena, Quinta do Noval, Errazuriz, Ch. Pétrus, Ch. Margaux, Ch. La Fleur-Pétrus, Bruno Paillard, Marcel Deiss, Lucien Le Moine, Mas Belles Eaux, Sandrone, Petrolo, Enrico Santini, Schiopetto, Richard Sanford’s Alma Rosa Winery, Finca Decero, Telmo Rodriguez, Ferrer Bobet, Disznoko, Mitolo, Shaw + Smith, Delta, and Quinta da Romaneira. For more information, visit their website at www.vintuswines.com.
Founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal, E. GUIGAL is based in Ampuis and has been the leading producer of Rhône Valley wines for decades. Etienne’s son Marcel has led the development of the family firm since 1961, and Marcel’s son Philippe, oenologist, works by his side to carry on their traditions of quality, preservation and innovation. GUIGAL produces a wide range of Rhône wines: legendary wines from Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Crozes-Hermitage and Tavel; and of course Côtes du Rhône red, rosé and white that represent some of the greatest values in the wine world. Their website is www.guigal.com.