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TDG: Wine Camp: Stranger in a Strange Land

Fat Guy

By Fat Guy
in Wine

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Fat Guy

Fat Guy

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The peculiar case of an honest wine merchant.

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Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Scotch Bonnet

Scotch Bonnet

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How many importers are supplying the US with European wines today? If one was planning to get into the business of importing, what are the most important things to keep in mind? Also, my research shows that depending on whom you ask, the top three US importers vary quite a bit. From Neil Empson, Marc de Grazia, Vias to smaller importers such as John Givens Imports and Oliver Crum Imports. What type of criteria would you use in determining your top picks for importers that you trust and who would you choose? Why do some importers never get off the ground but others become national favorites? I am playing the 20 questions game because one of my close friends is looking into becoming an importer of french & italian wine as well as European artisan cheese. From my research it would appear that this is a difficult market to excel at but I would love to be proved wrong. :smile:

Edited by Scotch Bonnet (log)
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Craig Camp

Craig Camp

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To say this is a difficult time to start as a new importer that would be an understatement. There is a glut of wine in the market right now. There are fewer distributors to represent wines and all the distributors have too much wine to sell anyway. The bad dollar exchange rate with the euro is making foreign wines more expensive and on and on....

That being said there are always new up and coming distributors and a few of them will be famous someday. Besides a great palate you need a LOT of start up cash and the willingness to travel constantly.

Visit Joe Dressner.com to get some 'other' viewpoints.

Craig Camp

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Craig Camp

Craig Camp

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Craig,

Thank you so much!  That was very helpful information.  If a bit disheartening. 

:wink:

I would never say not to do it. Just don't go into it with any illusions. It is damn hard work that people outside the industry often see as more glamorous than it is.

Craig Camp

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